Omicron shows need for global accord on pandemics: WHO

The World Health Organization on Monday is pushing for an international accord to help prevent and fight future pandemics amid the emergence of a worrying new Covid19 variantWHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus joined leaders like outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera for a largely virtual special session of the UN health agencyrsquos member states at the World Health Assembly The gathering is aimed at devising a global action plan toward preventing preparing and responding to future pandemicsldquoThe emergence of the highly mutated omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation isrdquo Tedros said calling for a ldquolegally bindingrdquo agreement seeking consensus on the way forward ldquoIndeed omicron demonstrates just why the world needs a new accord on pandemicsldquoOur current system disincentivizes countries from alerting others to threats that will inevitably land on their shoresrdquo he said adding that South Africa and Botswana ndash where the new variant was detected should be praised and not lsquopenalizedrsquo for their work alluding to travel restrictions announced by many countries on air travel to and from the regionTedros said WHO scientists and others around the world were working urgently to decipher the threat posed by the new variant saying ldquoWe donrsquot yet know whether omicron is associated with more transmission more severe disease more risk of infections or more risk of evading vaccinesrdquo ldquoThe world should now be wide awake to the threat of the coronavirus but omicronrsquos very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with Covid19 its not done with usrdquo he addedA draft resolution set to be adopted by the World Health Assembly stops short of calling for work toward specifically establishing a lsquopandemic treatyrsquo or lsquolegally binding instrumentrsquo sought by some which could beef up the international response when not if a new pandemic erupts EU countries and others had sought language calling for work toward a treaty but the US and a few other countries countered that the substance of any accord should be worked out first before any such document is given a name A lsquotreatyrsquo would suggest a legally binding agreement that could require ratification and would likely incur domestic political haggling in some countriesWary weary world slams doors shutNations around the world sought Monday to keep the omicron variant at bay with travel bans and further restrictions Japan has suspended entry of all foreign visitors Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday The US is banning travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday The Australian government has delayed reopening of the countryrsquos bordersFauci says two weeks for definitive informationA top US health expert on Sunday informed that it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility severity and other characteristics of the Omicron Covid19 variant The remarks came from US Chief Medical Officer Anthony Fauci while updating President Joe Biden on the latest developments related to it a release from the White House informed ldquoIt will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility severity and other characteristics of the variantrdquo Fauci said Fauci said that existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of Covid He also reiterated that boosters for fully vaccinated individuals provide the strongest available protection from Covid611528No of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours261707621Total no of cases worldwide5203155Total no of deaths worldwideSource WHOJohns HopkinsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever