By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Nigeria confirmed its first cases of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant as countries tightened restrictions on international travel in an attempt to slow its spread.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said two cases of the new mutation were detected among two travellers who arrived from South Africa last week.
“Given the highly likely increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, it is imperative to put in place measures to curb community transmission,” NCDC said in a statement.
The announcement by NCDC comes ahead of a meeting between South African President Cyril Rampahosa and his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja later on Wednesday, where the issue of the Omicron variant is likely to be discussed.
Several nations have imposed travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa, where the variant was first reported, which Ramaphosa says is unjustified and hurts developing nations.
Scientists have been scrambling to learn more about the effects of the Omicron variant, first detected in Botswana last week.
It remains unclear where or when the variant first emerged. But nations have rushed to impose travel restictions, especially on visitors coming from Southern Africa, despite the World Health Organization’s call for “rational” measures in response to the new strain.