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Washington, Dec. 2 (BNA): Fears about the impact of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rose Thursday after the first case was reported in the United States and the Bank of Japan warned of economic pain as countries respond with stricter containment measures.
The first known case in the United States was a fully vaccinated Californian who returned to the United States from South Africa on November 22 and tested positive seven days later.
President Joe Biden is working on the US strategy to combat Covid-19 this winter, and sources familiar with the matter said one step would be to extend requirements for travelers to wear masks until mid-March. The sources said an official announcement is expected on Thursday.
The White House also plans to announce stricter testing rules for international visitors.
US airlines have been asked to hand over the names of passengers arriving from parts of South Africa hit by Omicron, according to a letter from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seen by Reuters.
Much remains unknown about the new variant, which was first found on November 8 in South Africa and has spread to at least two dozen countries.
It could take two weeks or more to gain insight into how easily the variant spreads, the severity of the disease it causes, and whether it can evade currently available vaccines, the top US infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said Wednesday.
South Africa’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NICD) said early epidemiological data suggested Omicron was able to evade some immunity, but current vaccines should protect against severe disease and death.
Maria van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization, said at a news briefing that data should be available “within days” on omicron infection.
BioNTech’s CEO said that the vaccine it makes in partnership with Pfizer is likely to provide strong protection against severe disease from Omicron.
Initial indications that Omicron may be significantly more contagious than previous variants have rocked financial markets, fearing that the new restrictions could stifle a temporary recovery from the economic devastation of the pandemic.
Major stock market indices in Japan and Australia were weaker in morning trading on Thursday after major Wall Street averages fell more than 1% on Wednesday as investors reacted to the first US case and mounting concerns about inflation.
Bank of Japan board member Hitoshi Suzuki said Japan’s economic recovery may miss expectations if the spread of the Omicron variable hurts consumption, or supply bottlenecks persist.
“If the impact of supply constraints is greater or lasts longer than expected, there is a risk that economic growth could exceed expectations” next year, Suzuki said.
As of November 28, the World Health Organization said some 56 countries were implementing Omicron’s protective travel measures.
In the latest restrictions, South Korea on Thursday suspended quarantine waivers for fully vaccinated inbound travelers for two weeks as daily coronavirus case numbers rose to a new high. South Korea confirmed its first five omicron cases on Wednesday.
The United States banned nearly all foreigners who were in one of eight countries in South Africa.
The European Union has introduced the rollout of the vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 for a week until December 13, with the head of the EU’s executive saying there is a “race against time” to fend off the new alternative.
“Get ready for the worst and hope for the best,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference.
Both Britain and the US have expanded their booster programs in response to the new variable, although the World Health Organization says rich countries should share more vaccines with people at risk in poor countries where variants are more likely to emerge as long as vaccination rates are low.
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