Both the Mexican president and his chief coronavirus spokesperson have played down the seriousness of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, that was initially identified in South Africa and has now been reported in many countries around the world.
As nations started to close their borders, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador jumped the gun on the scientists, who have scarcely started investigating the transmissibility of the new variant. “There are no elements to worry us; there are no reasons for risk, according to the reports that the specialists have given me,” Mexico’s ever-optimistic president stated at his regular morning press conference. “We have no solid information on whether this variant is more dangerous than the other variants.”
Lopez Obrador also pointed out the “lack of evidence” that vaccines are any less effective against the Omicron variant, stressing that Mexico has “advanced a lot in vaccination,” and adding that the inoculation program will soon be “intensified” to include booster jabs for teachers and the elderly.
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