Fears Covid superstrain Omicron is already confirmed in the UK & passengers are banned from leaving plane

Officially named was a NEW super-strain by Covid “variant of concern”Tonight, the WHO – amid concerns that it may have already spread to the UK.

After Belgium confirmed the first European case, passengers were banned from flying to Amsterdam from South Africa.

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Variant B.1.1.529 now known as Omicron, has twice the number of mutations than the delta strain. Experts warn that it could lead to countries being forced back in lockdown.

Now, it is known to be present in five countries following the detection of its first case by Belgium this afternoon. The case was caused by an unvaccinated person who returned from abroad.

In an effort to stop the strain that scientists have called the “theogenic strain”, the continent imposed a ban on passengers who flew from South Africa to the Netherlands. “worst variant ever”.

After being required to pass a test and provide their contact details, they were finally allowed off the runway.

Others have been travelling to the UK via South Africa from South Africa. “quarantined”Amsterdam Airport, as the travel ban deadline approaches

Around 150 passengers on a KLM flight reported that they were held on the runway for around four hours before being taken into the terminal building.

Some people claimed they received little information and one sandwich in eight hours.

One passenger was escorted by the Dutch military police and reported that there were scenes of violence between staff members and passengers over the matter.

Back in the UK, British arrivals from the variant’s epicentre Johannesburg were left to mingle with hundreds of others as they flew into Heathrow on the last flights out of Africa before the red list was re-imposed.

Passengers flying to Heathrow have admitted that they weren’t questioned or tested about their travel history.

Sajid Javid, Health Minister, said that a hunt is on to find hundreds of South African passengers.

As UK health officials meet to discuss how to combat the new threat, they are urging South Africans who have recently arrived in the UK to undergo a free PCR test.

Angelique Coetzee is the South African Medical Association’s chairwoman. She said that it was too early for travel restrictions to be imposed.

“It’s a hasty decision,”She spoke to the BBC. “It would be understandable if it was two more weeks later, and we had much more information about the viral infection that is going on.”

“But, for now, it’s just a storm inside a teacup, and we have only been aware of this viral mutation… within the last week.

“So far what we have seen are very mild cases, so I’m not sure why we are all up in arms.”

“STORM IN A TEACHUP”

It happens as hospitals in The Netherlands prepare for a “Code Black”Covid could lead to a shortage of beds for those who are stricken by the disease.

Hugo de Jonge, Dutch health minister, insists that the country is still a healthy one. “very far away”Code black is not a valid code – however, Peter Langenbach chairman of the Maasstad Hospital Rotterdam contests this.

In Germany, hospitals are overflowing fast and authorities had to fly seriously ill people all around the country in order to provide intensive care beds.

Professor Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal disease control agency, said the nation was “at a crossroads.”

“We have one choice. Either we choose to go down the road leading to chaos and bad ends, or we choose to be happy with the way that eases the burden on the health system and allows us to have a peaceful Christmas.

Germany is even considering making vaccines compulsory amid warnings from Angela Merkel the coming winter will be “worse than anything we’ve seen”.

This is the same frightening variant that has been spreading throughout southern Africa. “more transmissible”Ministers from the UK have warned that more than Delta will reach Britain.

Mr Javid stated: “We are concerned that this new variant may pose substantial risk to public health. The variant has an unusual large number of mutations.”

He warned the strain combined elements of the Alpha, Beta and Delta super-strains that surged through Britain during the pandemic.

The Health Secretary included early indications that the current vaccines are working. “may be less effective against it”.

He said to MPs: “Nu”The definition of strain is “huge international concern”Because it could be used to bypass our current vaccines.

According to the WHO, the first case was reported on November 9, and the strain is more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or have survived Covid.

“HUGE INTERNATIONAL CONCERN”

The rest of Europe is exempted. “horrific”Israel’s health ministry has confirmed that one individual tested positive for mutation.

The ministry stated that two additional passengers were also being quarantined in a statement issued today.

It stated that the patient was from Malawi, which borders Mozambique as well as Tanzania.

The fact that the patient had traveled back from Malawi suggests that the variant is moving through Africa.

There are close to 80 cases of the variant in South Africa and experts warn the strain is behind an explosion of new cases, with some regions seeing a six-fold rise in infections in a matter of days.

The mutation has caused alarm across the country, as it has “spread rapidly” among Gauteng’s young population.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the country is still gathering data on the variant.

“I ask everyone to be prepared and to fully join in the work around the clock”He said so.