Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, announced new restrictions for international travelers. The United Kingdom identified two cases of the Omicron variant of the coronaviruses.
International travelers must take a day 2 test and self-isolate until they get a negative result, according to ABC News. Public transportation and stores will be required to have face masks on.
The UK government planned to take "targeted and proportionate" measures against the variant, Johnson said.
Any person who is suspected of being exposed to the Omicron variant must self-isolated for 10 days, regardless of their vaccine status.
The administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are expected to impose travel restrictions.
The UK's secretary of state for health and social care announced on Saturday that there were two cases of the new Omicron coronaviruses variant.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said in a statement that the two cases were linked and there was a connection with travel to southern Africa. "These individuals are isolated from their households while contact tracing is underway."
The country imposed a temporary flight ban for travelers from South Africa and other countries.
Public-health experts have said that Omicron has several worrisome genes that could help it spread, render vaccines less effective, or lead to more severe disease, as Insider's Aria Bendix reported.
The WHO stressed that little is known about the new variant, even though it was named one of "concern" on Friday.
The WHO said Friday that the variant has a large number of defects. Preliminary evidence shows an increased risk of reinfection with this variant.
