[ti:Nations Concerned About New COVID-19 Version 'Omicron' from Africa] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A new variant of COVID-19 found in Africa [00:04.12]has international health organizations and national leaders [00:09.20]again concerned about virus restrictions. [00:13.60]A group of World Health Organization experts [00:17.60]has called the variant "omicron," [00:20.40]a letter in the Greek alphabet like "delta." [00:25.12]Belgium and Israel said travelers who came from Africa recently [00:30.24]tested positive for the variant. [00:33.76]It is not clear whether the new version of the virus [00:37.04]causes more severe health problems. [00:40.24]But nations are trying to prevent its spread. [00:44.36]The health minister in Belgium called the variant "suspicious." [00:49.72]Frank Vandenbroucke said: [00:52.00]"We don't know if it's a very dangerous variant." [00:56.88]In The Netherlands, [00:58.48]an airplane with passengers from Cape Town, South Africa [01:02.80]was held on the runway for four hours for extra testing. [01:08.40]One passenger called the situation "ridiculous." [01:13.48]Jens Spahn is the German Health Minister. [01:18.84]He said problems from a new variant [01:21.12]are "the last thing we need." [01:25.00]President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen [01:29.28]said Europe needs to be careful until more is known about the variant. [01:35.80]She asked travelers from southern Africa [01:39.28]to "respect strict quarantine rules." [01:43.72]She asked for care to make sure the variant [01:46.44]does not spread around the world. [01:49.36]The traveler who tested positive in Belgium [01:52.28]spent over one week in the country [01:54.80]before getting a test because of mild signs of infection. [02:00.52]In Israel, a traveler and two other people were quarantined. [02:05.08]All the individuals had been vaccinated. [02:10.04]Health experts say the spread of the variant in Africa [02:13.48]shows the problem with unequal availability of vaccines. [02:18.12]Fewer than six percent of people in Africa [02:22.08]have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. [02:26.60]Michael Head is a global health researcher [02:29.48]at the University of Southampton in Great Britain. [02:33.04]He said the new variant coming in Africa results [02:36.84]from wealthier nations buying more vaccine than they need. [02:41.64]He said large countries should do more [02:44.80]to send vaccines to smaller countries. [02:48.32]Investors around the world [02:50.00]showed their concern about the new variant. [02:52.92]Measures of stock prices [02:55.64]dropped on Friday in Asia, Europe and the U.S. [03:00.48]Dr. Michael Ryan is the head of emergencies at the World Health Organization. [03:06.44]He warned against "knee-jerk responses" to the variant. [03:12.12]A knee-jerk reaction is one that is done without thought or reason. [03:18.20]However, Britain banned travel from southern Africa on Friday. [03:24.52]The United States announced restrictions on visitors from South Africa, [03:29.60]Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, [03:34.16]Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. [03:38.40]Canada and the European Union also have placed restrictions [03:42.44]on visitors from southern African countries. [03:45.72]And Japan announced 10-day quarantines [03:49.64]for citizens coming from countries in southern Africa. [03:53.32]I'm Dan Friedell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM