 | New Omicron Covid variant casts pall, shocks experts in South AfricaAfter several students tested positive, the university postponed some exams, and officials in the larger metropolitan area of Tshwane, which includes the capital of Pretoria, are pushing vaccinations |
 | EU likely to impose travel ban on African countries as WHO classifies new COVID variant as 'highly transmissible'Many EU member states had already gone ahead with flight suspensions from some or all of the seven African countries. Others were expected to follow suit over coming days. |
 | EU wants to stop flights from southern Africa to counter spread of new Covid variantThe World Health Organization’s technical working group is to meet Friday to assess the new variant and may decide whether to give it a name from the Greek alphabet. |
 | South Africa COVID variant-specific vaccine ready for testing: ModernaThe South African variant is considered among the more dangerous of current mutations because it evades some of the blocking action of antibodies that target the older coronavirus strain. |
