It seems a consensus eludes world Governments on how to tackle the Omicron’s swift spread
The Omicron variant is now spread over 56 countries and still counting. It spreads fast and it is impossible to stop it from entering any country. It is only a matter of time before Omicron becomes the dominant strain in the world. Vaccination is not going to stop Omicron. Antibodies in previously infected patients are not strong enough to thwart it. The only silver lining is that scientific studies are yet to indicate that its infection can prove serious. The unusual characteristics of Omicron have flummoxed world Governments. To lockdown or not is the question they are grappling with today. Strangely, there is no indication of the Governments approaching, or intending to approach, a global platform, like the WHO or the United Nations, for a universal response to Omicron. In early 2020, when the Coronavirus wave hit the world, the WHO came up with three broad policies that all member nations accepted. One was the concept of lockdown. Two, a massive mobilisation of medical infrastructure. Three, a race to find a vaccine. The world, once again, needs to reach a common understanding to tackle the unpredictable Omicron variant. However, there appears to be no cohesion in how to combat the spiking Omicron. The world appears divided on it. In India, most States are still considering what restrictive measures to announce. The United States is also mulling restrictions even though around 571,461 cases were reported in the last week.
China, in stark contrast, has a zero-case policy that has resulted in a complete lockdown of cities reporting even a single fresh case. The Chinese do not want the Coronavirus to cancel the Winter Olympics in Beijing beginning next February. In the United Kingdom, the Omicron surge is already apparent. However, the Government is only toying with its options. South Africa, where Omicron was first reported and now records 20,000 fresh cases daily, is not intent on implementing any strict measures. The Netherlands is relatively free from fresh cases, but it went into total lockdown last week. Israel is similarly strict, its list of red countries increasing daily. Israelis are banned from travelling to 58 red countries unless they get a special exemption. Switzerland wants its residents to carry vaccination certificates when entering public places. Japan has a 14-day compulsory quarantine for incoming travellers. French Health Minister Olivier Veran says no new restrictions are mooted even though the country may soon see one lakh new cases a day. Germany does not want to impose restrictions till December 28 while Spain wants Britons to show evidence of vaccination before entering the country. Portugal, where 30,000 cases were reported last week, has not introduced any safety measures yet. Is there an unsaid realisation that total lockdown cannot be an option because it affects the economy and the practical objective, in face of the inability to reduce the speed of Omicron’s spread, is to limit the risk of serious cases?
