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The omicron variant first discovered in South Africa last week is likely to quickly spread around the globe and could result in "severe consequences," the World Health Organization warned Monday. "There could be future surges of COVID-19, which could have severe consequences depending on a number of factors including where surges may take place," the WHO said in a technical brief. "The overall global risk related to the (omicron variant) is assessed as very high." The WHO said there is currently no information to suggest symptoms connected with omicron differ from those associated with other variants. No deaths linked to the omicron variant have been reported, the WHO added. However, it said preliminary evidence raises the possibility the variant has mutations that could help it both evade an immune-system response and make it more transmissible. President Joe Biden  addressed the latest threat Monday,  once again urging Americans to get vaccinated, obtain

  Taiwan tightens border controls on six African countries due to new Omicron variant  Taiwan has announced tighter border controls due to the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, the island’s Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) announced Friday. South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe have been added to its list of "high-risk countries" beginning Monday, November 29, the government said. Passengers who have traveled to or transited through these six countries in the past 14 days will have to undergo 14 days quarantine at a government quarantine facility and Covid-19 testing. Flight crew members of Taiwanese airlines returning from or who have transited through high-risk countries will also be required to undergo quarantine in a designated hotel or a company dormitory for 14 days.  Taiwan's CECC classifies the new variant as "highly transmissible” and states the new measures aim to “reduce the risk of the variant entering the community." Hon