New Delhi: A new variant of covid-19 which was first detected in South African now challenging the US as the country reports 73 percent cases of ‘Omicron’ out of total cases. The Health Authority of the US said “The newly mutated Covid-19 strain, the Omicron variant, is now the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the US.”
According to the media reports many countries have already closed down their international borders and re-imposed travel restrictions due to the surge in covid-19 cases.
Omicron accounts for more than 90 percent of new infections in regions such as the Pacific Northwest, South, and parts of the Midwest.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) — around 90 countries so far – have reported cases of ‘Omicron’. Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the WHO, urged nations to redouble efforts to help end the pandemic and called for new-year events to be canceled.
However, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said that US President Joe Biden does not plan to lock down the country.
India has recorded a total of 163 Omicron cases as of Monday, December 20, according to media reports. This is because it was better to “celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later.
(_Vinayak)