That’s all for today’s Covid blog. We will be closing this live feed down but please follow along with all the latest coronavirus developments on our new blog here.
Updated
Summary
There’s been a flurry of new developments over the past 24 hours so here is a snapshot of the key stories.
- CDC advisers recommend Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson. The panel cited the risk of rare but sometimes fatal cases of blood clotting as well as a lower level of effectiveness against Covid in the J&J shot.
- The European Commission says it has struck a deal with US pharmaceutical company Moderna to speed up delivery of its Covid vaccine, particularly with a view to supplying Germany with 10 million doses in December.
-
Denmark broke its daily Covid record for the fourth day running, warning new restrictions were on the horizon.
- The UK recorded its highest tally of lab-confirmed Covid cases since the pandemic began – for the second day running – with almost 90,000 new infections. Independent SAGE said it’s urging a circuit-breaker lockdown until 24 December.
-
England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty told MPs hospital admissions could peak above levels seen last winter, before the vaccine roll-out, given Omicron’s infectiousness.
-
Italy reported its highest Covid case rate since 12 March, with
26,109 cases, jumping 90% on three weeks ago. - Germany’s health minister Karl Lauterbac warned the country is lacking millions of Covid vaccine doses, imperilling the country’s defence against the highly-mutated Omicron strain.
- Poland reported its first case of the Omicron variant.
- In the UK Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled plans for a pre-Christmas family lunch.
- The R number for Omicron in the UK is estimated to be between 3 and 5, Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UK Health and Security Agency, said.
-
Indonesia is urging people not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case.
- Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours.
- France is banning British tourists from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK. Travel to and from the UK without “compelling reasons” – which does not include travel or business – will be banned.
- Israel says it is donating 1m Covid vaccines to the UN-backed COVAX program to reach African countries.
-
New Zealand detected its first case of Omicron in an isolation facility.
- The Welsh government will bring in new restrictions including closing nightclubs and imposing a 2-metre social distancing rule in offices from 27 December
- UK prime minister Boris Johnson attended a pizza party in No 10 Downing Street during the May 2020 lockdown, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Independent reported.
Biden warns of a ‘winter of severe illness and death’ for unvaccinated
US president Joe Biden says the unvaccinated face “a winter of severe illness and death”
After receiving a briefing on the pandemic from advisers, Biden said the Omicron variant is “now spreading and it’s going to increase”.
Biden urged Americans to get vaccinated and get their boosters as soon as possibl, saying:.
For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death.”
A wave of new Omicron cases is beginning to surge in America and could peak as early as January, the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) has warned, as states are scrambling to prepare for overloaded hospitals.
The Omicron variant accounted for nearly 3% of Covid cases in the US as of Saturday – up from only 0.4% the week before, according to data from the CDC. The variant is expected to continue rising rapidly, based on the experiences of other countries and could be dominant within weeks.
“I suspect that those numbers are going to shoot up dramatically in the next couple of weeks,” said Céline Gounder, infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at New York University and Bellevue Hospital, on Wednesday. She expects an Omicron wave to peak in late January and then come down sometime in February.
“We are not locking down”, British prime minister Boris Johnson says while denying warnings amount to lockdown by stealth.
Johnson said he will not impose a lockdown despite the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
He has insisted the situation in the UK is different from last year because of the widespread availability of vaccines and tests. “The sensible thing to do is to get a test and to make sure that you’re being cautious,” Johnson said, adding that businesses should remain open.
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you on the blog as my colleague Tom Ambrose takes a well-deserved break.
I’ll be reporting to you from Sydney so let’s dive in with some Covid numbers out of Australia.
The country’s most populous state of NSW has recorded a record 2,213 new Covid cases and one death while Victoria recorded 1,510 cases and 7 deaths.
Here’s what we know so far about Omicron’s spread in Australia.
The Welsh government will bring in new restrictions including closing nightclubs and imposing a 2-metre social distancing rule in offices from 27 December to try to combat the Omicron variant and has issued “strong guidance” over how to stay safe over Christmas.
The first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the new legally enforceable regulations were needed to counter what he called the most serious development in the pandemic to date.
Drakeford is strongly advising people to celebrate the festive season only with their nearest and dearest, saying a “smaller Christmas” will be a safer one.
From the day after Boxing Day, Wales will introduce fresh legal restrictions, including a 2-metre social distancing rule in offices and putting extra measures in place to protect customers and staff, such as one-way systems and physical barriers.
Nightclubs will also close and the government is to make up to £60m available to support businesses affected by the new restrictions.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has started distributing free Covid home test kits to international travellers, the agency said.
The CDC said it began distributing the kits on Wednesday and is giving them out at Minneapolis-St Paul, Miami and Chicago O’Hare and will soon add Dallas-Fort Worth. It plans to add four additional unidentified international airports in the coming weeks.
The CDC encourages - but does not mandate - international air travelers to get a new Covid test upon arriving in the United States.
New rules took effect on 6 December to require nearly all people flying to the United States to obtain a negative test within one day of travel.
CDC panel votes to recommend mRNA Covid vaccines over J&J's
A panel of advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have voted to recommend Americans choose to receive one of the other two authorised Covid vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s shot, due to rare but sometimes fatal cases of blood clotting.
Reuters reported:
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization voted unanimously to make the recommendation. The regulator still needs to sign off on the guidance.
Cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), which involves blood clots accompanied by a low level of platelets, have previously been reported in recipients of the J&J vaccine. The highest reporting rates are in women under 50.
The CDC said that the rate of such incidents is higher than previously estimated, both in women and men.
At least nine people have died following the blood clotting incidents in the United States, the CDC has said.
Members of the panel also said J&J’s vaccine is less effective in preventing COVID-19 than the other two authorized vaccines.
In a presentation to the committee, a leading J&J vaccine scientist said the vaccine generates a strong and long-lasting immune response with just a single shot.
Updated
Read The Guardian’s view on the Omicron surge.
The government is doing too little to head off soaring Covid infections – and too little to compensate the businesses and workers already suffering.
Read the full opinion piece below.
The rapid spread of Omicron across the UK has led public health officials and ministers to warn that, without action, the country will see 1 million infections a day by the end of the month.
The consequences of the Omicron “tsunami” are far from clear, but a picture is beginning to take shape.
My colleague Ian Sample has put together this useful Q&A, covering how the NHS plans to deal with this scenario and what the next few weeks may look like...
In the UK, the London venue Printworks is the latest in the events industry to postpone shows that had been scheduled for this weekend.
In a statement posted on Facebook, a spokesperson said:
Due to the current public health status we have evaluated the potential impact of shows for our guests, staff, artists and partners. Given the time of year, it’s also important to take into account the potential impact on festive celebrations for individuals and families, especially those who were impacted last year.
For that reason, we have had to make the unfortunate decision to postpone this weekend’s Printworks shows. The wellbeing of those who attend our venue and those who work at our venue is of paramount importance to us.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has made it clear the pandemic won’t be over until it is beaten everywhere.
But there has been a vast and continuing inequality in the global Covid vaccine rollout.
This mirrors other rollouts, such as the vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus, which has a vaccination rate as low as 41% in some countries.
In the case of Covid, inequality has been compounded by wealthy nations buying up doses, and the need to ramp up adult vaccination programs in countries that hadn’t had them before.
This map shows how the Covid vaccine rollout has progressed globally, showing the number of doses administered per 100 people over time.
The Metropolitan Police are to contact two people who attended a pre-Christmas party at the Conservative Party headquarters in London during lockdown last year in relation to alleged breaches of coronavirus regulations.
The force said it was aware of a gathering at an address in Matthew Parker Street in London, where the Conservative party headquarters is based, on 14 December 2020.
The party was organised by Shaun Bailey’s London mayoral campaign team. On Wednesday, Bailey stepped down from an official role in the London assembly after a photograph emerged of him joining a throng of people at the party amid the Covid lockdown in December last year. Bailey has apologised “unreservedly” for the event.
The Met did not say who they were seeking to contact.
In a statement, the force said: “Officers will be making contact with two people who attended in relation to alleged breaches of the health protection (coronavirus restrictions) regulations.”
The Met also said it is looking into staff gatherings at 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education in November and December 2020 and is in contact with the Cabinet Office, but will not open an investigation at this time.
Summary
Here’s a round-up of today’s international developments on Covid and Omicron.
- ICU capacity in Ontario, Canada could be overwhelmed by Omicron within weeks without action, a panel of experts said.
-
Denmark broke its daily Covid record for the fourth day running, with the prime minister Mette Frederiksen warning new restrictions were on the horizon.
- The UK recorded its highest tally of lab-confirmed Covid cases since the pandemic began – for the second day running – with almost 90,000 new infections. Independent SAGE said it’s urging a circuit-breaker lockdown until 24 December.
-
England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty told MPs hospital admissions could peak above levels seen last winter, before the vaccine roll-out, given Omicron’s infectiousness.
-
Italy reported its highest Covid case rate since 12 March, with
26,109 cases, jumping 90% on three weeks ago. - Germany’s health minister Karl Lauterbac warned the country is lacking millions of Covid vaccine doses, imperilling the country’s defence against the highly-mutated Omicron strain.
- The European Commission said it reached a deal with Moderna to accelerate its vaccine delivery, particularly with a view to supplying Germany with 10 million doses in December.
- Malawi announced new restrictions to beat back its rising cases and announced a vaccine mandate for frontline workers such as healthcare staff.
- France reported 60,866 new Covid cases, up 45% from three weeks ago. The government also announced a ban on non-essential travel to and from Britain to try and block the spread of Omicron.
- Palestine detected its first three Omicron cases in the occupied West Bank, the health ministry said.
- AstraZeneca said its Evusheld antibody cocktail appears effective against Omicron in the first study conducted.
- Portugal said it will extend border restrictions beyond the initial 9 January deadline, mandating negative tests for entry even for double-vaccinated travelers.
- UK prime minister Boris Johnson attended a pizza party in No 10 Downing Street during the May 2020 lockdown, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Independent reported, with members of a group for bereaved families attacking Johnson’s attendance as “disgusting.”
-
Poland reported its first Omicron case from a 30-year-old woman who flew in from southern Africa. She currently feels well but is in hospital isolation.
- The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II cancelled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family over surging Omicron cases, despite palace insiders insisting on Tuesday the event would go ahead. Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon also urged the Scottish public to stay home.
- Sweden is to end a vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said.
- Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo urged people not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case.
That’s all from me, Jem Bartholomew here in London, for today. I’ll be back on Sunday – drop me an email or message me on Twitter with tips and stories for then. Now I’m handing over to my colleague Tom Ambrose for the next few hours.
Updated
The UK campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice has said that it is “disgusting” that prime minister Boris Johnson attended a pizza party in Downing Street on 15 May last year while the UK was still under lockdown.
“I remember 15 May 2020 very well. That’s because while Boris Johnson was at this party I was sitting in a hospital with my dad dying in intensive care,” said Hannah Brady, a spokesperson for the group.
“We had to fight to see Dad and sat there for 5 hours with him. We just didn’t want him to die alone. When he stabilised we were told to go home. He died the next day.”
“To know that I was sitting in the hospital while the prime minister and his colleagues were drinking at a party, breaking the same rules the rest of the country were following, just makes me sick to my stomach”, she said.
It comes after a joint investigation by the Guardian and Independent revealed Johnson had attended the event for 15 minutes, sources allege, while rules then said only two people from different households could meet outside, at a distance of 2 metres.
The group have become staunch critics of the British government’s handling of the pandemic and are seeking “core participant” status in the public inquiry that will take place under Baroness Hallett.
Brady added: “My dad was only 55 and he was fit and healthy. He worked in the Heinz factory, and he carried on working during lockdown because he was proud to be a key worker helping to keep the UK fed. I wanted some good to come of his sacrifice. But when me and other Covid-bereaved families called for a rapid review inquiry over summer 2020 – so that lessons could be learned to protect other families ahead of the second wave – we were told again and again that staff were too busy tackling the virus. Now we know what that looked like.”
“What makes it hurt even more is that when I met the prime minister some months later, I showed him a photo of dad in the hospital, taken on the same day that we now know this party took place. The prime minister looked me in the eye and told me he’d ‘done everything he could’ to protect my Dad. It’s disgusting.”
Updated
France reported 60,866 new Covid infection in the past 24 hour, down slightly on yesterday but climbing 45% from 33,464 three weeks ago today.
A further 165 people died from Covid-relates causes on Thursday, jumping 129% from 72 daily deaths three weeks ago.
It comes after France banned non-essential travel to and from Britain from Friday at 11pm GMT to reduce the spread of the Omicron strain. As of Wednesday France had reported 170 Omicron cases.
“Our strategy is to delay as much as we can the development of Omicron in our country and take advantage to push ahead with the booster drive,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told local media.
An update on two antibody treatments, potentially useful tools in the box against Omicron and future mutated variants.
AstraZeneca on Thursday said a lab study showed its antibody cocktail, Evusheld, retained neutralising activity against Omicron, the first such data for the treatment.
The picture was less rosy for Regeneron, which said on Thursday its Ronapreve therapy is less effective against Omicron, though it is still active against the Delta variant.
It comes after the UK’s antiviral taskforce chair Eddie Gray said on Thursday the country will have access to both Merck’s molnupiravir and Pfizer’s paxlovid treatments over winter.
Scientists say antibody therapies, alongside vaccines, regular testing and social distancing measures, will be an important weapon in the arsenal fighting the latest Covid wave.
In the US the Omicron variant has surpassed Delta in collections taken from wastewater samples in Orange County, Florida, officials said.
Despite few confirmed clinical infections, wastewater samples showed the new variant is now the dominant strain. Omicron represented almost 100% of strains from wastewater facilities in a sampling this week, Orange County Utilities spokesperson Sarah Lux told AP.
Orange County is home to tourist attractions such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
Updated
Italy detects highest daily Covid cases since March
Italy reported 26,109 new Covid cases on Thursday, its highest daily number since 26,790 new infections on 12 March.
Today’s tally is a 90% surge on Italy’s 13,756 new cases three weeks ago.
A further 123 people died from Covid-related causes in the past 24 hours, rising 73% from 71 deaths on Thursday three weeks ago.
The health minister, Roberto Speranza, tightened restrictions to try to halt the new wave on Tuesday, announcing mandatory Covid testing for all arrivals from the European Union and a five-day quarantine for the unvaccinated. The measures come into effect from 16 December until 31 January.
Updated
UK prime minister Boris Johnson joined staff for a party in his official residence in Downing Street during lockdown in May last year, sources allege, raising questions over a culture of flouting the rules.
It comes after Johnson was accused of hosting an indoor quiz last year during another lockdown, which has rocked his authority in the nation and in his own Conservative party.
The prime minister spent about 15 minutes with staff at the alleged social gathering on 15 May 2020, telling one aide they deserved a drink for “beating back” coronavirus, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Independent was told.
Rules at the time allowed only two people from different households to meet outside, at a distance of 2 metres. Earlier that evening, Matt Hancock, then health secretary, had urged people to “stay at home as much as is possible”.
Read my colleagues’ full story here.
Updated
Canada's Omicron infections could overwhlem Ontario ICUs within weeks, panel warns
The highly-mutated Omicron variant could swamp intensive care capacity in Ontario, Canada within weeks without action, a panel of experts said on Thursday.
“This will likely be the hardest wave of the pandemic. There is still some uncertainty but there is an undeniable urgency,” said Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario’s Covid advisory group. “Waiting to take action means waiting until it is too late to take action.”
Canada reported 5,810 new Covid cases on Wednesday, an 85% jump from 3,146 infections two weeks beforehand.
The panel said vaccination alone would not tackle Omicron. Instead, it called for public health measures – such as restrictions on indoor gatherings – to cut peoples’ contacts by 50% and accelerate booster doses.
Ontario province, which contains Toronto, has about 600 ICU beds according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, with a further 500 surge capacity, but 300 patients will cause knock-on impacts across the health system.
Palestine has detected its first three cases of the highly transmissable Omicron variant in the occupied West Bank, the health ministry said.
All cases were individuals who’d recently returned from abroad, health ministry spokesman, Kamal Al-Shakhrah. said in a statement.
Updated
UK breaks daily Covid infections record two days running
The UK detected a record 88,376 new Covid cases on Thursday, almost 10,000 more than yesterday’s record-breaking tally of 78,610 and jumping 67% from 53,067 two weeks ago.
It comes amid warnings from scientists that the UK will keep breaking records as the highly-transmissable Omicron variant rips through the population.
A further 146 people died with the virus in the past 24 hours, up from 141 two weeks ago.
“In terms of the speed at which things are changing it’s like March 2020, I think you will see policy changing every few days as it grapples to catch up,” Christina Pagel, director of UCL’s Clinical Operational Research Unit and an Independent SAGE member, told me.
“We’re going to be breaking records every day for a week at least now – unless we do something.”
Pagel and Independent Sage are calling on the government to implement a circuit-breaker lockdown until 24 December. She admits this prospect is unlikely with Christmas imminent and after the backbench rebellion to prime minister Boris Johnson’s Covid measures on Tuesday. “But now is the time we can affect the peak,” she said. “It’s burning through the population.”
Pagel said that, despite an early study from the University of Hong Kong suggesting Omicron’s weakened severity, the UK’s outlook is grave. “Even if it’s half as severe it’s moving four times as fast, so you can overwhelm the NHS just from that,” she said. But she does not predict deaths reaching as high as last January, when the population faced surging cases with no wall of immunity.
Daily hospital admissions may peak above levels seen last winter, before the vaccine roll-out, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty told MPs on Thursday.
The 88,376 figure only counts lab-confirmed PCR cases. Pagel said the actual figure is likely to be in the region of 200,000 new daily cases.
Updated
Malawi tightens Covid restrictions and announces frontline worker vaccine mandate
Malawi said it was tightening restrictions and would make Covid vaccines mandatory for frontline staff like healthcare workers after a jump in coronavirus cases.
The government limited gatherings to a maximum of 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors, Reuters reported.
The country recorded 318 confirmed Covid infections on Wednesday, up from 5 cases three weeks ago. Malawi also reported its first Omicron cases last week.
About 3% of the population is double-vaccinated. The frontline worker directive will commence on 20 December and also includes journalists.
Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, the health minister, said today: “Uptake of vaccines has not been high enough towards reaching our goal of vaccinating at least 60% of eligible Malawians by the end of next year. The vaccine remains our best preventive tool.
“Accumulating data is continuing to indicate that the majority of those being admitted to our emergency treatment units or losing their lives to Covid-19 have not been vaccinated.”
Updated
Another brilliant dispatch from Ed Yong at the Atlantic published this morning, as the US stares down rising Omicron cases. Read the full story here.
Even if Omicron is milder, greater transmissibility will likely trump that reduced virulence. Omicron is spreading so quickly that a small proportion of severe cases could still flood hospitals. To avert that scenario, the variant would need to be substantially milder than Delta – especially because hospitals are already at a breaking point. Two years of trauma have pushed droves of health-care workers, including many of the most experienced and committed, to quit their job. ...
The Omicron wave won’t completely topple America’s wall of immunity but will seep into its many cracks and weaknesses. It will find the 39% of Americans who are still not fully vaccinated (including 28% of adults and 13 percent of over-65s). It will find other biologically vulnerable people, including elderly and immunocompromised individuals whose immune systems weren’t sufficiently girded by the vaccines. It will find the socially vulnerable people who face repeated exposures, either because their “essential” jobs leave them with no choice or because they live in epidemic-prone settings, such as prisons and nursing homes. Omicron is poised to speedily recap all the inequities that the US has experienced in the pandemic thus far.
🚨Well, I wrote about Omicron--what we know & what it means.
— Ed Yong (@edyong209) December 16, 2021
I feel the core problem is unchanged: The variant poses a much greater threat at the societal level than the individual one, making it the kind of problem the US has consistently flubbed. 1/ https://t.co/IRZqSbvC69
In England, Saturday’s Premier League football match between Manchester United and Brighton has been postponed because of Covid outbreaks.
A small number of United players and staff returned positive rapid tests on Sunday, reported by the Athletic. Brighton has been dealing with “three or four” positive tests among its squad.
The Premier League is likely to face further postponements as the Omicron variant takes hold in the UK.
Sport is being disrupted across the world as coronavirus cases rise in many jurisdictions. In the US, an NBA Bulls game was postponed on Monday over an outbreak, Axios reported, and the NFL said it had a record 37 players testing positive on Monday.
Updated
Denmark breaks Covid case record for fourth day running as restrictions loom
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said on Thursday “new measures will be needed” to break “very high” infections after the country breaks its daily Covid case record for the fourth time in a row.
Denmark’s State Serum Institute said 9,999 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a record high, a 128% increase on 4,390 cases three weeks ago.
“The infection is – unfortunately, as expected – very, very high. Authorities will provide a status later today. And I have no doubt that new measures will be needed to break the chains of infection,” Frederiksen said on Facebook.
“The Epidemic Commission is preparing, and as soon as we can say more, of course we will. The most important thing is still getting 3 [vaccines]. The sooner the better,” she added.
It comes after the UK reported record daily case numbers on Wednesday.
The Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority will hold a press conference at 5.30 pm local time, expected to focus on Omicron, the Copenhagen Post reports.
Updated
Germany has shortage of millions of Covid vaccine doses, health minister says
BERLIN — Germany’s new health minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned the country is lacking the millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine considered necessary to keep the population’s defences up over the winter, especially with the predicted rise of the new variant.
Lauterbach said that Germany was on schedule to receive just 1.2m doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine to distribute to vaccine centres and doctors’ practices across the country next week, 800,000 the following week and a further 1.2m the week after.
“But this is far less than the amounts which doctors are asking for every week.” He said Germany was scraping the barrel of its reserves. “The campaign has to roll ... but there is literally no more than this there,” he said.
His warning came as the country’s vaccine campaign, seen to have flagged in recent months, picked up a pace, with a record number of 1.5m doses having been administered on Wednesday, bringing up to 70% the number who are now double-vaccinated, and to almost 28% those who have received a booster jab.
Currently the Delta variant is making up around 90% of German infections. However, the more infectious Omicron variant has been detected and is expected to spread widely next month.
Lauterbach, an epidemiologist, who as the health spokesman for the Social Democrats was an active and much relied upon commentator on the pandemic before taking over as health minister from the Christian Democrats’ (CDU) Jens Spahn this month, said he was seeking “as an emergency to buy back” millions of unused vaccine stocks from eastern European countries.
His ministry has confirmed reports that it plans to spend ¢2.2bn on 80m BioNTech doses, via official European Union procurement channels, and to buy a further 12 million doses directly, to ensure, it said, “that we can start the new year in a sensible manner”.
The first cases of the new, far more infectious Omicron variant have been detected in Germany, but the new wave it is not expected to sweep the country until next month.
Updated
Bulgaria reported 1,725 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to local media, a 15% decrease from 2,018 two weeks ago. Bulgaria saw a spike in cases in late-October that has since declined.
A further 83 people died from Covid-related causes on Thursday, falling 27% from 114 to weeks ago and taking the country’s total death toll to 29,847.
Updated
Here’s another look at yesterday’s staggering UK case jump in context.
EU reaches deal with Moderna for quicker vaccine supply
The European Commission said on Thursday it had struck a deal with the US pharmaceutical company Moderna to speed up delivery of its Covid vaccine, as the continent scrambles to boost the antibodies of citizens to roadblock the Omicron variant.
Some European Union member states, , in particular Germany, are facing a short-term need amid the rapid spread of the highly transmissable strain.
Moderna agreed to deliver 10m doses to Germany in December, and 25m extra doses to Germany in the first quarter of 2022.
A study published by the LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong said Omicron grows 70 times faster in the bronchus than the Delta variant, but the virus replicated less effectively in lung tissue, suggesting less severe disease. (The study is still being peer reviewed.)
A European Commission statement said: “In view of the rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant, and the need to scale up vaccination, including boosting, the Commission is working with vaccine manufacturers to further accelerate the delivery of vaccine doses to Member States that need additional doses in the short term.”
Updated
Ukraine recorded 9,590 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, a 46% drop from 17,873 cases three weeks ago.
The country experienced spiking cases in late-October and early-November.
The prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, said on Wednesday the country’s “adaptive quarantine”, the lowest yellow level of its red-orange-yellow restrictions system which places some rules on public gatherings, would be extended to 31 March 2022, Ukrinform reports.
About 40% of adults were vaccinated, Shmyhal said, with a target of reaching 70% before restrictions are relaxed.
A further 355 people died from Covid related causes in the past 24 hours, down 46% from 655 three weeks ago.
Updated
Russia reported 28,486 positive Covid infections on Thursday, down from 29,701 on the same day last week and continuing the country’s gradual decline after its November spike.
Daily deaths remain high, above 1,000, as they have since late-October. A further 1,133 people died from Covid-related causes in the past 24 hours, down slightly from 1,147 deaths a week ago.
Russia’s total excess death count since the start of the pandemic is over 810,000, the Moscow Times estimates.
Updated
Portugal to lengthen border controls beyond 9 January
Border controls in Portugal will be extended beyond their planned end on 9 January to limit spread of the Omicron variant, the prime minister, António Costa, told reporters on Thursday.
Portugal requires a negative test for all passengers on arriving flights. (Previously this was not required for double-vaccinated people.) Flights for citizens from some southern African countries have been banned.
The country recorded 5,800 new Covid cases on Wednesday, jumping 54% from 3,773 on the same day three weeks ago.
A further 11 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, taking the country’s total death toll to 18,698.
Updated
Poland reports first Omicron case
Poland has reported its first case of the highly mutated Omicron strain, according to the state-run Polish Press Agency.
The infected person, a 30-year-old woman from Lesotho, is said to feel well but is currently in hospital isolation in the Polish city of Katowice.
The case was found in a sample examined in Katowice. The ministry tweeted Thursday that the 30-year Lesotho citizen feels well but has been put in hospital isolation.
The country reported 22,097 new Covid in the past 24 hours, according to the health ministry, down 20% from 27,459 a week ago.
Cases have begun to gradually decline after the country’s daily case rate jumped above 25,000 a day in late-November and early-December, but deaths remain high.
A further 592 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, up 6% from 561 on the same day last week.
Updated
In the UK Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled plans for a pre-Christmas family lunch.
It’s a sign of how fast the virus is spreading in the UK, after sources inside Buckingham Palace assured The Sun on late Tuesday night “there is no way the Queen wants to let anything get in the way of a family event like this”.
The UK on Wednesday recorded its highest rate of confirmed positive infections since the pandemic began, with 78,610 new positive results.
Updated
There are 15 confirmed people in UK hospitals with the Omicron variant, but the actual number is likely to be “much bigger.”
Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser of the UK Health Security Agency, told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee:
The released numbers that we released yesterday are 15. However we are constantly working on data linkage to improve that, and we will release new numbers this afternoon
But England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said: “The real number will be much bigger than that. That is simply the number who are proven, just to be clear.”
Hopkins added that the UK is only likely to see reliable data on the spread of Omicron in late December or early January.
Updated
Here's a summary of the latest developments...
- The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people - including government officials - not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case. The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete’s Village emergency hospital, where they work.
- Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today. From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country.
- Poland has recorded its first Omicron case. The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.
- France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to “postpone their travel”. British tourists are to be banned from France from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK. France is banning travel to and from the UK without “compelling reasons” – which does not include travel or business – from Saturday morning.
- A UK government scientific adviser has said that only about half of people who have Covid ever get tested and predicted that Omicron would lead to “a huge wave of infection”. Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Breakfast: “Only about half or maybe even fewer of people who do have Covid ever get tested.”
- Labour has called on the government to work out a deal to help the struggling hospitality industry amid soaring cancellations as UK covid infections hit a new record high. Shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that chancellor Rishi Sunak and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng should meet with businesses and trade unions to offer them more assistance.
- Care minister, Gillian Keegan, has said Britain’s new year booster target is “very ambitious” but that they plan to “throw everything at it”. She told Sky News that the situation is “hard right now”, but added that with the booster programme: “Hopefully we’ll be through the other side of this quite quickly.”
That’s it from me for today. Thanks for reading. Handing over now to my colleague Jem Bartholomew.
Updated
Indonesian president urges people not to travel following country's first Omicron case
The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people – including government officials – not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case.
The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete’s Village emergency hospital, where they work.
Widodo said: “I ask people and state officials to refrain from traveling abroad until the situation subsides.”
As of yesterday, Indonesia had recorded over 4.2m Covid cases and more than 143,000 deaths.
Updated
Following the announcement of travel restrictions from the UK by the French government, the ferry operator DFDS said:
Passengers are able to transit through France to other countries without having to quarantine as long as the transit is less than 24 hours.
We are continuing to run our ferry services as usual, with up to 55 sailings per day running between Dover, Calais, and Dunkirk.
We expect our services to be busy on Friday as people prepare to get away for Christmas to see family and friends before the restrictions come into effect.
We have plenty of capacity for those who wish to travel with us.
It added:
We hope that these short-term measures in response to the spread of the Omicron variant will be lifted in the New Year.
Updated
Sweden to end vaccine pass exemption for Nordic neighbours
Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today.
From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country, reports the Associated Press.
Sweden’s social affairs minister, Lena Hallengren, also encouraged all travellers to be tested for the coronavirus upon entry due to a “deteriorating” public health situation.
“The spread of infection is increasing sharply. The new virus variant Omicron makes it difficult to predict the spread of infection in the future,” she said.
So far, the Swedish government has not resorted to lockdowns or business closures during the pandemic, with authorities instead emphasising individual responsibility.
Hallengren said that it was acceptable for people who are fully vaccinated and healthy to celebrate Christmas with friends and relatives, but told them to “be prepared to cancel if you get symptoms.”
She urged Swedes to “choose a smaller party” for celebrating New Year.
Updated
Germany administered 1.5 million vaccine doses yesterday, bringing the total number of people who are vaccinated to 58.2 million, or 70% of the population, reports the country’s health ministry.
However, of those who have been vaccinated, only 22.9 million – 27.6% – have also had a booster.
Updated
Poland has recorded its first Omicron case, reports Reuters.
The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.
Updated
France calls on people to 'postpone' travel to the UK
France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to “postpone their travel”.
In a statement, released today, the French government said:
In the face of the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, the government has chosen to reinstate compelling reasons for travel to and from the United Kingdom, and to strengthen the requirement for testing on departure and arrival.
In the UK government’s own words, the UK will face a ‘tidal wave’ linked to the Omicron variant in the coming days. Thus, from midnight into Saturday, the following rules will apply for travel between the United Kingdom and France:
- A requirement to have a compelling reason to travel to or from the United Kingdom, for unvaccinated and vaccinated people. These reasons are indicated [here].
They will not allow travel for tourism or business reasons. However, these compelling reasons will not apply to French nationals and their spouses and children who are still able to come to France.
It added:
Vaccinated people must present a negative test (PCR or TAG) of less than 24 hours, which is in line with the rules already in place for unvaccinated people.
An obligation for all travellers from the United Kingdom to register, prior to their trip, on a digital platform and provide the address of their stay in France. This platform will generate prefectural orders for all travellers, whether unvaccinated as vaccinated, to isolate in a place of their choosing. This isolation requirement may be lifted after 48 hours, subject to proof of a negative test (PCR or TAG).
Controls will be organised to ensure the proper implementation of these measures.
The government also calls on travellers who had planned to visit the United Kingdom to postpone their travel.
Updated
Here’s more from AFP on the French travel ban on UK visitors, which will come into force from midnight on Saturday (or 11pm GMT on Friday).
It comes after the UK yesterday reported a record 78,610 Covid cases as Omicron spreads rapidly.
France will ban non-essential travel to and from Britain from the weekend to slow the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the government said Thursday.
From midnight Saturday (2300 GMT Friday) there will be a “requirement to have an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated ... People cannot travel for touristic or professional reasons,” the government said in a statement.
“Faced with the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, the government has chosen to reinstate the need for an essential reason for travel from and to the UK,” the statement said.
It added that French citizens and EU nationals could still return to France from the UK.
“We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already,” the government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, told BFMTV channel.
Attal said the policy was aimed at “tightening the net” to slow down the arrival of Omicron cases in France and give time for the French vaccination booster campaign to make more ground.
“Our strategy is to delay as much as we can the development of Omicron in our country and take advantage to push ahead with the booster drive,” he said.
In addition, returning travellers will need a negative test less than 24 hours old, and a blanket quarantine would be enforced on return to France.
“People [coming back] will have to register on an app and will have to self-isolate in a place of their choosing for seven days – controlled by the security forces – but this can be shortened to 48 hours if a negative test is carried out in France,” he said.
Updated
The closure of the French border to tourists is “devastating” for UK citizens who work in the French ski and seasonal businesses sector.
Charlie Owen, director of the Season Business in Travel, said:
The news coming from France around further travel restriction for UK-France is devastating for the UK Ski Industry. After 21 months of being closed due to the Covid pandemic, this is yet another hammer blow to the industry.
The UK government urgently needs to engage with industry leaders and introduce support measures immediately.
Updated
Ferry operator Brittany Ferries has said the new ban on British citizens travelling to France is a “hammer blow” to its Christmas season.
A spokesperson added:
In the context of an Omicron variant that is passing through the French population as it is in the UK, further border controls seem as unnecessary as they are unwelcome.
Updated
The president of Indonesia has addressed the country after it identified its first Omicron case (see also 03:57).
In a public address, Joko Widodo said the government was working hard to stem the spread of the new variant and urged people to follow health protocols and for local governments to speed up testing and contact tracing, reports Reuters.
Updated
The new restrictions on travel between the UK and France will allow British citizens to go to the country only for “compelling reasons” and travellers will be required to present a negative PCR test from within 24 hours before they leave.
Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, said hauliers would be exempt.
To confirm I have liaised with my French counterpart @Djebbari_JB and hauliers will remain exempt.https://t.co/7kKsusKlwW
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) December 16, 2021
Despite this, Reuters reports “several miles of trucks” queued up on a main road towards Dover.
Updated
Sky is reporting that hauliers would be exempt from French controls on travel from the UK (see also 08:40), but that lorries are forming queues in Dover.
The French government has released a press release on the new restrictions:
Nouvelles conditions de déplacement France-Royaume-Uni, à partir du 18/12/2021 (à 0h). Les ressortissants français, leurs conjoints et leurs enfants peuvent toujours rentrer en France sans motif impérieux. pic.twitter.com/O73U0F2MN0
— Guillaume Bazard (@GuillaumeBazard) December 16, 2021
These measures come into effect at midnight Fri/Sat.
— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1) December 16, 2021
Here is the press release. Unfortunately, the link in it doesn't appear to be working.
Non French will need a "compelling" reason to travel to France. This does not include "tourism" or "professional" reasons. pic.twitter.com/9pFdn1pykV
French nationals/residents don't need a "compelling" reason to travel, but must fill in a registration form before leaving the UK and isolate at an address of their choice.
— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1) December 16, 2021
This address will be communicated to the prefecture in the area they are isolating.
Trying to find form!
Updated
Agence France-Presse has a few more details about the move to bar UK tourists from entering France:
France is to tighten restrictions on travel from Britain to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the French government has said.
“We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already,” the government spokesperson Gabriel Attal told BFM television, saying the office of the prime minister, Jean Castex, would issue a statement on the new measures in the coming hours.
He said travellers coming to France would need a negative test less than 24 hours old, a blanket quarantine would be enforced on return to France, and trips for tourism limited.
“We will reduce the validity of the test to come to France from 48 hours to 24 hours,” said Attal.
“We will limit the reasons for coming to France from the UK, it will be limited to French nationals and residents and their families. Tourism or business trips for people who do not have French or European nationality or are residents will be limited.
“People [coming back] will have to register on an app and will have to self-isolate in a place of their choosing for seven days – controlled by the security forces – but this can be shortened to 48 hours if a negative test is carried out in France.”
Updated
Brentford FC manager, Thomas Frank, has called for football fixtures in the coming days to be postponed in the UK due to Covid cases, reports Sky News.
Updated
British tourists to be banned from France from Saturday
British tourists are to be banned from France from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK.
France is banning travel to and from the UK without “compelling reasons” – which does not include travel or business – from Saturday morning, reports Sky News.
French nationals and their spouses will be exempt from the new rules.
It comes after the UK yesterday reported its highest number of Covid cases since the start of the pandemic.
Updated
Only half of people in UK with Covid ever get tested, says scientific adviser, who predicts 'huge wave of infection'
A UK government scientific adviser has said that only around half of people who have Covid ever get tested and predicted that Omicron would lead to “a huge wave of infection”.
Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Breakfast: “Only about half or maybe even fewer of people who do have Covid ever get tested.”
He said the doubling rate of new variant Omicron would lead to an “extraordinary number of cases” and “a huge wave of infection”.
He added:
If you think about getting a year’s worth of rain over a month, then you’re going to get flooding and potentially severe flooding, no matter how much you’ve shored up your defences.
And that’s the concern here - that that huge wave is going to cause lots of people to be off work having to isolate, which is going to cause disruption, and it’s going to spill over into people going into hospital.
Now the rate at which it spills over is uncertain because we don’t know exactly how severe it is yet, but we’ve no particular reason to think that it’s less severe than previous strains.
We know that Covid is always going to be less severe if you’ve been immunised but it may be that rather than the strain itself that’s making a lot of cases look less severe.
He said that by Christmas or new year there should be more data about the severity of the new variant, but said that by then it would be too late to take action.
Asked about current restrictions, he said:
I think the scale of the potential problem that we’re looking at here does mean that we need to bite the bullet and we need to tell people that there’s two really important things here.
One is to get boosted, the other if we want to slow it down now... Then what we need to do is reduce the number of contacts that we have, we need to avoid crowded spaces with lots of people in and unfortunately, yes, that does mean parties etc. And so that’s a difficult message.
Wes Streeting, the UK shadow health secretary, has also been on Times Radio, where he said the chancellor should “get himself on a flight back and get a grip on the situation” following reports that he was in California.
It comes after the Daily Mirror reported that Rishi Sunak was on a four-day official trip to the US.
Streeting said Sunak should come back to the UK to help businesses suffering as a result of soaring Covid cases.
He said:
We understand the Chancellor is currently out of the country in California. So perhaps he might want to get himself on a flight back and get a grip on the situation because businesses need certainty and confidence now.
Labour calls on government to work out deal with UK's struggling hospitality industry
Labour has called on the government to work out a deal to help the struggling hospitality industry amid soaring cancellations as UK covid infections hit a new record high.
Shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that chancellor Rishi Sunak and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng should meet with businesses and trade unions to offer them more assistance.
He said:
The chancellor and the business secretary need to get business leaders around the table with trade union leaders to hammer out a deal to help hospitality because, you know, they really need us right now.
He added:
Those businesses are having a hard time at the moment and we want government to be by their side.
He said he was rethinking his own Christmas plans in response, saying he was “not sure what Christmas is going to be like in my house” and that it was a “real dilemma”.
I’m going to try and strike the right balance on this I think by, you know, still going out and still trying to enjoy Christmas, still going to see friends and family, but just taking some sensible precautions to do so safely.
Updated
Turkey has declared it will join countries accelerating the schedule for vaccine booster shots to fight the spread of the Omicron variant.
Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca said that as a “precaution,” citizens and residents who received their second dose three months ago can now register for boosters.
Over 82 percent of Turkish residentshave received two doses of a vaccine according to the Turkish government, primarily Pfizer-Biontech. Turks who were previously vaccinated with Sinovac-Coronavac were offered additional shots of Pfizer-Biontech earlier this year.
Turkish officials reported the first cases of the Omicron variant last Saturday, one in Istanbul and five in the southern city of Izmir. The governor of Izmir, Yavuz Selim Köşger, told journalists that none of those infected had “connections abroad,” indicating community spread.
Leading chef accuses UK government of 'mixed messaging and confusion' on Covid as industry struggles with cancellations
Chef Tom Kerridge has accused the UK government of “mixed messaging and confusion” on Covid and called on them to “step up” to help a struggling industry.
He told Sky News they had 654 cancellations at one restaurant over six days, adding: “That was a reflection of the industry.”
He said cancellations are “coming in thick and fast” and that the industry needs government support.
He asked whether Boris Johnson is “playing politics with the hospitality industry and the future of it” and accused the government of being “reactive rather than proactive”. “Where is Rishi Sunak?” he asked.
Updated
Britain's new year booster target 'very ambitious' but government will 'throw everything at it', says UK care minister
Care minister, Gillian Keegan, has said Britain’s new year booster target is “very ambitious” but that they plan to “throw everything at it”.
She told Sky News that the situation is “hard right now”, but added that with the booster programme: “Hopefully we’ll be through the other side of this quite quickly.”
She said the government is not planning to introduce any more Covid restrictions before Christmas and that is up to indivduals to “make a sensible choice for yourself” on Christmas parties.
Over 24million people have already been boosted, she said.
She said she is “confident” that with the introduction of a second dose for 12-15-year-olds schools will reopen as normal in January and urged teachers to get boosted.
Care minister Gillian Keegan says it's "a very, very ambitious target" but confirms that everyone who is eligible for a booster jab will be able to get their vaccine by New Year's eve.#KayBurley https://t.co/JDplD9IrwQ pic.twitter.com/YowyT6AZ1b
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 16, 2021
Hi, I’m looking after the blog for the next few hours. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk
Updated
South Africa’s National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has retained the coronavirus lockdown at ‘adjusted level 1’, or the lowest of a five-tier system of restrictions, in the battle on the Omicron variant, health authorities said on Thursday, Reuters reports.
“The Council has directed the department to closely monitor the rising Covid-19 infections,” the health department said in a statement, adding that it would also track hospital admissions, mortality and recovery rates.
These levels were all largely driven by the Omicron variant, which was contributing to South Africa’s fourth wave of infections, it added.
The decision followed deliberation by the Council on safety measures recommended by the health department in a bid to prevent any surge in infections during the festive period, it added.
Israel to donate 1m Covid vaccines to Africa
The Israeli government says it is donating 1 million coronavirus vaccines to the UN-backed COVAX program.
The Foreign Ministry said the AstraZeneca vaccines would be transferred in the coming weeks, a decision that was part of Israel’s strengthening ties with the African countries, Reuters reports.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said:
I am delighted that Israel can contribute and be a partner in eradicating the pandemic around the world.”
The announcement said the vaccines would reach close to a quarter of African countries, though it did not provide a list.
Israel has close ties with a number of African nations, including Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Israel also established relations with Sudan last year as part of a series of US-brokered accords.
Summary
If you’ve just joined us welcome to our live blog covering all the latest coronavirus developments.
Here is a quick snapshot of the leading Covid news stories.
- Covid cases have risen sharply at some UK universities as students head home, prompting fears that the mass migration could fuel the spread of the virus.
- Malaysia has announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
-
Germany is reporting another 56,677 new daily coronavirus cases and 522 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
- South Korea has just released its daily Covid report. Another 7,622 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded over the last 24 hours with 62 Covid-related deaths.
- Japan has officially approved Moderna Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine for its booster shot programme that began this month.
- Malaysia is now requiring all travellers arriving from the United Kingdom to undertake Covid tests everyday during quarantine.
- Indonesia has just identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
-
Australia’s cricket captain, Pat Cummins, has been ruled out for the second Ashes Test after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
-
New Zealand has detected its first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in a Christchurch managed isolation facility.
- Thousands marched in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Thursday to protest against Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns, as the country announced 90% of its eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
- The Dutch family family has apologised after it last week invited a reported 21 people to celebrate the 18th birthday of Princess Amalia, the future queen, in breach of coronavirus health guidance.
- Apple Inc is delaying its return to office plans indefinitely, Bloomberg News reports.
- People in England have been told to cut down on socialising in the lead-up to Christmas.
- New Zealand’s health regulator Medsafe has granted provisional approval for the Pfizer Inc Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
- South Korea will reinstate social distancing rules and a 9pm curfew for restaurants and cafes to combat spiralling numbers of new infections and hospitalisations.
- South Africa reported its highest daily tally of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with 26,976 infections and 54 deaths recorded on Wednesday.
Updated
Covid cases rise sharply at some UK universities as students head home
The number of Covid cases has risen sharply at some universities as about a million students begin to head home for the Christmas break, prompting fears that the mass migration could fuel the spread of the virus.
Students have been urged to take Covid tests before they leave their university to travel to see their families – the vast majority on public transport – and again before they return in the new year, as well as getting their booster vaccinations.
But with case numbers increasing rapidly on some campuses, including Omicron infections, there are reports that students have decided to leave early to limit the risk of having to isolate over Christmas away from home.
Loughborough University and Imperial College London have moved learning online for most students for the last few days of term after a significant uptick in cases. Elsewhere, universities have urged staff and students to either cancel or scale back planned Christmas celebrations to limit mixing.
Read the full story from our reporter Sally Weale here.
Malaysia bans mass New Year events
Malaysia has announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
To curb potential Omicron risks, mass New Year gatherings will be banned and those attending private New Year and Christmas celebrations must undergo Covid-19 self-tests, Khairy said.
Malaysians over 60, and all adult recipients of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, are required to get a booster dose by February to keep their status as “fully vaccinated”, Khairy said. Singapore is considering a similar policy.
Malaysia has also temporarily banned the entry of foreign travellers from eight countries and designated nine countries as “high-risk”, including Britain, the United States, Australia and India.
All arrivals from these countries must undergo mandatory quarantine and be fitted with digital tracking devices, regardless of their vaccination status.
Those from Britain will also be required to conduct daily self-tests during quarantine, Khairy said.
Germany is reporting another 56,677 new daily coronavirus cases and 522 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
South Korea has just released its daily Covid report.
Another 7,622 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded over the last 24 hours with 62 Covid-related deaths.
The numbers are a slight decrease on the 7,850 cases and 70 deaths reported from the day before.
Updated
Japan approves Moderna vaccine for booster shot
Japan has officially approved Moderna Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine for its booster shot programme that began this month.
The move followed a recommendation from health ministry experts on Wednesday that Moderna’s mRNA shot could be used as a third booster shot for those aged 18 or older.
It is the same standard that was applied to the shot developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, which has so far been given out about 71,000 times as a booster, or just 0.1% of the population.
After a relatively late start, Japan has fully inoculated almost 80% of its population, the highest among Group of Seven economies. The country has about 31 million doses left between the Pfizer and Moderna shots, with deals in place to get 170 million more in 2022.
New coronavirus infections in Japan have slowed dramatically since a fifth wave that peaked in August.
Experts say the fact that Japan started its vaccine push later may be helping keep Covid-19 cases low, as immunity from the shots for most people has not yet waned.
Health minister Shigeyuki Goto said last week that boosters should be given as soon as possible.
Updated
Malaysia is now requiring all travellers arriving from the United Kingdom to undertake Covid tests everyday during quarantine.
“Due to the Covid-19 Omicron variant spread in the community, travellers arriving from the United Kingdom must now self-test everyday during quarantine. All self-test results (positive, negative or invalid) must be reported,” the ministry of health said in a statement on Thursday.
The country also confirmed a second case of the Omicron variant while another 18 suspected cases are currently awaiting genome sequencing for confirmation.
Updated
Indonesia has just identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
The case was detected on Wednesday evening and is believed to be an employee at the Wisma Atlet hospital in Jakarta who had no history of overseas travel.
There is so far believed to be no community transmission, but another five Omicron cases are suspected, including two Indonesians who had recently returned from the United States and from Britain, and three Chinese nationals currently in quarantine in Manado, North Sulawesi.
The government is waiting for genomic sequencing for confirmation.
Updated
Some disappointing news just in for cricket fans.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, has been ruled out for the second Ashes Test after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
Just hours before Thursday afternoon’s toss in Adelaide, it emerged that Cummins was dining at a restaurant in the city on Wednesday night when a person at the next table was identified as a positive case.
Cummins left the venue immediately and promptly informed cricket authorities, but the exposure was deemed sufficient for the fast bowler to be forced into isolation for seven days, under South Australia Health protocols.
Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) December 16, 2021
Our reporter Mike Hytner has the full story here.
Updated
New Zealand detects first Omicron case
New Zealand has detected its first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in a Christchurch managed isolation facility.
On Thursday afternoon, the director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said:
This is a person who is in managed isolation in Christchurch. The person arrived in New Zealand on a flight from Germany via Dubai that landed in Auckland...the people on that flight were transferred to Christchurch on a chartered domestic flight trip with all our usual protocols.
We fully expected we will find a case of Omicron and in fact, we are treating every border related case as if it were Omicron until proven otherwise. We have good protocols in place that are designed to stop the virus getting across the border.”
Everyone who travelled on the same international and charter flights as the case are being treated as close contacts, as are those staying on the same floor of the MIQ facility.
Bloomfield said health authorities are considering advice over reducing the interval period between second and third doses of the Pfizer vaccine, to help combat Omicron’s spread and effect.
Stock markets in Asia have swatted aside any negativity around the escalating Covid situation in advanced economies and followed the US indices into positive territory in Thursday’s session.
The Nikkei in Tokyo is up 1.6%, Shanghai is up 0.4%, and even Seoul is up the same amount despite South Korea imposing new dining curfews.
The only main straggler is the ASX200 in Sydney where the market has been dragged down 1.6% by a selloff in one of its biggest companies, the biotech firm CSL.
All this despite the US Federal Reserve announcing a much quicker normalisation of monetary policy on Wednesday, pencilling in three rate hikes for next year. That could raise the pressure on central banks such as the reserve Bank of Australia to start raising rates earlier, even if Omicron is seen as an obstacle to recovery in the coming months.
[REPORT] US and Aussie central banks to quicken bond tapering https://t.co/prgWu63nQB pic.twitter.com/fJwWSTqjt6
— CommSec (@CommSec) December 16, 2021
Thousands protest New Zealand's vaccine mandates
Thousands marched in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Thursday to protest against Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns, as the country announced 90% of its eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
The government has so far mandated vaccinations for teachers, workers in the health and disability sectors, police and other public service sectors.
Protesters, mostly unmasked, marched through the central business district of Wellington and gathered in front of the parliament building, know as the Beehive.
Some at the peaceful demonstration held placards with messages like “Freedom over fear”, “lockdowns destroy lives” and “Kiwis are not lab rats”, Reuters reports.
Others had signs with the “Make America Great Again” slogan of former US President Donald Trump.
Under mounting pressure, prime minister Jacinda Ardern eased most restrictions ahead of the Christmas break, abandoning her long-standing strategy of eliminating the coronavirus for a new “traffic light” system of living with the virus through higher vaccinations.
However, the island nation’s international borders remain shut to the outside world and will only be gradually opened from next year.
Updated
The Dutch family family has apologised after it last week invited a reported 21 people to celebrate the 18th birthday of Princess Amalia, the future queen, in breach of coronavirus health guidance.
At present, people in the Netherlands can receive a maximum of four guests over the age of 13 in their homes.
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte wrote in a letter to parliament on Wednesday: “The family strived to treat the coronavirus rules responsibly with this outdoor gathering and by taking precautions” including tests and social distancing.
“The king informed me that on reflection it was not a good idea to organise [the gathering].”
Read the full story here.
Apple said to delay return to office indefinitely
Apple Inc is delaying its return to office plans indefinitely, Bloomberg News reports, while the company said it has temporarily closed three stores in the US and Canada after a rise in Covid cases and exposures among the stores’ employees.
The company’s employees were previously set to return to offices on 1 February, according to the report, citing a memo sent by Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.
Google told its employees they would lose pay and eventually be fired if they did not follow the company’s vaccination rules, according to a report, while JP Morgan Chase & Co has asked its unvaccinated staff in Manhattan to work from home.
Apple’s store closures in Miami, Annapolis and Ottawa come a day after the company reinstated its policy requiring all customers at its stores in the US to wear masks.
All the employees at the three stores will be tested before the stores are reopened, the company said.
People in England have been told to cut down on socialising in the lead-up to Christmas.
Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, urged people not to “mix with people you don’t have to”, amid mounting concern over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
He advised the public to “prioritise social interactions that really matter to them”, suggesting work parties may be ill-advised.
Whitty’s comments were in stark contrast to messaging from Boris Johnson, who has previously said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties.
Watch the briefing in the video below.
Fewer than one in three patients who have ongoing Covid symptoms after being hospitalised with the disease say they feel fully recovered a year later, according to a study that offers new insights into potential treatments.
As the pandemic has unfolded, a growing body of research has revealed that Covid not only causes health problems in the short-term, but also has long-term effects. Now a study has revealed many of those who had ongoing symptoms after hospitalisation are showing little improvement, with their condition similar at about 12 months after discharge to seven months earlier.
“Only one in three participants felt fully recovered at one year,” said Dr Rachel Evans, one of the co-leads of the post-hospitalisation Covid-19 study – or Phos-Covid – which is led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, although the team says missing data means the figure could be as low as two in 10 or as high as six in 10.
Read the full story from our reporter Nicola Davis here.
New Zealand’s health regulator Medsafe has granted provisional approval for the Pfizer Inc Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, the health ministry said in a statement.
The provisional approval is for two doses of the paediatric Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, given at least 21 days apart, it said.
If approved by the cabinet, the introduction of the paediatric Pfizer vaccine is expected to start in New Zealand no later than the end of January 2022, the ministry said.
South Korea to reimpose dining curfews
South Korea will reinstate social distancing rules and a 9pm curfew for restaurants and cafes to combat spiralling numbers of new infections and hospitalisations.
Curbs will return from 18 December to 2 January, limiting social gatherings to no more than four people - as long as they are vaccinated.
Restaurants, cafes and nightly entertainment facilities will also need to close by 9pm and movie theatres and internet cafes by 10pm, prime minister Kim Boo-kyum announced on Thursday.
Unvaccinated people will only be able to dine out alone, or use takeout or delivery services.
The measures came a day after South Korea reported another new daily record in Covid cases.
More than 94% of South Korean adults are fully vaccinated, but the number of new cases has surged nearly five-fold and the number of serious cases tripled since the rules were eased last month, adding to strains on the country’s medical system.
Updated
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you on the blog as we go through all the latest coronavirus developments.
Let’s start with the news that South Korea will clamp down on social gatherings, reducing the maximum private gathering size to four people, and cut the hours of some businesses to fight a record-breaking surge of Covid infections that has led to a spike in hospitalisations and deaths.
Curfews of 9pm on restaurant and cafe business hours will also be restored, prime minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Thursday. The new measures are set to be in effect from 18 December until 2 January, Yonhap News reports.
South Africa has reported its highest daily tally of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with 26,976 infections and 54 deaths recorded on Wednesday.
The previous record of 26,485 on 3 July came at the height of the country’s third wave caused by the Delta variant. On that day, 108 Covid deaths were reported.
Here is a snapshot of the latest key developments:
- Covid cases in the UK reached record levels, with 78,610 new cases reported on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread.
- England’s chief medical officer warned people not to mix with others unless they have to in the run-up to Christmas after Britain recorded its most daily cases since the start of the pandemic.
- French President Emmanuel Macron said it was possible the Covid-19 vaccine would eventually be made compulsory in France, but said it was not the priority for now.
- A US appeals court revived the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in 26 states.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cut short his trip to Southeast Asia due to a Covid-19 case among his travelling party.
- Moderna will start a trial of its Covid-19 vaccine across eight African countries to determine its efficacy in people who are HIV positive, Bloomberg News reported.
- Early data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
- Canadians advised against all non-essential international travel.
- The Omicron variant has been found to multiply about 70 times quicker than the original and Delta versions of coronavirus in tissue samples taken from the bronchus, the main tubes from the windpipe to the lungs, a study found.
- Covid cases in the UK reached record levels, with 78,610 new cases reported on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread.
-
Ukraine will extend Covid restrictions for another three months, to 31 March from the end of December, because of low levels of vaccination, the prime minister Denys Shmyhal said.
- Italy tightens restrictions for arrivals from the rest of the EU, requiring Covid tests of everyone and a five-day quarantine for those who are not vaccinated.
- The Crown Princess of Denmark tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.
