Health authorities, governments race to learn more about Omicron

As Omicron continues to spread around the world, health authorities and governments are racing to learn more about the variant. Responses to the discovery of the variant have created travel chaos for thousands amid flight cancellations and border closures weeks before the holiday season.

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The U-N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres  says  Africans shouldn't be penalised with travel bans after sharing important new information about the potentially more contagious variant.  Many countries, including Australia, have temporarily banned flights to and from southern Africa. Despite UN and W-H-O warnings, the people of Africa were left behind in the global race to acquire vaccines, which has resulted in the continent becoming a breeding ground for variants.  Mr Guterres instead urged authorities to consider increased testing regimes and possible quarantine measures, instead of outright travel bans.