Here are the coronavirus morning headlines for Thursday, December 2, as scientists believe they may have found the "trigger" behind the extremely rare blood clot complications stemming from the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
An international team of researchers from Cardiff and the US are those involved in the project. According to them, the clot can be traced to the way the adenovirus used by the vaccine to shuttle the coronavirus' genetic material into cells binds with a specific protein in the blood, known as platelet factor 4 (PF4).
The researchers think this binding is triggering a chain reaction in some immune systems, culminating in the development of blog clots.
This condition is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).
Professor Alan Parker, from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, said: "VITT only happens in extremely rare cases because a chain of complex events needs to take place to trigger this ultra-rare side effect.
"Our data confirms PF4 can bind to adenoviruses, an important step in unravelling the mechanism underlying VITT. Establishing a mechanism could help to prevent and treat this disorder.
"We hope our findings can be used to better understand the rare side effects of these new vaccines - and potentially to design new and improved vaccines to turn the tide on this global pandemic," he added.
Avoid kisses under mistletoe says Minister, as expert urges 'sensible' Christmas
People can enjoy Christmas if they take "sensible" precautions, an expert has said, as a Government minister warned against "snogging under the mistletoe".
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told ITV's Peston programme that: "We should all be trying to enjoy the Christmas ahead of us", adding: "For what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe.
"(You) don't need to do things like that. But I think we should all be trying to enjoy the Christmas ahead of us and that's why we're working so hard to get the deployment of as many vaccines as possible."
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said vaccines can do "a lot of the heavy lifting" amid concerns about the Omicron variant of coronavirus, though he acknowledged there were "so many uncertainties" about the new strain.
Suggesting preventative measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing, he told Sky News: "If people are sensible then I don't see any reason why we can't all enjoy Christmas again, unless this variant takes a real turn for the worse.
"And we're really not going to know that for a couple of weeks."
Public health officials suspect Omicron is more transmissible than Delta variant
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said public health officials "suspect" the variant will be more transmissible than Delta, and that there will be implications for how vaccines work.
He said: "We have the uncertainty with this new variant. We're not yet certain about whether that's going to be more transmissible, although we suspect it will be (more) than Delta.
"We suspect that there may well be, in particular, implications for how the vaccines might work.
"And we don't yet know whether it's an infection that will be as severe as the infection with Delta."
He said these unknown factors required a "cautious" approach from the public.
Speaking at a press briefing, Dr Van Kerkhove Covid-19 technical lead at the World Health Organisation, said: "We don't have all the information yet on transmission in terms of if there is a fitness advantage, if it's more transmissible.
"There is some suggestion of that, but again it's early days.
"We expect to have more information on transmission within days, not necessarily weeks, but in days."
Mandatory vaccinations should be considered says EU chief
It comes as the chief of the European Commission has said EU nations should consider making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory because too many people still refuse to have them voluntarily.
The EU-wide vaccination rate is 66%, and unexpectedly high case surges in much of the 27-nation bloc have led many member countries to renew mask and testing requirements, and to take other steps to curb infections.
"It is understandable and appropriate to lead this discussion now - how we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union," Ursula von der Leyen said.
Health policy remains a national prerogative in the EU, and making jabs mandatory remains a controversial issue.
"One-third of the European population is not vaccinated. These are 150 million people. This is a lot," she told reporters.
"The lifesaving vaccines are not being used adequately everywhere. This is an enormous health cost coming along."
The suggestion comes as residents in Greece over 60 years old are told will have to undergo mandatory vaccinations against coronavirus or face monthly 100 euro (£84) fines beginning next year, the country's prime minister announced.
The Greek government decided upon the country's first general inoculation mandate in response to a surge in new daily infections and the emergence of the Omicron variant.
The measure will take effect on January 16 and the fines will be added to tax bills, prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised statement.
South Africa's Omicron's cases surge
South Africa's new cases of Covid-19 nearly doubled in a day, authorities reported on Wednesday, signalling a dramatic surge in the country where scientists first detected the Omicron variant last week.
New confirmed cases rose to 8,561 on Wednesday from 4,373 a day earlier, according to official statistics.
Scientists in South Africa said they are bracing for a rapid increase in cases following the discovery of the new variant.
"There is a possibility that really we're going to be seeing a serious doubling or tripling of the cases as we move along or as the week unfolds," Dr Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, regional virologist for the World Health Organisation, told the Associated Press.
"There is a possibility that we are going to see a vast increase in number of cases being identified in South Africa."
Cardiff Rugby confirm more positive cases as they look to return home
As a majority of the 48-strong touring party in South Africa look to leave South Africa this morning, six will remain behind after testing positive for Coronavirus.
The individuals are remaining in a government quarantine hotel in Cape Town to isolate for 14 days, before they are allowed to return home.
Boss Dai Young has branded it: "the most challenging period I have experienced". Read more about the team's experience here.
