Omicron variant: Cathay Pacific cancels 23 more Hong Kong flights, as airlines brace for tougher Covid-19 rules

Cathay Pacific has cancelled a third of its Friday flights amid the fallout over Hong Kong’s planned tightening of aircrew rules to prevent the Omicron coronavirus variant seeping into the community.

According to live flight data, 23 Cathay services had been axed out of the 67 scheduled to depart Hong Kong International Airport, as of 1.30pm. None of its cargo flights were affected.

On Thursday, the Hong Kong flag carrier withdrew 28 out of 61 planned passenger flights and five out of 15 cargo-only services.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The wave of cancellations follows the government moving a host of countries into the highest-risk Group A category for inbound travel in response to fears over Omicron, the potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant first detected in southern Africa. Travellers and aircrew arriving from those places must undergo 21 and 14 days of quarantine on arrival respectively.

Singapore could be the next destination to be elevated into the high-risk category after the detection of two preliminary-positive Omicron cases there on Thursday.

The short-term cancellations come on top of the airline’s intention to this month cancel up to a third of its closed-loop inbound flights and return the aircraft to Hong Kong only loaded with cargo.

It is understood that most of the passengers affected by Thursday and Friday’s cancellations were shifted onto other same-day flights

Omicron variant: Cathay Pacific cancels 23 more Hong Kong flights, as airlines brace for tougher Covid-19 rules

Cathay Pacific has cancelled a third of its Friday flights amid the fallout over Hong Kong’s planned tightening of aircrew rules to prevent the Omicron coronavirus variant seeping into the community.

According to live flight data, 23 Cathay services had been axed out of the 67 scheduled to depart Hong Kong International Airport, as of 1.30pm. None of its cargo flights were affected.

On Thursday, the Hong Kong flag carrier withdrew 28 out of 61 planned passenger flights and five out of 15 cargo-only services.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The wave of cancellations follows the government moving a host of countries into the highest-risk Group A category for inbound travel in response to fears over Omicron, the potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant first detected in southern Africa. Travellers and aircrew arriving from those places must undergo 21 and 14 days of quarantine on arrival respectively.

Singapore could be the next destination to be elevated into the high-risk category after the detection of two preliminary-positive Omicron cases there on Thursday.

The short-term cancellations come on top of the airline’s intention to this month cancel up to a third of its closed-loop inbound flights and return the aircraft to Hong Kong only loaded with cargo.

It is understood that most of the passengers affected by Thursday and Friday’s cancellations were shifted onto other same-day flights.

Hoot 9e trend

Coronavirus digest: German vaccine body says omicron jab update will take 'months'


The head of Germany's top vaccine body has said vaccine manufacturers would likely need a few months before they could create a vaccine for the omicron variant. DW has the latest.

The head of Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (StiKo), Thomas Mertens, said he did not expect possible new vaccines against the omicron variant of the coronavirus for months, according to a report on Saturday.

Mertens said it was entirely possible that a new vaccine would be needed to be effective against the omicron variant.

"Omicron has many changes to the spike protein, which could make it harder for antibodies to fight the virus," he told the Düsseldorf-based newspaper Rheinische Post.

"Three to six months is likely to be needed by the manufacturers in the laboratory. That's not trivial — they have to create a vaccine that works against omicron and delta because delta is still widespread," he said.

Mertens also urged people to get booster shots despite a possible new vaccine.

"Boosters are definitely worth it. The fight against the delta variant continues," he said. "And it would be no problem to get revaccinated a few months after the booster vaccination to protect against omicron if necessary." Germany has reported 64,510 new infections in the last 24 hours, while 378 more people died due to the coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The new figures take the country's total cases to more than 6.1 million, with at least 102,946 fatalities.

The seven-day incidence rose slightly to 442.7 from 442.1 the previous day, RKI reported.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel made what may well be her final appeal for people to get vaccinated, before leaving office.

In a video address Merkel called on Germans to get their vaccinations. “Get vaccinated, no matter whether it's a first vaccination or a booster,'' Merkel said. “Every vaccination helps.”

Merkel also lamented the loss of life as the country recorded another 378 deaths in a 24 hour period. "Every one of them leaves behind families or friends, stunned, speechless and helpless," the outgoing chancellor said. "This is so bitter because it is avoidable. With the effective and safe vaccines, we have the key to this in our hands."

Here are some more coronavirus headlines from around the world:
Europe

Police in Vienna, Austria, said "over 40,000" people took part in demonstrations against government plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory and enforce a partial lockdown until November 22.

Police said the march turned violent when some protesters threw "pyrotechnic objects" at officers, who responded with pepper spray. Police arrested some people for public order offenses.

About 1,500 people held a counterdemonstration against the main protest, police said.

A dentist in Italy who tried to get a vaccination using a fake silicon arm could face criminal charges of fraud, authorities said.

A nurse in the north Italian city of Biella discovered the phony limb as she was about to give the man the injection.

"I understood immediately that the man was trying to avoid the vaccination by using a silicone prosthetic, into which he hoped that I would inject the drug," said the nurse, Filippa Bua.

Italy will require the vaccine pass to enter restaurants, cinemas and theaters from Monday.
Africa

In South Africa the Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo confirmed that the country was in its fourth wave.

Dhlomo also said that just 2 percent of hospital admissions were among those who had received jabs. "A whopping 98 percent were not vaccinated," he said.

As the country that first identified and alerted the world to the new threat, the next few weeks will be crucial in understanding the level of threat it presents.

While there has been a rise in children being admitted to hospital for COVID-19, an official at one hospital near the capital city Pretoria, said infections have so far been mild.

Its unclear exactly which variant the children are infected with, but its suspected omicron may be driving the country’s fourth wave.

Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng province told Reuters news agency that out of 1,511 COVID-19 patients, 113 were under the age of nine, representing a higher proportion than seen in previous waves: "We are comforted by clinicians' reports that the children have mild disease.”

Scientists are still trying to determine what is causing illness in younger age groups.

Coronavirus digest: German vaccine body says omicron jab update will take 'months'


The head of Germany's top vaccine body has said vaccine manufacturers would likely need a few months before they could create a vaccine for the omicron variant. DW has the latest.

The head of Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (StiKo), Thomas Mertens, said he did not expect possible new vaccines against the omicron variant of the coronavirus for months, according to a report on Saturday.

Mertens said it was entirely possible that a new vaccine would be needed to be effective against the omicron variant.

"Omicron has many changes to the spike protein, which could make it harder for antibodies to fight the virus," he told the Düsseldorf-based newspaper Rheinische Post.

"Three to six months is likely to be needed by the manufacturers in the laboratory. That's not trivial — they have to create a vaccine that works against omicron and delta because delta is still widespread," he said.

Mertens also urged people to get booster shots despite a possible new vaccine.

"Boosters are definitely worth it. The fight against the delta variant continues," he said. "And it would be no problem to get revaccinated a few months after the booster vaccination to protect against omicron if necessary." Germany has reported 64,510 new infections in the last 24 hours, while 378 more people died due to the coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The new figures take the country's total cases to more than 6.1 million, with at least 102,946 fatalities.

The seven-day incidence rose slightly to 442.7 from 442.1 the previous day, RKI reported.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel made what may well be her final appeal for people to get vaccinated, before leaving office.

In a video address Merkel called on Germans to get their vaccinations. “Get vaccinated, no matter whether it's a first vaccination or a booster,'' Merkel said. “Every vaccination helps.”

Merkel also lamented the loss of life as the country recorded another 378 deaths in a 24 hour period. "Every one of them leaves behind families or friends, stunned, speechless and helpless," the outgoing chancellor said. "This is so bitter because it is avoidable. With the effective and safe vaccines, we have the key to this in our hands."

Here are some more coronavirus headlines from around the world:
Europe

Police in Vienna, Austria, said "over 40,000" people took part in demonstrations against government plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory and enforce a partial lockdown until November 22.

Police said the march turned violent when some protesters threw "pyrotechnic objects" at officers, who responded with pepper spray. Police arrested some people for public order offenses.

About 1,500 people held a counterdemonstration against the main protest, police said.

A dentist in Italy who tried to get a vaccination using a fake silicon arm could face criminal charges of fraud, authorities said.

A nurse in the north Italian city of Biella discovered the phony limb as she was about to give the man the injection.

"I understood immediately that the man was trying to avoid the vaccination by using a silicone prosthetic, into which he hoped that I would inject the drug," said the nurse, Filippa Bua.

Italy will require the vaccine pass to enter restaurants, cinemas and theaters from Monday.
Africa

In South Africa the Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo confirmed that the country was in its fourth wave.

Dhlomo also said that just 2 percent of hospital admissions were among those who had received jabs. "A whopping 98 percent were not vaccinated," he said.

As the country that first identified and alerted the world to the new threat, the next few weeks will be crucial in understanding the level of threat it presents.

While there has been a rise in children being admitted to hospital for COVID-19, an official at one hospital near the capital city Pretoria, said infections have so far been mild.

Its unclear exactly which variant the children are infected with, but its suspected omicron may be driving the country’s fourth wave.

Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng province told Reuters news agency that out of 1,511 COVID-19 patients, 113 were under the age of nine, representing a higher proportion than seen in previous waves: "We are comforted by clinicians' reports that the children have mild disease.”

Scientists are still trying to determine what is causing illness in younger age groups.

Coronavirus Highlights: India's Fourth Omicron Case Detected Near Mumbai


Coronavirus Highlights: According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.


New Delhi:

A 33-year-old man from Maharashtra who travelled to Mumbai from South Africa via Dubai and Delhi late last month has tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, in the fourth such case confirmed in India. According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.

India's first two reported 'Omicron' cases were detected in Karnataka. The new strain of the virus has triggered a global alarm with several countries announcing restrictions to arrest the spread of the 'Variant of Concern', declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India also logged a daily spike of 8,603 Covid cases on Saturday, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,46,24,360. The country further recorded 415 new deaths, pushing the total death count to 4,70,530.

The active cases increased to 99,974, according to the latest Health Ministry data.

Covid-19 update: 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today

The number of new Covid-19 cases has risen back into triple figures, with 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today.In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were 77 people in hospital with the coronavirus, with seven in intensive care.

There were new cases reported in Northland (3), Auckland (93), Waikato (8), Whanganui (1) and Canterbury (1).

The three new cases in Northland include two who are close contacts of previously reported cases in Kaitaia, and have already been isolating.

The third case is an essential worker based in Whangārei, who regularly travels to Auckland for work. They were picked up through routine surveillance testing.

The eight new cases in Waikato include two in Hamilton, two in Te Kūiti, three in Piopio (near Te Kūiti) and one in Huntly. Seven of the cases have been linked to previous cases.

Whanganui District Health Board confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in the current Delta outbreak last night.

The Ministry said today it appeared the case recently travelled out of the city and is likely to have links to previously reported cases outside the region.

They became symptomatic on Thursday and were tested on Friday before receiving their result yesterday. The person has been isolating in a dedicated community facility.

The Ministry said a number of locations of interest have already been released today and more are expected this afternoon on the Ministry's webpage.

The one new case added to today's tally was revealed yesterday and has been clearly linked to other cases in the Nelson-Tasman area.

The Canterbury DHB said that as soon as the person learned of their contact, they got a test and had been isolating at home since that time.

"The person's prompt actions have reduced the chances of further spread and underline the importance of getting a test immediately if you have been to a location of interest, are identified as a contact or possible contact of a case, or if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms."

Two other cases in Canterbury will be added to tomorrow's tally. They include a young child from the same household as yesterday's case and another close contact of yesterday's case.

There were also two cases in managed isolation reported today, one from Ireland and one from England.

There were 98 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand yesterday, with cases in Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Nelson Tasman and Canterbury. There were 92 new cases on Friday, the first time it was in double digits in more than a month.

There have now been 9037 cases of Covid-19 in the current community outbreak and 11,825 since the pandemic began.

The Ministry said 67 of today's new cases are yet to be linked.
Vaccine update

The Ministry said two DHBs - Auckland and Capital & Coast - have now reached the milestone of 90 percent of their eligible Māori population having had their first vaccination.

"This is closely followed by four other DHBs - Waitemata, MidCentral, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs, all with eligible Māori population vaccination rates at or above 87 percent for first vaccinations.

"We continue to close in on the 90 percent vaccination milestone with 88 percent of the total eligible population nationwide (aged 12 and over) now fully vaccinated."

There were 26,957 vaccine doses given yesterday: 5636 first doses; 13,998 second doses; 253 third primary doses; and 7070 booster doses.

"If you are not vaccinated, now is the time, as vaccination is number one defence against Covid-19. Your DHB or local health provider will have plenty of opportunities to make this happen."

Covid-19 update: 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today

The number of new Covid-19 cases has risen back into triple figures, with 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today.In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were 77 people in hospital with the coronavirus, with seven in intensive care.

There were new cases reported in Northland (3), Auckland (93), Waikato (8), Whanganui (1) and Canterbury (1).

The three new cases in Northland include two who are close contacts of previously reported cases in Kaitaia, and have already been isolating.

The third case is an essential worker based in Whangārei, who regularly travels to Auckland for work. They were picked up through routine surveillance testing.

The eight new cases in Waikato include two in Hamilton, two in Te Kūiti, three in Piopio (near Te Kūiti) and one in Huntly. Seven of the cases have been linked to previous cases.

Whanganui District Health Board confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in the current Delta outbreak last night.

The Ministry said today it appeared the case recently travelled out of the city and is likely to have links to previously reported cases outside the region.

They became symptomatic on Thursday and were tested on Friday before receiving their result yesterday. The person has been isolating in a dedicated community facility.

The Ministry said a number of locations of interest have already been released today and more are expected this afternoon on the Ministry's webpage.

The one new case added to today's tally was revealed yesterday and has been clearly linked to other cases in the Nelson-Tasman area.

The Canterbury DHB said that as soon as the person learned of their contact, they got a test and had been isolating at home since that time.

"The person's prompt actions have reduced the chances of further spread and underline the importance of getting a test immediately if you have been to a location of interest, are identified as a contact or possible contact of a case, or if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms."

Two other cases in Canterbury will be added to tomorrow's tally. They include a young child from the same household as yesterday's case and another close contact of yesterday's case.

There were also two cases in managed isolation reported today, one from Ireland and one from England.

There were 98 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand yesterday, with cases in Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Nelson Tasman and Canterbury. There were 92 new cases on Friday, the first time it was in double digits in more than a month.

There have now been 9037 cases of Covid-19 in the current community outbreak and 11,825 since the pandemic began.

The Ministry said 67 of today's new cases are yet to be linked.
Vaccine update

The Ministry said two DHBs - Auckland and Capital & Coast - have now reached the milestone of 90 percent of their eligible Māori population having had their first vaccination.

"This is closely followed by four other DHBs - Waitemata, MidCentral, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs, all with eligible Māori population vaccination rates at or above 87 percent for first vaccinations.

"We continue to close in on the 90 percent vaccination milestone with 88 percent of the total eligible population nationwide (aged 12 and over) now fully vaccinated."

There were 26,957 vaccine doses given yesterday: 5636 first doses; 13,998 second doses; 253 third primary doses; and 7070 booster doses.

"If you are not vaccinated, now is the time, as vaccination is number one defence against Covid-19. Your DHB or local health provider will have plenty of opportunities to make this happen."

Coronavirus digest: German vaccine body says omicron jab update will take 'months'


The head of Germany's top vaccine body has said vaccine manufacturers would likely need a few months before they could create a vaccine for the omicron variant. DW has the latest.

The head of Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (StiKo), Thomas Mertens, said he did not expect possible new vaccines against the omicron variant of the coronavirus for months, according to a report on Saturday.

Mertens said it was entirely possible that a new vaccine would be needed to be effective against the omicron variant.

"Omicron has many changes to the spike protein, which could make it harder for antibodies to fight the virus," he told the Düsseldorf-based newspaper Rheinische Post.

"Three to six months is likely to be needed by the manufacturers in the laboratory. That's not trivial — they have to create a vaccine that works against omicron and delta because delta is still widespread," he said.

Mertens also urged people to get booster shots despite a possible new vaccine.

"Boosters are definitely worth it. The fight against the delta variant continues," he said. "And it would be no problem to get revaccinated a few months after the booster vaccination to protect against omicron if necessary." Germany has reported 64,510 new infections in the last 24 hours, while 378 more people died due to the coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The new figures take the country's total cases to more than 6.1 million, with at least 102,946 fatalities.

The seven-day incidence rose slightly to 442.7 from 442.1 the previous day, RKI reported.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel made what may well be her final appeal for people to get vaccinated, before leaving office.

In a video address Merkel called on Germans to get their vaccinations. “Get vaccinated, no matter whether it's a first vaccination or a booster,'' Merkel said. “Every vaccination helps.”

Merkel also lamented the loss of life as the country recorded another 378 deaths in a 24 hour period. "Every one of them leaves behind families or friends, stunned, speechless and helpless," the outgoing chancellor said. "This is so bitter because it is avoidable. With the effective and safe vaccines, we have the key to this in our hands."

Here are some more coronavirus headlines from around the world:
Europe

Police in Vienna, Austria, said "over 40,000" people took part in demonstrations against government plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory and enforce a partial lockdown until November 22.

Police said the march turned violent when some protesters threw "pyrotechnic objects" at officers, who responded with pepper spray. Police arrested some people for public order offenses.

About 1,500 people held a counterdemonstration against the main protest, police said.

A dentist in Italy who tried to get a vaccination using a fake silicon arm could face criminal charges of fraud, authorities said.

A nurse in the north Italian city of Biella discovered the phony limb as she was about to give the man the injection.

"I understood immediately that the man was trying to avoid the vaccination by using a silicone prosthetic, into which he hoped that I would inject the drug," said the nurse, Filippa Bua.

Italy will require the vaccine pass to enter restaurants, cinemas and theaters from Monday.
Africa

In South Africa the Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo confirmed that the country was in its fourth wave.

Dhlomo also said that just 2 percent of hospital admissions were among those who had received jabs. "A whopping 98 percent were not vaccinated," he said.

As the country that first identified and alerted the world to the new threat, the next few weeks will be crucial in understanding the level of threat it presents.

While there has been a rise in children being admitted to hospital for COVID-19, an official at one hospital near the capital city Pretoria, said infections have so far been mild.

Its unclear exactly which variant the children are infected with, but its suspected omicron may be driving the country’s fourth wave.

Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng province told Reuters news agency that out of 1,511 COVID-19 patients, 113 were under the age of nine, representing a higher proportion than seen in previous waves: "We are comforted by clinicians' reports that the children have mild disease.”

Scientists are still trying to determine what is causing illness in younger age groups.

Coronavirus Highlights: India's Fourth Omicron Case Detected Near Mumbai


Coronavirus Highlights: According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.


New Delhi:

A 33-year-old man from Maharashtra who travelled to Mumbai from South Africa via Dubai and Delhi late last month has tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, in the fourth such case confirmed in India. According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.

India's first two reported 'Omicron' cases were detected in Karnataka. The new strain of the virus has triggered a global alarm with several countries announcing restrictions to arrest the spread of the 'Variant of Concern', declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India also logged a daily spike of 8,603 Covid cases on Saturday, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,46,24,360. The country further recorded 415 new deaths, pushing the total death count to 4,70,530.

The active cases increased to 99,974, according to the latest Health Ministry data.

Breaking news highlights: Bengal reports 621 new Covid cases, 11 more deaths
Breaking news updates December 4, 2021: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.

Breaking news highlights: Bengal reports 621 new Covid cases, 11 more deaths
Breaking news updates December 4, 2021: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.

Coronavirus Highlights: India's Fourth Omicron Case Detected Near Mumbai


Coronavirus Highlights: According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.


New Delhi:

A 33-year-old man from Maharashtra who travelled to Mumbai from South Africa via Dubai and Delhi late last month has tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, in the fourth such case confirmed in India. According to a government note, the patient is a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal area and had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine.

India's first two reported 'Omicron' cases were detected in Karnataka. The new strain of the virus has triggered a global alarm with several countries announcing restrictions to arrest the spread of the 'Variant of Concern', declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India also logged a daily spike of 8,603 Covid cases on Saturday, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,46,24,360. The country further recorded 415 new deaths, pushing the total death count to 4,70,530.

The active cases increased to 99,974, according to the latest Health Ministry data.

Coronavirus digest: German vaccine body says omicron jab update will take 'months'


The head of Germany's top vaccine body has said vaccine manufacturers would likely need a few months before they could create a vaccine for the omicron variant. DW has the latest.

The head of Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (StiKo), Thomas Mertens, said he did not expect possible new vaccines against the omicron variant of the coronavirus for months, according to a report on Saturday.

Mertens said it was entirely possible that a new vaccine would be needed to be effective against the omicron variant.

"Omicron has many changes to the spike protein, which could make it harder for antibodies to fight the virus," he told the Düsseldorf-based newspaper Rheinische Post.

"Three to six months is likely to be needed by the manufacturers in the laboratory. That's not trivial — they have to create a vaccine that works against omicron and delta because delta is still widespread," he said.

Mertens also urged people to get booster shots despite a possible new vaccine.

"Boosters are definitely worth it. The fight against the delta variant continues," he said. "And it would be no problem to get revaccinated a few months after the booster vaccination to protect against omicron if necessary." Germany has reported 64,510 new infections in the last 24 hours, while 378 more people died due to the coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The new figures take the country's total cases to more than 6.1 million, with at least 102,946 fatalities.

The seven-day incidence rose slightly to 442.7 from 442.1 the previous day, RKI reported.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel made what may well be her final appeal for people to get vaccinated, before leaving office.

In a video address Merkel called on Germans to get their vaccinations. “Get vaccinated, no matter whether it's a first vaccination or a booster,'' Merkel said. “Every vaccination helps.”

Merkel also lamented the loss of life as the country recorded another 378 deaths in a 24 hour period. "Every one of them leaves behind families or friends, stunned, speechless and helpless," the outgoing chancellor said. "This is so bitter because it is avoidable. With the effective and safe vaccines, we have the key to this in our hands."

Here are some more coronavirus headlines from around the world:
Europe

Police in Vienna, Austria, said "over 40,000" people took part in demonstrations against government plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory and enforce a partial lockdown until November 22.

Police said the march turned violent when some protesters threw "pyrotechnic objects" at officers, who responded with pepper spray. Police arrested some people for public order offenses.

About 1,500 people held a counterdemonstration against the main protest, police said.

A dentist in Italy who tried to get a vaccination using a fake silicon arm could face criminal charges of fraud, authorities said.

A nurse in the north Italian city of Biella discovered the phony limb as she was about to give the man the injection.

"I understood immediately that the man was trying to avoid the vaccination by using a silicone prosthetic, into which he hoped that I would inject the drug," said the nurse, Filippa Bua.

Italy will require the vaccine pass to enter restaurants, cinemas and theaters from Monday.
Africa

In South Africa the Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo confirmed that the country was in its fourth wave.

Dhlomo also said that just 2 percent of hospital admissions were among those who had received jabs. "A whopping 98 percent were not vaccinated," he said.

As the country that first identified and alerted the world to the new threat, the next few weeks will be crucial in understanding the level of threat it presents.

While there has been a rise in children being admitted to hospital for COVID-19, an official at one hospital near the capital city Pretoria, said infections have so far been mild.

Its unclear exactly which variant the children are infected with, but its suspected omicron may be driving the country’s fourth wave.

Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng province told Reuters news agency that out of 1,511 COVID-19 patients, 113 were under the age of nine, representing a higher proportion than seen in previous waves: "We are comforted by clinicians' reports that the children have mild disease.”

Scientists are still trying to determine what is causing illness in younger age groups.

Covid-19 update: 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today

The number of new Covid-19 cases has risen back into triple figures, with 106 new community cases reported in New Zealand today.In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were 77 people in hospital with the coronavirus, with seven in intensive care.

There were new cases reported in Northland (3), Auckland (93), Waikato (8), Whanganui (1) and Canterbury (1).

The three new cases in Northland include two who are close contacts of previously reported cases in Kaitaia, and have already been isolating.

The third case is an essential worker based in Whangārei, who regularly travels to Auckland for work. They were picked up through routine surveillance testing.

The eight new cases in Waikato include two in Hamilton, two in Te Kūiti, three in Piopio (near Te Kūiti) and one in Huntly. Seven of the cases have been linked to previous cases.

Whanganui District Health Board confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in the current Delta outbreak last night.

The Ministry said today it appeared the case recently travelled out of the city and is likely to have links to previously reported cases outside the region.

They became symptomatic on Thursday and were tested on Friday before receiving their result yesterday. The person has been isolating in a dedicated community facility.

The Ministry said a number of locations of interest have already been released today and more are expected this afternoon on the Ministry's webpage.

The one new case added to today's tally was revealed yesterday and has been clearly linked to other cases in the Nelson-Tasman area.

The Canterbury DHB said that as soon as the person learned of their contact, they got a test and had been isolating at home since that time.

"The person's prompt actions have reduced the chances of further spread and underline the importance of getting a test immediately if you have been to a location of interest, are identified as a contact or possible contact of a case, or if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms."

Two other cases in Canterbury will be added to tomorrow's tally. They include a young child from the same household as yesterday's case and another close contact of yesterday's case.

There were also two cases in managed isolation reported today, one from Ireland and one from England.

There were 98 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand yesterday, with cases in Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Nelson Tasman and Canterbury. There were 92 new cases on Friday, the first time it was in double digits in more than a month.

There have now been 9037 cases of Covid-19 in the current community outbreak and 11,825 since the pandemic began.

The Ministry said 67 of today's new cases are yet to be linked.
Vaccine update

The Ministry said two DHBs - Auckland and Capital & Coast - have now reached the milestone of 90 percent of their eligible Māori population having had their first vaccination.

"This is closely followed by four other DHBs - Waitemata, MidCentral, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs, all with eligible Māori population vaccination rates at or above 87 percent for first vaccinations.

"We continue to close in on the 90 percent vaccination milestone with 88 percent of the total eligible population nationwide (aged 12 and over) now fully vaccinated."

There were 26,957 vaccine doses given yesterday: 5636 first doses; 13,998 second doses; 253 third primary doses; and 7070 booster doses.

"If you are not vaccinated, now is the time, as vaccination is number one defence against Covid-19. Your DHB or local health provider will have plenty of opportunities to make this happen."

Omicron Variant LIVE Updates: France announces new travel restrictions

Omicron in India Latest News Updates: As India confirmed two cases of Omicron, the World Health Organization on Friday said countries in the South-East Asia Region should further strengthen COVID-19 response measures to curtail the spread of the virus and its variants. Studies are underway to evaluate Omicron's transmissibility, severity, reinfection risk, immune escape potential, clinical presentation, response to other available countermeasures, etc. Preliminary evidence suggests higher transmissibility and potential immune escape that could lead to a surge in cases. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, said as part of enhanced surveillance, countries need to ensure they have early warning systems in place composed of multiple indicators such as rapid increase in cases and test positivity rates.

Another 75 cases of the super-mutant Omicron variant have been identified in England, health officials confirmed, after it was revealed that the majority of sequenced infections of the new variant are in fully vaccinated people.

It comes after health officials revealed earlier today that more than half of England's Omicron Covid cases that have been genetically sequenced were in double-vaccinated people. It is not yet known whether today's additional 75 cases were in double-jabbed or non-vaccinated individuals.

And Boris Johnson insisted last night that he wanted Britons to enjoy Christmas as ‘normally as possible’ – just as Ireland was told it was going into semi-lockdown.

Following a week of mixed messaging from his ministers, the Prime Minister admitted there had been ‘quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing’ on Christmas parties.

But he said it was ‘not right’ that people should consider cancelling seasonal events – saying that the ‘tough measures’ his Government has taken at the borders should see the country through without the need for further curbs.

It came as Ireland closed nightclubs, imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants and placed curbs on household mixing to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Last night it was claimed that the UK’s travel red list could be expanded this weekend with arrivals from Nigeria facing the prospect of hotel quarantine.

Ministers on the Cabinet’s Covid operations sub-committee could meet as early as tomorrow to decide whether to introduce more restrictions.

Today's new cases bring the total number of confirmed Omicron infections in England to 104, while the total for the whole of the UK now stands at 134, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Cases of the new variant have been identified in the East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West and West Midlands.

Scotland's cases today increased by 16 to 29, while Wales announced this afternoon that its first case had been found in Cardiff. No cases have been found in Northern Ireland.

It came hours after No10's scientists called for the introduction of vaccine passports and work-from-home guidance to counter the spread of the super-mutant Omicron Covid variant, advice published today shows.

Documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and subgroup Nervtag warned the highly evolved strain could cause a surge in cases 'similar or even larger' than previous waves.

The expert panel admitted that the jury is still out on whether the variant will cause more or less severe illness, with conflicting reports coming out of the epicentre in South Africa, where doctors insist most cases are mild but hospital admissions seem to be rising.

In the minutes from SAGE's 97th meeting on Covid on Monday, the group said the emergence of Omicron meant vaccine passports and reducing social contacts through working from home were 'highly relevant'.

The meeting, chaired by England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Science Officer Sir Patrick Vallance, concluded that the strain's infectiousness was undisputed but evidence of its effect on vaccines is still murky.

In a separate meeting of SAGE's modelling subgroup Spi-M, scientists also warned that coronavirus would likely put pressure on the NHS for a further five years at least before becoming endemic — weakened to the point of a common cold thanks to jabs and natural immunity.

They said continued monitoring and 'active' measures would be required until 2026, although they did not stipulate what these may involve.

But they conceded that despite the threat posed by, there is not enough evidence yet to suggest its 32 mutations making it significantly more vaccine evasive.

Scientist won't know the full scale of Omicron's infectiousness, vaccine evasiveness or lethality for another two or three weeks, when they can isolate the virus in a lab and study its biology and test it against the blood of previous-infected or vaccinated people.

The individuals who have tested positive for Omicron, and their contacts, have been asked to self-isolate, and work is under way to identify any links to travel, the UKHSA said.

Omicron live updates: Gujarat man who returned from Zimbabwe 3 days ago tests positive for Omicron variant
Single-day rise of 8603 infections, 415 fatalities pushed India's Covid tally to 3.4 crore cases, 4.7 lakh deaths. Active cases 99,974, said the health ministry. Stay with TOI for all updates

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

S Korea reports record-high Covid-19 cases, deaths – latest updates

Covid-19 has infected more than 265M people and killed over 5.2M worldwide. Here are some of the latest coronavirus-related developments:

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Australia Omicron variant spreads, testing reopening plans

The Omicron coronavirus variant spread in Australia, testing plans to reopen the economy as a cluster in Sydney grew to 13 cases and an infection was suspected in the state of Queensland.
Federal authorities are sticking with a plan to reopen the economy on the hope that the new variant proves to be milder than previous strains, but some state and territory governments have moved to tighten their domestic border controls.
Australia reported its first community transmission of Omicron on Friday at a school in Sydney. Authorities are investigating the source.

S Korea reports record-high Covid-19 cases, deaths

South Korea reported a record daily 5,352 new Covid-19 infections and 70 deaths, while a nationwide total of nine cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The government on Friday announced that people visiting restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces will have to show vaccine passes. It is also reducing the limit on private gatherings to six people in the greater Seoul area, from 10 currently, and to eight from 12 for those residing outside of the capital, starting next Monday.

The hospitalisation rate was rising rapidly, led by severe cases of Covid-19, with the number of serious and critical patients at 752 as of Friday, KDCA said.

Japan PM Kishida likely to cancel US visit due to Omicron

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to cancel a planned trip to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden this month due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, public broadcaster NHK said.

Kishida and Biden met in Glasgow last month on the sidelines of the United Nations climate summit, agreeing to meet formally by the end of the year to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as China, Japanese media reported at the time.

But given the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant as well as the U.S. political situation, Kishida is considering rescheduling the meeting after the new year, NHK said, without citing sources for its information.

Covid booster urged for people 18 and over in Canada

A Canadian government immunisation advisory committee urged Covid-19 booster shots for people 18 and older who are at greater risk of infection, while also strongly recommending those 50 years-plus to get the third jab.

The updated guidance comes after two provinces - Ontario and Alberta, with half the population of Canada - this week said they would start offering third jabs to people 50 and 60 years and over, respectively, and planned to further expand eligibility in the new year, amid concerns over the Omicron variant.

Eleven cases of the Omicron variant have so far been recorded in Canada, linked to travel abroad, public health officials said.

"Decreasing protection against infection could contribute to increased transmission, since infected individuals may be a source of infection for others," the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said in a report.

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

Arizona COVID-19 update: 5,236 new cases, 14 new deaths as hospitalizations still rise


Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Arizona increased to levels not seen since early February as Arizonans continue to get infected with the virus.

On Friday, the state reported 5,236 new COVID-19 cases and 14 new known deaths.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen sharply in recent weeks, with 2,714 patients hospitalized Thursday across Arizona for known or suspected COVID-19, a level last seen during the end of last winter's brutal surge.

About 22% of reported COVID-19 cases in Arizona in October were breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated people, according to state health officials, who say the vaccine remains the best way to prevent severe illness and death. Still the vast majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among people not fully vaccinated.

As of Oct. 18, the breakthrough fatality rate in Arizona was less than 0.01%, state data shows.

S Korea reports record-high Covid-19 cases, deaths – latest updates

Covid-19 has infected more than 265M people and killed over 5.2M worldwide. Here are some of the latest coronavirus-related developments:

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Australia Omicron variant spreads, testing reopening plans

The Omicron coronavirus variant spread in Australia, testing plans to reopen the economy as a cluster in Sydney grew to 13 cases and an infection was suspected in the state of Queensland.
Federal authorities are sticking with a plan to reopen the economy on the hope that the new variant proves to be milder than previous strains, but some state and territory governments have moved to tighten their domestic border controls.
Australia reported its first community transmission of Omicron on Friday at a school in Sydney. Authorities are investigating the source.

S Korea reports record-high Covid-19 cases, deaths

South Korea reported a record daily 5,352 new Covid-19 infections and 70 deaths, while a nationwide total of nine cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The government on Friday announced that people visiting restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces will have to show vaccine passes. It is also reducing the limit on private gatherings to six people in the greater Seoul area, from 10 currently, and to eight from 12 for those residing outside of the capital, starting next Monday.

The hospitalisation rate was rising rapidly, led by severe cases of Covid-19, with the number of serious and critical patients at 752 as of Friday, KDCA said.

Japan PM Kishida likely to cancel US visit due to Omicron

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to cancel a planned trip to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden this month due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, public broadcaster NHK said.

Kishida and Biden met in Glasgow last month on the sidelines of the United Nations climate summit, agreeing to meet formally by the end of the year to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as China, Japanese media reported at the time.

But given the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant as well as the U.S. political situation, Kishida is considering rescheduling the meeting after the new year, NHK said, without citing sources for its information.

Covid booster urged for people 18 and over in Canada

A Canadian government immunisation advisory committee urged Covid-19 booster shots for people 18 and older who are at greater risk of infection, while also strongly recommending those 50 years-plus to get the third jab.

The updated guidance comes after two provinces - Ontario and Alberta, with half the population of Canada - this week said they would start offering third jabs to people 50 and 60 years and over, respectively, and planned to further expand eligibility in the new year, amid concerns over the Omicron variant.

Eleven cases of the Omicron variant have so far been recorded in Canada, linked to travel abroad, public health officials said.

"Decreasing protection against infection could contribute to increased transmission, since infected individuals may be a source of infection for others," the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said in a report.

Omicron live updates: Gujarat man who returned from Zimbabwe 3 days ago tests positive for Omicron variant
Single-day rise of 8603 infections, 415 fatalities pushed India's Covid tally to 3.4 crore cases, 4.7 lakh deaths. Active cases 99,974, said the health ministry. Stay with TOI for all updates

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

Omicron Variant LIVE Updates: France announces new travel restrictions

Omicron in India Latest News Updates: As India confirmed two cases of Omicron, the World Health Organization on Friday said countries in the South-East Asia Region should further strengthen COVID-19 response measures to curtail the spread of the virus and its variants. Studies are underway to evaluate Omicron's transmissibility, severity, reinfection risk, immune escape potential, clinical presentation, response to other available countermeasures, etc. Preliminary evidence suggests higher transmissibility and potential immune escape that could lead to a surge in cases. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, said as part of enhanced surveillance, countries need to ensure they have early warning systems in place composed of multiple indicators such as rapid increase in cases and test positivity rates.

Another 75 cases of the super-mutant Omicron variant have been identified in England, health officials confirmed, after it was revealed that the majority of sequenced infections of the new variant are in fully vaccinated people.

It comes after health officials revealed earlier today that more than half of England's Omicron Covid cases that have been genetically sequenced were in double-vaccinated people. It is not yet known whether today's additional 75 cases were in double-jabbed or non-vaccinated individuals.

And Boris Johnson insisted last night that he wanted Britons to enjoy Christmas as ‘normally as possible’ – just as Ireland was told it was going into semi-lockdown.

Following a week of mixed messaging from his ministers, the Prime Minister admitted there had been ‘quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing’ on Christmas parties.

But he said it was ‘not right’ that people should consider cancelling seasonal events – saying that the ‘tough measures’ his Government has taken at the borders should see the country through without the need for further curbs.

It came as Ireland closed nightclubs, imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants and placed curbs on household mixing to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Last night it was claimed that the UK’s travel red list could be expanded this weekend with arrivals from Nigeria facing the prospect of hotel quarantine.

Ministers on the Cabinet’s Covid operations sub-committee could meet as early as tomorrow to decide whether to introduce more restrictions.

Today's new cases bring the total number of confirmed Omicron infections in England to 104, while the total for the whole of the UK now stands at 134, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Cases of the new variant have been identified in the East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West and West Midlands.

Scotland's cases today increased by 16 to 29, while Wales announced this afternoon that its first case had been found in Cardiff. No cases have been found in Northern Ireland.

It came hours after No10's scientists called for the introduction of vaccine passports and work-from-home guidance to counter the spread of the super-mutant Omicron Covid variant, advice published today shows.

Documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and subgroup Nervtag warned the highly evolved strain could cause a surge in cases 'similar or even larger' than previous waves.

The expert panel admitted that the jury is still out on whether the variant will cause more or less severe illness, with conflicting reports coming out of the epicentre in South Africa, where doctors insist most cases are mild but hospital admissions seem to be rising.

In the minutes from SAGE's 97th meeting on Covid on Monday, the group said the emergence of Omicron meant vaccine passports and reducing social contacts through working from home were 'highly relevant'.

The meeting, chaired by England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Science Officer Sir Patrick Vallance, concluded that the strain's infectiousness was undisputed but evidence of its effect on vaccines is still murky.

In a separate meeting of SAGE's modelling subgroup Spi-M, scientists also warned that coronavirus would likely put pressure on the NHS for a further five years at least before becoming endemic — weakened to the point of a common cold thanks to jabs and natural immunity.

They said continued monitoring and 'active' measures would be required until 2026, although they did not stipulate what these may involve.

But they conceded that despite the threat posed by, there is not enough evidence yet to suggest its 32 mutations making it significantly more vaccine evasive.

Scientist won't know the full scale of Omicron's infectiousness, vaccine evasiveness or lethality for another two or three weeks, when they can isolate the virus in a lab and study its biology and test it against the blood of previous-infected or vaccinated people.

The individuals who have tested positive for Omicron, and their contacts, have been asked to self-isolate, and work is under way to identify any links to travel, the UKHSA said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Up to 14 Omicron 'Suspects' in Mumbai; Canada Fears Restart of 'Severe Illness Trends'

After 15 Test +ve for New VariantCoronavirus LIVE Updates: Authorities across the world are rushing to stem the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain’s spread amid warnings that it could damage the global economic recovery. As concerns grow, the parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism critically addressed.

Omicron live updates: 5 who arrived in Bengaluru from South Africa are ‘missing’

Omicron Variant LIVE Updates: France announces new travel restrictions

Omicron in India Latest News Updates: As India confirmed two cases of Omicron, the World Health Organization on Friday said countries in the South-East Asia Region should further strengthen COVID-19 response measures to curtail the spread of the virus and its variants. Studies are underway to evaluate Omicron's transmissibility, severity, reinfection risk, immune escape potential, clinical presentation, response to other available countermeasures, etc. Preliminary evidence suggests higher transmissibility and potential immune escape that could lead to a surge in cases. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, said as part of enhanced surveillance, countries need to ensure they have early warning systems in place composed of multiple indicators such as rapid increase in cases and test positivity rates.

Europe hits 75 million COVID cases as it braces for Omicron: Live

Rise in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the


Europe has crossed 75 million coronavirus cases, according to a Reuters news agency tally, as the region braces for the new Omicron variant at a time when hospitals in some countries are already strained by the current surge.

A rise in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom in the latest week was driven by the dominant Delta variant rather than Omicron, UK’s Office for National Statistics said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s COVID-19 death toll has reached at least 578,020, the third-worst in the world, according to Reuters calculations based on official statistics for October, the country’s deadliest month so far.

In The Netherlands, health authorities said they were worried some passengers arriving from South Africa in the past week were testing positive for COVID-19 on arrival despite having been vaccinated and testing negative before their flight departure.

The U.S. Federal Reserve should tighten monetary policy at a faster pace in light of rising inflation risks, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday.

The Fed decided in early November to start tapering — which refers to a reduction in the amount of bonds it purchases — “later this month” at a pace of $15 billion every month. However, with the identification of a new Covid variant and inflation running above target, the IMF argued this pace should be accelerated.

“We see grounds for monetary policy in the United States — with gross domestic product close to pre-pandemic trends, tight labor markets, and now broad-based inflationary pressures — to place greater weight on inflation risks as compared to some other advanced economies including the euro area,” the IMF said in a blog post.

Another 75 cases of the super-mutant Omicron variant have been identified in England, health officials confirmed, after it was revealed that the majority of sequenced infections of the new variant are in fully vaccinated people.

It comes after health officials revealed earlier today that more than half of England's Omicron Covid cases that have been genetically sequenced were in double-vaccinated people. It is not yet known whether today's additional 75 cases were in double-jabbed or non-vaccinated individuals.

And Boris Johnson insisted last night that he wanted Britons to enjoy Christmas as ‘normally as possible’ – just as Ireland was told it was going into semi-lockdown.

Following a week of mixed messaging from his ministers, the Prime Minister admitted there had been ‘quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing’ on Christmas parties.

But he said it was ‘not right’ that people should consider cancelling seasonal events – saying that the ‘tough measures’ his Government has taken at the borders should see the country through without the need for further curbs.

It came as Ireland closed nightclubs, imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants and placed curbs on household mixing to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Last night it was claimed that the UK’s travel red list could be expanded this weekend with arrivals from Nigeria facing the prospect of hotel quarantine.

Ministers on the Cabinet’s Covid operations sub-committee could meet as early as tomorrow to decide whether to introduce more restrictions.

Today's new cases bring the total number of confirmed Omicron infections in England to 104, while the total for the whole of the UK now stands at 134, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Cases of the new variant have been identified in the East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West and West Midlands.

Scotland's cases today increased by 16 to 29, while Wales announced this afternoon that its first case had been found in Cardiff. No cases have been found in Northern Ireland.

It came hours after No10's scientists called for the introduction of vaccine passports and work-from-home guidance to counter the spread of the super-mutant Omicron Covid variant, advice published today shows.

Documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and subgroup Nervtag warned the highly evolved strain could cause a surge in cases 'similar or even larger' than previous waves.

The expert panel admitted that the jury is still out on whether the variant will cause more or less severe illness, with conflicting reports coming out of the epicentre in South Africa, where doctors insist most cases are mild but hospital admissions seem to be rising.

In the minutes from SAGE's 97th meeting on Covid on Monday, the group said the emergence of Omicron meant vaccine passports and reducing social contacts through working from home were 'highly relevant'.

The meeting, chaired by England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Science Officer Sir Patrick Vallance, concluded that the strain's infectiousness was undisputed but evidence of its effect on vaccines is still murky.

In a separate meeting of SAGE's modelling subgroup Spi-M, scientists also warned that coronavirus would likely put pressure on the NHS for a further five years at least before becoming endemic — weakened to the point of a common cold thanks to jabs and natural immunity.

They said continued monitoring and 'active' measures would be required until 2026, although they did not stipulate what these may involve.

But they conceded that despite the threat posed by, there is not enough evidence yet to suggest its 32 mutations making it significantly more vaccine evasive.

Scientist won't know the full scale of Omicron's infectiousness, vaccine evasiveness or lethality for another two or three weeks, when they can isolate the virus in a lab and study its biology and test it against the blood of previous-infected or vaccinated people.

The individuals who have tested positive for Omicron, and their contacts, have been asked to self-isolate, and work is under way to identify any links to travel, the UKHSA said.

Omicron: 75 new cases of variant identified in England, bringing UK total to 150


A further 75 cases of the omicron variant of Covid-19 have been detected in England, the government has said.

The new infections join the previous 29 confirmed cases of the of the variant known by scientists as B.1.1.529, bringing the total number in England to 104.

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

Virus particle 5-20nm.....Dust particle 1000nm above ...some even bigger

WHO says Covid omicron variant detected in 38 countries, early data suggests it’s more contagious than delta

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Covid omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, with early data suggesting the strain is more contagious than delta.

“We do see an increasing growth rate, we see increasing numbers of omicron being detected,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said during a Q&A livestreamed on the group’s social media channels Friday. “But we have reports of omicron in 38 countries in all six WHO regions.”

“There is a suggestion that there is increased transmissibility, what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that the delta variant is still dominant across the globe.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said “clearly the virus does appear to be transmitting efficiently.”

“And we saw that before with delta. So again, there’s certain things we shouldn’t be surprised with,” Ryan said.

Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells. Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection, according to the WHO.

South African scientists this week found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to reinfect people who already had Covid, compared with past variants of the virus. The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

Europe hits 75 million COVID cases as it braces for Omicron: Live

Rise in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the


Europe has crossed 75 million coronavirus cases, according to a Reuters news agency tally, as the region braces for the new Omicron variant at a time when hospitals in some countries are already strained by the current surge.

A rise in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom in the latest week was driven by the dominant Delta variant rather than Omicron, UK’s Office for National Statistics said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s COVID-19 death toll has reached at least 578,020, the third-worst in the world, according to Reuters calculations based on official statistics for October, the country’s deadliest month so far.

In The Netherlands, health authorities said they were worried some passengers arriving from South Africa in the past week were testing positive for COVID-19 on arrival despite having been vaccinated and testing negative before their flight departure.

New York officials confirm 5 cases of Covid omicron variant in NYC metro area


New York officials have confirmed five cases of the Covid omicron variant in the New York City metropolitan area, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced late Thursday, hours after cases were detected in Minnesota and Colorado.

One case was discovered in Suffolk County on Long Island and four New York City: two in Queens, one in Brooklyn and another in the city, she said at a press briefing. Minnesota health authorities confirmed the second U.S. case of the Covid omicron variant earlier Thursday, in a resident who recently returned from New York City.New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said the cases indicate there was community spread, adding the state is sequencing about 15% of all Covid tests, allowing them to “pick up these trends over time.”

“This is not just people who are traveling to southern Africa or to other parts of the world where omicron has already been identified,” he said.

Hochul assured residents that the discovery of omicron cases in New York doesn’t mean she will call for the same kind of widespread lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic that shuttered businesses and put millions of New Yorkers out of work.

“We are in a far better place, that people are informed. There’s not a panic,” she said Thursday night. “It is still a public health crisis, but does not have to be a crisis that leads to shutdown.”

The first confirmed U.S. case of the heavily mutated strain was detected in California in a resident who had just returned to San Francisco from South Africa, which first reported the variant to the World Health Organization about a week ago. The Colorado case was also confirmed in a traveler who had just returned from southern Africa.

The California, Minnesota and Colorado cases were all diagnosed in fully vaccinated people who had mild cases. Hochul said the Suffolk County case is in a 67-year-old woman who had at least one vaccine shot and just returned from South Africa with mild symptoms. The case in New York City is in another suspected traveler, she said. Officials didn’t yet have any details on the cases in Queens and Brooklyn, but she said they would share them as soon as they were available.

Minutes after New York officials concluded their news conference, health officials in Hawaii confirmed via Twitter their first omicron case, on the island of Oahu.

Health officials in the U.S. and around the world are concerned that omicron is more transmissible and may evade the protection provided by currently available vaccines to some degree. The variant has some 50 mutations, more than 30 of which are on the spike protein that the virus uses to attach to human cells.

“The molecular profile of the kinds of mutations that you see [in omicron] would suggest that it might be more transmissible and that it might elude some of the protection of vaccines,” White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters Wednesday. “But we don’t know that now.”

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Six more U.S. states confirmed infections of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Friday but the Delta strain likely remains a greater threat as winter sets in and Americans gather for the holidays, experts said.

New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Utah each reported their first cases of the Omicron variant on Friday. Missouri was awaiting CDC confirmation of a case involving a St. Louis resident who had recently traveled within the United States.

U.S. Covid vaccinations spike as several states confirm omicron cases

Nearly 2.2 million vaccine doses were reported administered for a 24-hour period ended Thursday, CDC data shows.


Vaccinations peaked at around 3.4 million per day, according to a seven-day average, in April after the shots first became available.


Vaccinations were on the rise again heading into Thanksgiving and crossed the 1.5 million average shots per day mark in mid-November, many of which have been booster doses.

KUALA LUMPUR: The result of a Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test sample of a traveller who was recorded as the first positive COVID-19 Omicron variant in the country was negative.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the results were also negative for seven close contacts of the traveller namely, the driver, a university employee, three students and two roommates.

“The latest were from Perak. All eight RT-PCR samples today were negative including the first Omicron index case in the country (South Africa) and seven close contact cases namely the driver, a university employee, three university students (Two Ghanaians and an Indian national) and two roommates,” he said in a tweet tonight.

Earlier Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin in a media conference this morning said the 19-year-old woman traveller who was confirmed infected with COVID-19 Omicron variant, is studying at a private university in Ipoh, Perak and had a travel record to South Africa.

Khairy said the traveller arrived from South Africa via Singapore on Nov 19 2021 and had taken a RT-PCR COVID-19 test upon arrival at the checkpoint in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The individual was given an Order For Supervision and Observation under Section 15 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and had completed the quarantine period for 10 days at a residence provided by the university, he said. - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 2): The Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued a ban on travellers from 26 countries which were identified as having reported the spread of the Omicron variant from joining the Langkawi Tourism Bubble (GPL).

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the countries are United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong (SAR China), Israel, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Nigeria and Belgium.

The others are Japan, Brazil, Norway, Czech Republic, France/Reunion Island, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ghana, Republic of Ireland, United Arab Emirates and the United States (California).

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases at Sekolah Seri Puteri in Cyberjaya or the Persiaran Tasik cluster has climbed to 143 today.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, in a statement today, said all positive cases are currently in stable condition.

The 143 cases, he said, comprised 114 students, 19 students and 10 staff with the outbreak having a 14.7 per cent attack rate.

"Of the 143 Covid-19 positive cases, 106 cases were Category One infections while another 35 cases were Category 2A infections and two cases – one student and one teacher – were Category 2B infections. All positive cases are currently in stable condition.

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