Well, that didn't take long - now in the UK...per RTE (Irish National Broadcaster)
Mask rules will be mandatory in UK shops and on public transport, Omicron contacts will have to self-isolate and new arrivals will have to quarantine until they test negative for Covid-19, after two cases of the concerning new Omicron variant were detected there.
www.rte.ie
Two cases of new Covid-19 variant detected in UK
Updated / Saturday, 27 Nov 2021
14:55
The cases have been traced to southern Africa, Sajid Javid said
Two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant which was first detected in southern Africa have been found in the UK, according to British health secretary Sajid Javid.
Mr Javid said the two individuals who tested positive for the variant are self-isolating alongside their households, with further testing to be carried out.
He added that the two cases are linked, and contact tracing is being carried out.
The cases have been traced to southern Africa, he said.
Britain will also add Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola to its travel "red list" from 4am tomorrow, meaning British and Irish residents who arrive in the country must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days. Non-residents will be refused entry.
That list already contained Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty will hold a news conference later "to set out further measures", Mr Javid said
The World Health Organization has termed the recently discovered strain a "variant of concern" and said it is more transmissible than the dominant Delta strain.
A confirmed case has also been found in Belgium, with cases also detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong.
Read more: Latest coroanvirus stories
The
South African government has said it is being "punished" for detecting the latest variant, with a number of countries around the world banning flights from southern Africa following the discovery.
European Union officials have urged all 27 nations in the bloc to restrict travel from southern Africa, while the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Saudi Arabia have also imposed restrictions.
Concerned Irish citizens in southern Africa are being advised to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and its embassy network.
The
Department of Foreign Affairs has said there are over 35,000 Irish citizens based in South Africa.
The majority of these people are dual nationals and long-term residents of South Africa.
The size of the Irish community in neighbouring countries is much less, with the estimated number of Irish people travelling in these countries being "relatively small" compared to South Africa.