NTAC recommends travel ban on countries where Omicron detected

The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended travel ban on countries where new Covid-19 variant Omicron has been detected recently. 

The Advisory Committee came up with the recommendation after its 48th meeting on Sunday.

The body also proposed three more recommendations to prevent the transmission of the new variant.

Other recommendations were including 14-day institutionalised quarantine of travellers who have recently visited Omicron detected countries.    

Ensuring screening tests at port areas, social security, strengthening health services, controlling public gatherings in political, social and religious programmes were also recommended by the body.

In the past week the heavily mutated Covid variant has been identified, rapidly labelled a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization and named Omicron. It has been detected in countries including the UK, reports BBC.

It is a rapidly evolving situation. Omicron's genetic profile has raised concerns, but there's a shortage of real-world data that means nobody has the complete picture of what it can do.

A number of countries around the world have now decided to ban or restrict travel to and from southern Africa.