The U.S. is expected to bring in tougher COVID testing rules for both vaccinated and unvaccinated international travelers as the world struggles to stop the spread of the Omicron variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was working to ensure all those traveling to the U.S. by air take a test within 24 hours before boarding their flights - cut down from 72 hours - a day before President Joe Biden sets out a winter plan to tackle the virus. Other measures - including self-quarantine - are being considered by the White House, the Associated Press reports.
Cases have so far been detected in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Spain, Nigeria, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, Botswana, Denmark, France (Reunion Island), Austria, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.
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Most Omicron cases 'mild' and no evidence of impact on vaccines - WHO official
Early signs show the variant may not be as bad as previously thought, reports from Reuters suggest.
The official confirmed that more than 40 mutations have now been identified with Omicron - far higher than any other variant discovered so far.
South Korea confirms first Omicron cases
The country has reported two cases just now, according to news agencies Kyodo and Reuters.
They are a fully vaccinated couple who tested positive for the variant after arriving last week from Nigeria, Chosun Ilbo newspaper reports.
It comes as the country hits record numbers of daily infections, with over 5,000 new cases reported yesterday.
Poll reveals deep political divide and how analysts use it to predict
Political party support plays a major role in predicting how concerned certain groups are about Omicron, a new study by YouGov has found.
A poll by the agency suggests Democrats are far more likely to be concerned about the new variant than Republicans. 80 percent of Democrats said they were "somewhat concerned" or "very concerned" about Omicron, compared to only 35 percent of Republicans.
A 59 percent majority of Republicans said that they were "not very concerned" about the variant or "not concerned at all" - far more than the 14 percent of Democrats who said the same.
FULL STORY: Omicron Variant Has Democrats Really Alarmed, Republicans Not So Much
First two Omicron cases detected in Brazil
The first two cases of the Omicron variant were detected in Brazil - the first confirmed cases in Latin America.
Samples from two Brazilians who tested positive for the variant will be sent for confirmatory laboratory analysis, a statement from Brazil's health surveillance agency Anvisa said.
The cases are reported to involve Brazilian missionaries living in South Africa.
Fauci laughs off calls for prosecution
The White House chief medical adviser laughed at the idea that he should be prosecuted in an interview with Margaret Brennan on her show, Face the Nation - and pushed back against accusations of lying by Senator Ted Cruz.
Cruz questioned whether Fauci had lied regarding whether the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded gain of function research at the Wuhan institute of Virology in a congressional hearing last month - and claims the doctor gave a misleading answer - but Fauci turned it to January 6.
I have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on January 6th senator?
A clip from the interview now has almost three million views.
Dr. Fauci laughs when asked about Sen. Ted Cruz & Sen. Rand Paul saying he should be prosecuted:
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 28, 2021
"I should be prosecuted?! What happened on January 6, senator?"
pic.twitter.com/VRcomodyqH
Japan starts rapid rollout of booster shots as second Omicron case confirmed
Healthcare workers are being given additional protection ahead of a possible new wave of infections after the first case of the variant in the country was confirmed yesterday - just hours after entry to all foreign visitors ended - and a second case was discovered this morning.
Much remains unknown about the new variant - including whether it can evade current vaccines - sparking fears of a return to the early days of the pandemic.
First shipment of Pfizer antiviral pills heads to U.S.
The pharmaceutical company is pushing for Emergency Use Authorization of PAXLOVID from the FDA after applying earlier this month.
The pill is believed to reduce the risk of hospitalization by up to 89 percent and, pending approval, the U.S. government will buy 10 million treatment courses worth over $5 billion.
Thrilled to see the first shipments of our COVID-19 antiviral candidate head to the airport for distribution across the United States. Approval or authorization could be a big step forward in helping end this pandemic. #ScienceWillWin pic.twitter.com/CiIS59MWwJ
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) November 30, 2021
Omicron spreads to Saudi Arabia
Health officials in the country confirmed the infected person is in quarantine, as well as their close contacts, reports the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The government confirmed the person is a Saudi national who had travelled from a North African country but declined to give further details.
It is the first case of the variant in the Middle East.
Traces of Omicron found in Dutch samples before South Africa's discovery
Dutch health authorities discovered the variant in samples from as early as November 19 - five days before the World Health Organization said that South Africa first reported the strain.
The discovery makes even more unclear the timeline and origin of Omicron's emergence as scientists try to figure out how dangerous it might be and how easily it can spread.
FULL STORY: Dutch Find Omicron in Sample From Mid-November, 5 Days Before South Africa Discovery
