Asian countries and regions are rushing to tighten restrictions on pandemic new coronavirus after a new strain of the virus, which may be more resistant to vaccines, was identified in southern Africa, with Singapore and India announcing today stricter border controls and stricter rules for diagnostic tests.
Scientists are still finding out more about the new variant of the coronavirus that was identified earlier this week, but the news hit financial markets today, with Asian stocks falling sharply in three months and oil falling sharply. sinks more than 3%.
The new mutant, named B.1.1.529, was also found in Botswana and Hong Kong, according to the British Health Insurance Agency.
Concerned about the new variant of the coronavirus, Britain has temporarily banned flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini from today and has asked British travelers returning from these destinations to quarantine.
Singapore quickly followed Britain, with its Ministry of Health announcing today that it would limit arrivals from South Africa and neighboring countries for precautionary reasons.
The Japanese government has also decided to step up border controls for visitors from South Africa and five other African countries, the Jiji news agency reported. The Japanese Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to a request from Reuters to comment on the news.
Following the easing of some of the travel restrictions imposed earlier this month, India’s central government has instructed all states to carry out strict checks and tests on travelers on international flights from South Africa and other “dangerous” countries.
Asian countries have been able to curb the new coronavirus pandemic to a greater extent than those in other regions by imposing strict precautionary measures, strict border controls and policies for diagnostic tests.
The new variant of the coronavirus has a spike protein that is very different from that of the original strain of the new coronavirus on which the COVID-19 vaccines were based, according to the British Health and Safety Administration.
Taiwan has announced that travelers from “high-risk” countries in the southern part of the African continent will have to stay in government quarantine facilities for 14 days.
At the same time, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern announced that her country is well prepared for the new variant. Earlier this week, New Zealand announced it would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated international travelers from April 30.
Asked if these plans should be delayed due to the new variant strain of the new coronavirus, Ardern noted that her country has “a number of built-in measures that act as a protection cushion”.
“We have incorporated in our entire design around COVID-19 the possibility of variations in the future,” Arden said.
Source: AMPE
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Source From: Capital
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