SOUTH AFRICA.- The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that a new Coronavirus variant is ‘concerning’.

The WHO named it Omicron and said that it had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested an increased reinfection risk.

“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa,” the WHO said in a statement.

Several countries around the world have now decided to ban or restrict travel to and from Southern Africa.