Covid-19 has infected more than 270M people and killed over 5.3M worldwide. Here are some of the latest coronavirus-related developments:
WHO: Omicron spreads faster, weakens jabs
The Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms according to early data, the World Health Organization says.
The WHO says Omicron has spread to 63 countries as of December 9. Faster transmission has been noted in South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain.
Pakistan confirms first case of Omicron variant
Pakistan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron in the country's most populous city of Karachi.
"The NIH has been able to confirm...that a recently suspected sample from Karachi is indeed the 'Omicron variant'," the National Institute of Health (NIH) said in a Tweet on Monday.
"This is the first confirmed case but continued surveillance of suspected samples is in place to identify the trends."
Sixth Covid wave to hit France in January
France will be hit by a sixth Covid-19 wave next month due to the emergence of Omicron, while the country is still in the midst of the current Delta-fuelled fifth wave of the pandemic, according to a leading French hospital executive.
"We haven't said a word on the sixth wave, which is Omicron, which will come later, in January", Martin Hirsch, head of Paris's AP-HP hospitals group, Europe's largest hospital system, said.
Indonesia to start vaccinating children
Indonesia will start administering Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged between six-11 on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian country becomes one of the first in the region to immunise the very young.
Indonesia approved China's Sinovac Biotech vaccine for the age group last month and about 26.5 million children have been targeted for vaccination, senior health ministry official Maxi Rein Rondonuwu told a briefing.
The Sinovac vaccine is the only shot approved for children in Indonesia and authorities will restrict its use for the six-11 age group from next year.
Thailand to expedite booster shots
Thailand will halve the time between administering a second Covid-19 vaccine shot and a booster down to three months to try to strengthen immunity in anticipation of a local spread of the Omicron variant.
Thailand has so far detected eight imported cases of the Omicron variant but has yet to see community transmission, according to its health ministry.
"Because Omicron is now widespread, the booster third shot would help lessen the severity of symptoms and reduce the death rate," said spokesperson for the government's Covid-19 taskforce Taweesin Wisanuyothin.
South Korea to test AI-powered facial recognition to track Covid cases
South Korea will soon roll out a pilot project to use artificial intelligence, facial recognition and thousands of CCTV cameras to track the movement of people infected with the coronavirus, despite concerns about the invasion of privacy.
The nationally funded project in Bucheon, one of the country's most densely populated cities on the outskirts of Seoul, is due to become operational in January, a city official told Reuters news agency.
The system uses an AI algorithms and facial recognition technology to analyse footage gathered by more than 10,820 CCTV cameras and track an infected person’s movements, anyone they had close contact with, and whether they were wearing a mask, according to a 110-page business plan from the city submitted to the Ministry of Science and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), and provided to Reuters by a parliamentary lawmaker critical of the project.
The Bucheon official said the system should reduce the strain on overworked tracing teams in a city with a population of more than 800,000 people, and help use the teams more efficiently and accurately.
Canada to accept PCR tests from residents in South Africa
Canada will start recognising molecular Covid-19 tests conducted at an accredited lab in South Africa for residents returning home, dropping a heavily criticised travel restriction introduced to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
Ottawa had faced pressure from doctors, stranded passengers and the World Health Organization to reverse requirements that travelers from 10 southern African countries get molecular PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests in a third country before returning to Canada.
Canada has now dropped the need to obtain a pre-departure negative Covid-19 PCR test from a third country, according to a travel advisory issued on Saturday.
The exemption will be in place till January 7 next year and apply to all indirect flights departing from South Africa to Canada, the advisory added.
Queensland state opens its domestic borders
Coronavirus-free Queensland state opened its domestic borders to all vaccinated people on Monday for the first time in nearly five months, as Australians gear up for quarantine-free travel across most of the country during the busy Christmas period.
Queensland, Australia's third most populous state, shut its border to New South Wales in July a nd then later to people coming from Victoria to protect against a Delta outbreak that rocked the country's east for several months.
Hundreds of cars queued up at the state's southern border with New South Wales well before the rules were set to relax at 1 a.m. local time, television footage showed.
UK says 'two doses not enough'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns of a looming "tidal wave" of Omicron, and brings forward a target to give over-18s a booster jab by one month to the end of December.
"No-one should be in any doubt. There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," he said in a televised address, after the country's medical advisers raise the Covid Alert Level due to a "rapid increase" in infection from the variant.
Johnson added that with Omicron known to be much more transmissible than other variants, the National Health Service would struggle to cope with hospitalisations if the variant were to tear through an un-boosted population.
Data released on Friday showed that vaccine efficacy against symptomatic infection was substantially reduced against Omicron with just two doses, but a third dose boosted protection up to over 70 percent.
South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa test positive
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has tested positive for Covid-19, but was showing mild symptoms, the presidency said.
"The President started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service in honour of former Deputy President FW de Klerk in Cape Town earlier today," the statement said.
"The President, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week," it added.
Social media is bold.
Social media is young.
Social media raises questions.
Social media is not satisfied with an answer.
Social media looks at the big picture.
Social media is interested in every detail.
social media is curious.
Social media is free.
Social media is irreplaceable.
But never irrelevant.
Social media is you.
(With input from news agency language)
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
We are a non-profit organization. Help us financially to keep our journalism free from government and corporate pressure
0 Comments