The Government is keeping a close eye on the emerging Omicron variant of Covid-19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
The variant was first identified in South Africa last week, and early indications from the country suggest it was spreading fast, especially among younger people.
As of Monday morning, no cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in New Zealand.
Ardern told Breakfast the Government was watching the research about the variant from the World Health Organization to determine what it would mean in “practical terms”.
“The World Health Organization and our scientific community are likely to undertake the research we need to answer the really important questions — is indeed Omicron more transmissible?
“We heard, initially, some suggestions that it is, but let’s get the research and evidence to show that,” Ardern said.
She said it was also too early to know whether the variant was causing more severe illness because reports from South Africa indicated “unusual” and milder symptoms, like fatigue, among younger people.
More research is also needed to find out if existing vaccines are effective against Omicron, or whether they need to be adapted, she added.
Australia has shut its borders to several southern African countries as a result of the Omicron variant. (Source: 1News)
Ardern said the new variant won’t affect Monday’s decision about how New Zealand was going to enter the traffic light system.
That was because the country had maintained its strict controls at the border, she said.
“We have maintained restrictions all the way through at our borders that mean everyone is still coming through our managed isolation facilities,” Ardern said.
“Our border settings are serving us well.”
On Saturday night, the New Zealand Government placed nine Southern African countries where the variant had been spotted on the very high-risk travel list. That means, aside from citizens, travellers from those countries can’t enter New Zealand.
Despite travel restrictions, Omicron cases have popped up in several countries, including in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
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