The move comes after Shanghai reported more than 2,600 COVID-19 cases on Sunday after just a handful of cases earlier this month. With the exception of individuals providing essential services, people will not be allowed to leave their homes, nonessential businesses will be closed and transit will be halted, the Times reported. Areas west of the river will then undergo restrictions and testing from April 1 through April 5, according to The New York Times. The lockdowns and testing will begin on Monday and last until April 1 for areas east of the Huangpu River. While no cases have yet been detected in the U.S., Fauci said he believes it’s “inevitable” the strain will spread in the country, and the first cases in North America were reported in Canada Monday.Shanghai announced on Sunday that it will introduce a series of lockdowns in an effort to test the entire population of 26 million people for COVID-19 amid outbreaks of the omicron variant. Cases linked to omicron have so far been reported in countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Italy and Australia. However, the WHO and other public health experts say more time is needed to determine more information before coming to any conclusions, with more data about the variant expected in the coming weeks. The World Health Organization has designated omicron a “variant” of concern” and public health experts have expressed fears about the variant’s potential transmissibility and the possibility it could be more resistant to vaccines, given its high number of mutations. New York’s mask advisory comes after the United Kingdom moved over the weekend to require masks in places like public transportation, after detecting two cases linked to the variant. Key BackgroundĪfter first being detected in southern Africa last week, the omicron variant has sparked concerns and new restrictions worldwide, with many countries restricting travel, enacting new quarantine or testing measures or even closing their borders entirely. Fauci said on Sunday that given the lack of information about the new variant, it was “really too early to say” whether lockdowns or other policies could be necessary. Anthony Fauci said on Good Morning America Monday that no further federal Covid-19 restrictions are expected immediately in light of the variant, but he has not ruled out that new measures could eventually be imposed. The White House imposed a travel ban from some countries in southern Africa last week, but President Joe Biden said during an address on the variant Monday that he doesn’t believe lockdown measures will be necessary if people take precautions like wearing masks and getting vaccinated. Whether more places will impose new Covid-19 restrictions in light of the omicron variant, whose arrival comes after mask mandates across the country have recently been lifted as the delta variant surge subsided. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in response to the omicron variant on Friday, which allows hospitals in the state to limit non-urgent care if needed. De Blasio’s announcement comes after New York Gov.
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