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BEIJING: China has detected its second case of the omicron variant in a 67-year-old man who examined optimistic after greater than two weeks of quarantine, official media reported Tuesday.
State broadcaster CCTV stated the person returned from abroad on Nov.27 and underwent two weeks of isolation, throughout which he repeatedly examined unfavorable for the virus.
On Saturday, he flew to the southern metropolis of Guangzhou the place he maintains a residence and started one other week of self-quarantining at residence.
A day later he underwent a routine check and early on Monday, the district well being division knowledgeable authorities he had examined optimistic for the virus, the station reported.
Additional investigation on the metropolis and provincial stage decided he was contaminated with omicron, it stated.
On Monday, authorities introduced the primary case of omicron in an individual who arrived on a flight from Europe earlier this month and examined optimistic on Thursday whereas in quarantine.
Poland’s Well being Ministry stated Tuesday the traveller was a Polish teenager who flew from Warsaw to China.
Ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz stated {the teenager}, who traveled along with her mom, was hospitalised in isolation.
She reveals no signs of sickness.
{The teenager} is in isolation within the northern port metropolis of Tianjin, in accordance with Chinese language well being authorities.
China has largely contained the unfold of COVID-19 because it was first detected within the central metropolis of Wuhan in late 2019.
Authorities credit score a “zero tolerance” coverage of strict testing, case tracing, quarantining and isolation for his or her success, with simply 4,636 deaths from the virus formally recorded.
Singapore is bracing itself for an Omicron wave by boosting hospital and testing capacities to face the following COVID-19 surge at the same time as plans for reopening of financial actions proceed, in accordance with a media report on Tuesday.
Whereas the nation has not detected any neighborhood transmission of the Omicron variant but, it’s only a matter of time earlier than this occurs, stated Commerce and Business Minister Gan Kim Yong at a press convention on Tuesday.
“This will likely then result in one other surge in instances due to the extremely infectious nature of the Omicron virus. We should, due to this fact, put together ourselves for such a situation,” The Straits Occasions quoted Gan as saying.
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has additionally cautioned that the extremely transmissible Omicron variant might lead to a doubtlessly greater wave of COVID-19 instances than the one brought on by the Delta variant.
Vaccination-differentiated protected administration measures will probably be expanded to extra settings within the new yr, as Singapore anticipates a possible surge in native Omicron instances.
To gear up for the following surge, Singapore is planning to extend its intensive care unit (ICU) capability to 500 beds, stated director of medical companies Kenneth Mak.
It’s finding out whether or not infrastructure upgrading must be completed in public hospitals to help this, he added.
ICU mattress capability stood at round 280 beds in late October, on the peak of Singapore’s Delta wave, with hospitals on standby to extend this to 350 beds if obligatory.
As well as, the nation is ready to extend capability in its neighborhood therapy amenities, in order that hospital sufferers in steady situation might be transferred there if an Omicron wave hits.
One other 60 fast check centres, run by personal operators, will probably be arrange round Singapore to make COVID-19 testing extra accessible.
And to assist corporations shortly detect Omicron instances, the federal government will proceed to subsidise obligatory rostered routine testing in greater danger settings till the tip of March subsequent yr, the report stated.
The nation can be urgent ahead urgently with its booster vaccination programme and for extra common testing within the office and neighborhood, stated the multi-ministry job power tackling the Covid-19 pandemic at a digital press convention on Tuesday.
“As extra Omicron instances are reported globally, it’s a matter of time earlier than the Omicron variant surfaces inside our neighborhood,” stated the Ministry of Well being (MOH).
Even smaller-sized occasions can spark transmission that may then unfold to wider teams of individuals, particularly in view of the Omicron variant, cautioned MOH.
Sixteen Omicron instances have been detected in Singapore so far, comprising 14 imported instances and two native instances who’re airport passenger service workers, in accordance with media reviews right here.
The variant has been discovered in additional than 60 nations worldwide.
Tuesday’s bulletins on COVID-19 and Omicron variant included extra measures to encourage vaccination and boosters to guard towards an infection and extreme illness, alongside gradual and cautious easing of measures for returning to workplaces.
Given the elevated transmissibility of the brand new variant, vaccination-differentiated measures will probably be expanded to extra locations from February 1.
On the identical time, extra folks will have the ability to return to their workplaces, on condition that 97 per cent of Singapore’s workforce is now totally vaccinated.
From January 1, as much as 50 per cent of these capable of do business from home will probably be allowed again within the workplace.
Working from residence has been the default since September, when Singapore started seeing one other rise in COVID-19 instances.
Social gatherings on the office will proceed to be disallowed, to “minimise mingling and cut back an infection dangers”, Gan stated.
However the cap on contributors at work-related occasions will probably be raised above the present restrict of fifty folks, if they continue to be masked and seated, at a protected distance from one another, MOH added.
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