US and other nations harden travel rules over Omicron, EU urges vaccination

Some 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures to guard against Omicron as of Nov 28

The United States ordered airlines to hand over the names of passengers from southern African countries hit by the Omicron Covid-19 variant and other countries tightened their borders as a European leader urged people to "prepare for the worst".

World Health Organization (WHO) officials said 24 countries may have reported cases of the variant so far but that some of the early indications were that most were mild and none severe.

WHO regional emergency director Richard Brennen encouraged social-distancing measures nevertheless, warning against complacency and Covid-19 fatigue.

Staving off Omicron while scientists establish how easily it can spread and whether it can evade