WHO Warns Asia Pacific Countries About Possible Omicron Outbreak

To prepare for a surge in Covid-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant, authorities from the World Health Organization stressed that Asia-Pacific countries should increase their health-care capacity and fully vaccinate their population on a press conference held on December 3^rd.

Scientists are still gathering data to determine how contagious omicron is and the severity of the illness it causes, which was first found in southern Africa last month and labeled a "variant of concern" by the WHO. It has been detected in at least two dozen countries, and instances have been recorded from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and India in the last week. As a result, many nations have tightened travel restrictions.

WHO further advised countries to learn from their experiences with the delta variant and properly vaccinate vulnerable groups, as well as establish preventive measures such as mask use and social distancing restrictions.