Sri Lanka confirms 03 more cases of Omicron variant

Sri Lanka has confirmed three more cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 (B.1.1.529), says Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology & Molecular Medicine at Sri Jayewardenepura University.

The new development brings the total number of Omicron cases detected in the country to four.

The #Omicron , as expected numbers will add up. Get your self boosted. As at today 4 confirmed from our laboratory.

— Chandima Jeewandara (@chandi2012) December 16, 2021

Sri Lanka confirmed its first Omicron case on December 03 in a Sri Lankan national who recently returned from a West African country.

According to the Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath, one of the newly-detected Omicron cases is a foreign national who has already departed the island while another is revealed to be an arrival. The remaining one was identified as a close contact of the latter.

He said the authorities are looking for more details about these patients.

South Africa alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) about a new highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 variant on 24 November. More than 30 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Japan have since detected the variant.

Initial evidence suggested that Omicron has a higher re-infection risk.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, however, epidemiologic studies are still underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.

Meanwhile, initial findings from a real-world study revealed that the booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine gives an estimated 70 percent to 75 percent protection against mild disease from the Omicron variant.

As the Omicron continued to spark serious global worry, dozens of countries moved to implement travel restrictions to guard against the Omicron variant.

Sri Lanka also barred the arrival of foreign travellers who have been to six countries in the African continent. Accordingly, passengers with a travel history – including transit – to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (Swaziland) within the past 14 days were denied entry to the island nation with effect from midnight on 28 November. However, the travel restrictions were lifted on December 10.