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02:53
Abstract
I’ll be handing over running a blog duties shortly, however for those who’re simply becoming a member of us these are the primary developments within the pandemic prior to now a number of hours:
- Hundreds extra flights have been cancelled by airways around the globe, inflicting chaotic scenes at airports at one of many busiest instances of the yr for journey. Carriers scrapped 2,700 flights on Monday and an additional 800 have already been dropped from Tuesday’s schedules. Dr Anthony Fauci stated a vaccine mandate should be considered for all passengers in the US.
- Lots of of 1000’s extra folks had been ordered to remain at house in northern China on Tuesday, becoming a member of tens of millions under strict lockdown in Xi’an as the federal government tries to comprise a worsening outbreak of Covid-19.
- Boris Johnson is not going to introduce additional Covid restrictions in England earlier than 2022, giving mass events the go-ahead and leaving nightclubs open for New Yr’s Eve – in distinction with devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire. Scientists stated it was “the best divergence between scientific recommendation and laws” seen for the reason that begin of the pandemic.
- The US Centre for Illness Management has diminished the beneficial isolation time for folks recording a optimistic check from 10 days to 5. The CDC stated these modifications replicate the newest information on when the virus is most contagious.
- Joe Biden stated the dramatic surge in US Covid instances brought on by the Omicron variant “should be a source of concern but it should not be a source of panic”.
- France has narrowed the delay for a 3rd booster shot to a few months from 4 in response to the fast unfold of Omicron however there will probably be no curfew for New Yr’s Eve. From Monday, all indoor gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people, and to five,000 folks for outside occasions. Consumption of drinks and meals will probably be banned in long-distance transport and residential working will develop into necessary for a minimum of three days per week the place potential.
- Every day new coronavirus instances in Turkey surged 30% on Monday to 26,099, well being ministry information confirmed, the best share rise this yr, because the well being minister warned in regards to the fast unfold of the Omicron variant:
- The variety of sufferers in England admitted into hospital with Covid-19 has reached its highest degree since mid-February after a 74% rise in per week. In London, hospital admissions have elevated by 73%. A complete of 8,474 folks had been in hospital in England with Covid-19 as of 8am at present – the best quantity since 5 March.
- Scotland has recorded a report variety of Covid instances over the Christmas weekend, hitting a excessive of 11,030 new instances on Boxing Day, the Scottish authorities has stated. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is because of replace a specially-reconvened sitting of the Scottish parliament on Wednesday in regards to the unfold of the virus and the influence on hospitals.
02:43
Catching the Omicron variant means it’s extra unlikely that you simply’ll get the Delta an infection, in accordance with a research in South Africa, Reuters stories.
The research, by the Africa Well being Analysis Institute in South Africa, which has not been peer-reviewed, discovered that individuals who had been contaminated with Omicron, particularly those that had been vaccinated, developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant.
The evaluation enrolled 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals who had been contaminated with the Omicron variant in South Africa.
Whereas the authors discovered that the neutralization of Omicron elevated 14-fold over 14 days after the enrolment, additionally they discovered that there was a 4.4 fold improve of Delta virus neutralization.
Up to date
01:57
China shuts down one other metropolis
Lots of of 1000’s extra folks had been ordered to remain at house in northern China on Tuesday, becoming a member of tens of millions under strict lockdown in Xi’an as the federal government tries to comprise a worsening outbreak of Covid-19.
Yan’an, which is about 300km (186 miles) from Xi’an, ordered the closure of companies on Tuesday and instructed a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals in a single district to remain indoors.
China has adopted a “zero-Covid” technique as Beijing prepares to welcome 1000’s of abroad guests to February’s Winter Olympics.
However authorities have confronted a resurgent virus in current weeks, reporting 209 infections on Tuesday – the best single-day tally since March final yr, when the virus was solely starting to unfold around the globe from town of Wuhan.
01:06
Indonesia detects first Omicron case
Reuters stories that Indonesian well being authorities had been conducting contact tracing on Tuesday after detecting the Southeast Asian nation’s first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant locally, well being ministry official Siti Nadia Tarmizi stated.
It says: The primary confirmed case was a 37-year-old male who was from town of Medan and had visited a restaurant in Jakarta’s central enterprise district earlier this month, Tarmizi instructed a information convention. The person had no current historical past of abroad journey or contacts with worldwide travellers, Tarmizi stated, including he was asymptomatic and was in isolation at a Jakarta hospital.
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00:47
There’s an interstate struggle brewing in Australia over Covid testing necessities for vacationers travelling from New South Wales into Queensland through the busy summer season holidays. Cait Kelly and Caitlin Cassidy clarify:
00:37
Every day new coronavirus instances in Turkey surged 30%
Reuters stories that each day new coronavirus instances in Turkey surged 30% on Monday to 26,099, well being ministry information confirmed, the best share rise this yr, because the well being minister warned in regards to the fast unfold of the Omicron variant:
Turkey’s each day case ranges have been under or about 20,000 in December, down from about 30,000 in October. The variety of deaths because of coronavirus fell to 157 on Monday from 173 a day earlier.
“The Omicron variant is spreading extra rapidly than the opposite variants,” well being minister Fahrettin Koca stated on Twitter late on Monday. “You should be cautious and get your booster shot performed.”
00:01
Agence France-Presse stories that Delta Air Traces on Monday cited new Chinese language cleansing necessities after it rerouted a China-bound flight again to the US, drawing criticism from Chinese language authorities.
The report states:
The December 21 flight was alleged to land in Shanghai after disembarking from Seattle, however as an alternative returned to the US metropolis midair. Delta stated the rationale for the reversal was new Chinese language necessities issued earlier that day within the wake of the newest Covid-19 surge.
“The brand new cleansing procedures require considerably prolonged floor time and usually are not operationally viable for Delta,” a Delta spokesman stated. “We apologize for any inconvenience that is inflicting for purchasers as we proceed to work on rebooking on alternate flights.”
The Chinese language consulate in San Francisco complained that a number of Chinese language residents had been stranded on board with expired visas and Covid-19 checks that not met time necessities, in accordance with Chinese language state media.
Airways, together with Delta and different main US carriers, have canceled 1000’s of flights in current days because the Omicron variant of Covid-19 hits airline employees and roils journey plans for a lot of customers.
23:44
In three days time, on 31 December, will probably be the second anniversary of the day that well being authorities in Wuhan reported an unknown pneumonia outbreak to World Well being Group (WHO) colleagues in Beijing.
This time final yr, Michael Standaert visited Wuhan to report on how town had modified for the reason that emergence of the coronavirus.
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23:18
Our colleagues in Australia report that 486 individuals who had been initially instructed by a Sydney clinic that their Covid check had a damaging end result had been truly optimistic.
That could be a complete of 886 folks to whom St Vincent’s hospital mistakenly gave the all clear. First, 400 folks had been instructed on Christmas Day that their end result was damaging, solely to be instructed later they had been optimistic.
Yesterday the hospital’s pathology division (SydPath) stated one other 950 individuals who had been examined within the days earlier than Christmas had been “prematurely” despatched a textual content message saying they had been damaging when their precise outcomes had not but been confirmed.
Of these 950 folks, 486 had been finally discovered to be optimistic.
The entire Covid developments in Australia are wrapped up at their dwell weblog:
Up to date
22:54
Native authorities in Shaanxi province are cracking down on meals hoarding and value gouging as 13 million folks in its capital Xi’an entered a sixth day of strict lockdown and necessary testing, writes our correspondent in Taipei, Rhoda Kwan.
The brand new guidelines, launched on Sunday, launched a reporting hotline and strengthened the monitoring of outlets and markets. The hotline has acquired over 300 complaints in two days, most over a rise within the costs of each day requirements together with eggs, meat and greens.
Authorities say they’ve investigated 33 unlawful instances and have closed 5 by Tuesday.
The measures come as China is battling its worst community outbreak of the Delta variant since 2020 little over a month earlier than Beijing is about to host the Winter Olympic video games.
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