Omicron: The latest from Asia, Asia Pacific region

Despite many countries having imposed a travel ban on South Africa due to the new variant Omicron, some have already detected and reported their own cases of the new strain.

CAPE TOWN, November 29 (ANA) – Some of the countries which have imposed a travel ban on South Africa and other countries in the region over the new variant Omicron, have detected and reported their own cases of the new strain.

According to Al Jazeera, Australia’s health officials said in a statement on Sunday they had detected the new strain after two passengers who flew into Sydney from Africa tested positive for Covid-19.

The officials in New South Wales (NSW) said there were 12 other people on the 260 passenger flight who came from southern Africa and did not test positive, but were placed in quarantine.

“The two positive cases, who were asymptomatic, are in isolation in the special health accommodation … Both people are fully vaccinated,” the NSW health department said.

Australia has banned flights from southern African countries including South Africa and Zimbabwe, after the World Health Organization (WHO) listed Omicron as a variant of concern.

Singapore and Malaysia reopened their land borders on Monday to allow vaccinated travellers to cross after closing them nearly two years ago. However, with the uncertainty around Omicron, the reopening might be short lived as officials monitor the spread of the new strain.

The Singapore-based Straits Times reported on Monday that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had warned citizens to prepare for “more bumps along the way”.

“We are not sure yet, but we may well be forced to take a few steps back again, before we can take more steps forward,” said Lee.

“But despite all this, I am confident that, eventually, we will find our way to living with the virus and safely resume all the things we love to do.”

In Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he would bar entry to all foreign visitors from Tuesday, after the country tightened restrictions on people arriving from southern Africa over the weekend.

Hong Kong has confirmed two cases of the new variant, but Chinese health experts say they are confident of the effectiveness of existing control measures.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa