As the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated B.1.1529 as a ‘variant of concern’, countries around the world scrambled to tackle this new threat. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, first detected in Botswana, has prompted several countries to impose a travel ban on travellers from South Africa. <br /> <br />The new coronavirus variant has so far been detected in Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong. Samples of B.1.1.529 variant have also been confirmed in Belgium and Israel.
