Omicron variant is highly transmissible and requires urgent measures, says G7

The omicron variant is “highly transmissible” and requires “urgent action”, warned the G7 health ministers on Monday (29) after an emergency meeting called by London.

“The international community faces the threat of a new highly transmissible variant of Covid-19, which requires urgent action,” the ministers said in a joint statement after the meeting.

“Ministers commended South Africa’s exemplary work in detecting the strain and warning others,” they added, while lamenting the restrictions imposed on that nation.

G7 countries also “recognized the strategic importance of ensuring access to vaccines”, “preparing” countries to receive doses, providing “operational assistance, fulfilling our donation commitments, addressing vaccine misinformation, and supporting research and development”.

The G7 countries also commit to “continue to work closely with WHO and international partners to share information and monitor omicron”.

“Ministers promised to meet again in December,” they said.

The new variant poses a “very high risk” worldwide, warned the World Health Organization.

The list of countries in which it has been detected is growing, particularly in Europe, after the first cases were registered in southern African countries in November.