Omicron variant now in 22 African nations

,menafan– IANS)

Addis Ababa, December 24 (IANS)| The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the new Omicron COVID-19 variant has spread to at least 22 countries across the continent.

“To date, 22 African countries are reporting the presence of the Omicron version,” John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC, told reporters at a briefing.

Burkina Faso, Togo, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco and Mauritius have all reported cases of omicrons during the past week, reports Xinhua news agency, according to data from the Africa CDC.

“We can clearly see that the Omicron variant is spreading very quickly in Africa,” Nkengasong said.

The African Union recently warned that travel and entry restrictions in connection with the emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant limit the free movement of people and goods, with immediate and significant impact on countries.

As of Friday, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa has risen to 9,259,813 and the death toll to 226,536.

–IANS

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