NSW Health Changes Advice For Southern African Travelers In Response To New COVID-19 Variant
Travelers from Southern Africa entering New South Wales are urged to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
Key points:
- The Omicron B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19 was first identified in South Africa
- No cases have been identified in New South Wales
- NSW Health says it will work with Commonwealth, other states and territories to gather information
This includes anyone who has been to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini, within 14 days of arriving in New South Wales.
Everyone in the household is also invited to self-isolate until further notice.
NSW Health announced the change today in response to concerns over the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron B.1.1.529, which was first identified in South Africa.
Cases have also been found in Botswana, Hong Kong, Belgium and Israel.
“The emergence of this new variant reinforces the critical importance of all fully immunized travelers returning from overseas following NSW Health guidelines,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“There are requirements for being tested and restrictions for frequenting certain high-risk premises.”
No case of Omicron has been identified in New South Wales, the health department has confirmed.
The federal government has joined with more than 20 countries in implementing measures to stop the spread of Omicron.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced five “precautionary” rules that include a mandatory 14-day quarantine, entry ban for non-Australian citizens from Southern Africa and the suspension of flights from those countries.
“We have taken precautionary measures in the past. We have taken early measures in the past. We are doing it again,” Mr. Hunt said.
“The difference is that we now have strong vaccines, we have one of the highest levels of coverage in the world, we have one of the most recently vaccinated populations in the world, and we have strong public health measures and social. “
Current NSW rules for other international visitors require that they undergo a COVID-19 PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and another test on day six. Self-isolation is not necessary while they wait for their outcome.
NSW Health said they are working closely with the Commonwealth and other states and territories to gather information on the new variant.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new variant of COVID was of great concern.
“The fact that it has now taken over in terms of growth beyond Delta indicates that it is likely, but we are not yet sure, that it is more transferable than Delta,” Hazzard said. .
“Now this is of concern to everyone working in public health around the world.”
Travelers returning from southern Africa are also encouraged to contact the health department.
Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet has said there will be no change to the roadmap at this point, but that could change if targeted restrictions are needed.
“This pandemic is not over, there will always be different variations from time to time and we will always strive to keep the community safe while balancing this, keeping the economy open and keeping people at work. “said Perrottet.
“That’s the balance we’ll take as we move forward into this next step.”
Dozens of countries including the United States and the United Kingdom have already closed their borders to South Africa and its neighboring countries.
Scientists said it could take weeks to fully understand the mutations in the variant and whether existing vaccines and treatments would work against it.
U.S. infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said they were rushing to contact their counterparts in South Africa to find out more about it.
“Right now we are bringing the material together with our South African colleagues to get a situation where you could actually test it directly,†Dr Fauci said.
“So right now you’re talking about a red flag indicating that this might be a problem, but we don’t know.”
Within 24 hours to 8 p.m. last night, there were 235 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in NSW and no deaths.
There are 174 people hospitalized, 26 are in intensive care and 10 require ventilation.
Western NSW Health has confirmed a case of COVID in the mining town of Cobar. Interviews are currently underway to find potential close contacts.
More than 76 percent of the city’s adult population have been fully immunized.
As of Friday in New South Wales, 92.4% of people aged 16 and over were fully vaccinated and 94.5% had received at least one COVID vaccine.
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