10th Dec 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=558 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English on MSN.com The Serum Institute of India the worlds biggest vaccine maker let Africa down by pulling out of talks to supply COVID19 vaccines creating distrust that has affected demand according to the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control. John Nkengasong on Thursday denounced recent comments from Serum that uptake of its COVID19 shots had slowed because of low demand from Africa and vaccine hesitancy saying the real problem was that Serum had acted unprofessionally. Nkengasong said Serum had engaged in discussions last year with the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team AVATT and that at one point he had believed a deal was very close but then Serum abruptly ended the talks. Serum just decided to act in a very unprofessional manner and stop communicating with AVATT team so that created a situation where we found ourselves extremely unhappy and then engaged with Johnson Johnson he said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/india-e2-80-99s-serum-institute-let-africa-down-on-vaccines-africa-cdc/ar-AAREO6t 9th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Austrias conservativeled government on Thursday gave details of its plan to make coronavirus vaccines compulsory saying it will apply to people 14 and over and holdouts face fines of up to 3600 euros 4071 every three months. Roughly 68 of Austrias population is fully vaccinated against COVID19 one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines a view encouraged by the farright Freedom Party the third biggest in parliament. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/austria-announce-details-planned-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press The pandemic may be widely considered over when WHO decides the virus is no longer an emergency of international concern a designation its expert committee has been reassessing every three months. But when the most acute phases of the crisis ease within countries could vary. There is not going to be one day when someone says OK the pandemic is over says Dr. Chris Woods an infectious disease expert at Duke University. Although theres no universally agreedupon criteria he said countries will likely look for sustained reduction in cases over time. Scientists expect COVID19 will eventually settle into becoming a more predictable virus like the flu meaning it will cause seasonal outbreaks but not the huge surges were seeing right now. But even then Woods says some habits such as wearing masks in public places might continue. Even after the pandemic ends COVID will still be with us he says. https://apnews.com/article/when-is-pandemic-over-viral-questions-2c47fdd7611411a418a7ea18a61f5d1c 9th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

STAT News It is estimated that 167 million people concentrated in low and middleincome countries are at risk of outright exclusion from Covid19 vaccination campaigns. That number is subject to sudden shifts overnight a storm a flood an intensifying conflict a toppled government disputed boundary or shifted frontline can push hundreds of thousands of people out of health systems oversight. More people have been forcibly displaced in the last decade than ever before because the weather is both more extreme and less predictable and violent conflict is increasingly common. For everyone but most starkly for the most vulnerable people the pandemic has had a compounding effect on insecurity. Not only are these individuals omitted from vaccination campaigns but many of them are at extrahigh risk of contracting the disease because they live in close quarters with limited ability to physically distance or selfisolate and often with poor sanitation. https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/09/vaccine-equity-is-essential-vaccine-makers-need-to-drop-barriers-to-reaching-refugees-and-other-displaced-people/ 9th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

STAT News When historians write about the Covid19 pandemic they will certainly highlight the essential research behind safe and effective vaccines the remarkable pace of vaccine development and the sacrifices made by clinicians and clinical trial participants. They will also write about the gross neglect of global partners when designing a worldwide public health strategy which has been plagued by vaccine inequity nationalism and fear. The latest misguided response by the U.S. government bans incoming travel from a number of southern African countries some which have no known cases of Covid19 caused by the Omicron variant but not from European ones where the variant has already been detected. Moreover the ban does not apply to U.S. nationals flying into the U.S. who need show only proof of a negative Covid19 test. https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/08/ending-pandemic-requires-global-solidarity-not-blame/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press Indiana hospitals are seeing their highestever overall patient counts amid a monthlong COVID19 surge and the states largest hospital system announced Thursday it had enlisted National Guard assistance. Indiana University Health said it sought the support of the sixperson National Guard teams for most of its 16 hospitals across the state because the strain on its team members nurses and providers has never been greater. The IU Health system isnt alone as the number of COVID19 patients in Indiana hospitals has more than doubled in the past month with about 2750 such patients as of Wednesday as about 30 people a day are dying from the illness according to state health department tracking. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-indiana-indianapolis-indiana-university-d1b1e610c0001df5a3c39d7329b54a5a 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post The United States reached a significant milestone late Wednesday with more than 200 million people now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus about 60 percent of the population. In the past week an average of 1.92 million doses per day were administered a 35 percent increase over the week before according to data from The Washington Posts tracker. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/09/coronavirus-vaccine-milestone-us-omicron/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent Dr Anthony Fauci the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease said he believes that the definition of fully vaccinated will soon include having a third Covid booster shot. The doctor made the comments during an interview on CNN. Its going to be a matter of when not if getting a booster shot will be considered being fully vaccinated Dr Fauci said. He stressed that the comment was his personal view and was not indicative of any current policy discussions in the Biden administration to make coronavirus vaccine boosters mandatory for full vaccination status. Dr Faucis comments come as US health workers continue to grapple with a spike in cases and hospitalisation caused by the delta variant and researchers continue to investigate the newly emerged omicron variant. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/fauci-booster-vaccinated-omicron-coronavirus-b1972400.html 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

New Scientist UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced new measures in England to reduce the spread of covid19 with cases of the omicron variant growing rapidly. Mandatory maskwearing will be extended to indoor public venues including cinemas theatres and places of worship from Friday but will not be required in pubs and restaurants while the guidance to work from home where possible will return on Monday. The NHS covid pass which can be obtained by having two vaccines or a negative lateral flow test will be required for entry into nightclubs and other large venues from 15 December. Johnson warned it is clear that the new variant is growing much faster than the delta variant and cases of omicron could be doubling every two or three days. He said Christmas parties and nativities could go ahead but urged people to exercise due caution and get their booster jabs. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies SAGE warned omicron is spreading rapidly and it is possible hospital admissions from the new variant in England could exceed 1000 per day and still be increasing by the end of the year. The overall scale of any wave of hospitalisations without interventions is highly uncertain but the peak could reach several times this level the minutes from a meeting held on Tuesday said. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-england-activates-plan-b-to-slow-omicron-spread/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Wealthy countries donating COVID19 vaccines with a relatively short shelf life has been a major problem for the COVAX dose sharing programme a senior official at the World Health Organization said on Thursday. Kate OBrien the WHOs vaccine director said in a briefing the proportion of wasted doses is smaller in countries receiving doses through COVAX than in many highincome countries. Her comments come as concerns grow that many African countries are finding they do not have the capacity to get shots in arms before they expire. https://www.reuters.com/world/who-exec-donated-covid-19-vaccines-with-short-shelf-life-major-problem-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Austrias conservativeled government on Thursday gave details of its plan to make coronavirus vaccines compulsory saying it will apply to people 14 and over and holdouts face fines of up to 3600 euros 4071 every three months. Roughly 68 of Austrias population is fully vaccinated against COVID19 one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines a view encouraged by the farright Freedom Party the third biggest in parliament. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/austria-announce-details-planned-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters The United States rushed millions of COVID19 vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11 across the nation but demand for inoculations for younger kids has been low more than a dozen state public health officials and physicians said. Of the 28 million eligible U.S. children in that age group around 5 million have received at least one dose according to federal data likely satisfying initial pent up demand from parents who were waiting to vaccinate their kids. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-campaign-vaccinate-young-children-off-sluggish-start-despite-abundant-supply-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Finland plans to make COVID19 vaccines mandatory for health and social care workers the government said on Wednesday. The new legislation would also allow social and health care employers to access information about employees COVID19 vaccinations and possible infections in the past. This regulation would make it possible to ensure the health and safety of social and healthcare workers and thus the availability of services Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru told a news conference. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-require-proof-covid-19-vaccination-healthcare-workers-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Slovakia is to give cash handouts to people over 60 who get vaccinated against the coronavirus or have their booster shot aiming to spur inoculation rates lagging others in the European Union. Parliament approved the payments on Thursday giving the goahead to a proposal by the government which had at first considered handing out vouchers for hotels or restaurants but opted instead on payouts. Those receiving booster shots by midJanuary will get 300 euros 340 while over60s who sign up for the vaccine by that time are entitled to 200 euros. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/capital-injection-slovakia-offers-cash-over-60s-get-covid-shots-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Wealthy countries may start to hoard COVID19 vaccines again threatening global supplies as they seek to shore up stocks to fight the new Omicron variant of the virus a senior World Health Organization official said on Thursday. The warning by the WHOs vaccine director Kate OBrien comes as supplies to the COVAX dosesharing programme run by the WHO and vaccine charity GAVI have increased in the past few months due to donations from wealthy countries and after India eased limits on exports of vaccines. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-wealthy-countries-may-hoard-covid-19-shots-again-fight-new-variant-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters The World Health Organization WHO recommended on Thursday that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated COVID19 vaccine should receive a booster dose to protect against waning immunity. Many countries have been rolling out booster shots targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues but worries about the new more transmissible Omicron variant have prompted some to expand their use to larger portions of their populations. https://www.reuters.com/world/whos-advisory-panel-outlines-recommendations-boosters-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Eritrea has yet to start vaccinating its population against COVID19 the head of the African Centres for Disease Control said on Thursday. Eritrea is the only country now that has not joined the family of 55 member states of the African Union that are moving forward with vaccination but we are not giving up John Nkengasong told an online media briefing. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eritrea-has-not-started-vaccinating-against-covid-says-africa-cdc-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Slovakia will on Friday reopen nonessential shops and some services for those vaccinated against COVID19 while at the same time extending a lockdown for others and closing some schools Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky said. The central European country of 5.5 million people has struggled with one of the worlds worst coronavirus waves in the past few weeks and shut shops and services for all people for two weeks ending Dec. 9. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-warns-against-vaccine-hoarding-poor-countries-go-without-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Slovakia will on Friday reopen nonessential shops and some services for those vaccinated against COVID19 while at the same time extending a lockdown for others and closing some schools Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky said. The central European country of 5.5 million people has struggled with one of the worlds worst coronavirus waves in the past few weeks and shut shops and services for all people for two weeks ending Dec. 9. Lengvarsky had sought to extend the general lockdown until Dec.16 and to ease it for the vaccinated from Dec. 17. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovakia-re-open-shops-vaccinated-others-face-longer-lockdown-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Britain on Thursday implored people to obey tougher restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after revelations about alleged lockdown parties at Prime Minister Boris Johnsons residence provoked an outcry over hypocrisy. Johnson imposed restrictions on England on Wednesday just hours after apologising for a video apparently showing staff laughing about a party in Downing Street during a 2020 Christmas COVID19 lockdown when such festivities were banned. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/acting-now-covid-will-help-avoid-lockdown-later-britains-javid-says-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

STAT News Two years into the pandemic the countrys efforts have stagnated. We have endured the catastrophic winter surge of 20202021 the Delta surge this summer and are now being buffeted by the entirely predictable global rise of the Omicron variant of SARSCoV2. It is too early to predict Omicrons impact but the failure to detect it and the surprise U.S. health care leaders have expressed about its appearance are intolerable. All of these result from an unrealistic and simplistic response to Covid19 and a failure to address the basic tendency of viruses to mutate and become immune to a single vaccine or therapeutic. https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/09/kasserine-pass-moment-covid-leaders/ 9th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

BBC News More than 230 hospital workers in parts of Hertfordshire have refused to have a Covid19 vaccination NHS bosses said. Last month the government announced proposals that health workers undertaking any CQCregulated activity should be fully vaccinated by April. A meeting of the West Herts Hospitals Trust board identified 239 staff who had so far refused the vaccination and the status of 132 staff was unknown. The trust said 91 of its staff had been vaccinated. The report presented to the board said senior leaders and clinicians would play a role in proactively encouraging staff to take the vaccine the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-59592801 9th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters The Democraticcontrolled U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a Republican measure that would overturn President Joe Bidens COVID19 vaccineortest mandate for private businesses with two Democrats joining Republicans to back the initiative. The 5248 vote sends the legislation to the Democraticled House of Representatives where it faces strong headwinds while Biden has threatened to veto it. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senate-republican-push-block-bidens-vaccine-mandate-secures-democratic-support-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press A small spa town in western Ukraine is standing out in a European country where only 29 of the people have received COVID19 vaccine shots and locals credit their community spirit for fending off the worst of the pandemic. In Morshyn a scenic town nestled at the Carpathian foothills in the Lviv region 74 of its 3439 residents had been fully vaccinated as of late November. While Ukrainian authorities have imposed new restrictions amid a surge of infections and deaths blamed on a slow pace of vaccination and designated the region around Morshyn as a red zone where most public places have been shut down the wellness centers in Morshyn have remained fully open. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-europe-0ae2cb191355aebd9c36b28dcb288104 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Associated Press on MSN.com The U.S. is expanding COVID19 boosters ruling that 16 and 17yearolds can get a third dose of Pfizers vaccine. The U.S. and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new omicron variant. On Thursday the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for 16 and 17yearolds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech if its been six months since their last shot. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fda-expands-pfizer-covid-booster-opens-extra-dose-to-age-16/ar-AAREJ77 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg As Covid19 began spreading in early 2020 one of Linfa Wangs first ideas was to test the blood of people whod survived a previous coronavirus outbreak. The virologist who works out of DukeNUS Medical School a collaboration between Duke and the National University of Singapore has been studying batborne viruses for decades. Hed helped show that SARSCoV1 which killed almost 800 people in 2003 likely jumped to humans from horseshoe bats. Wangs new theory was that people whod recovered from the original SARS might harbor antibodies that could help fight the new one SARSCoV2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-12-09/could-a-one-shot-coronavirus-vaccine-protect-you-from-all-variants 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News The new Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to be causing milder coldlike symptoms but its reported rapid infection rate even in the vaccinated could still have devastating consequences a top scientist has warned. Early data has suggested the new variant could result in less severe disease than previous waves. However Tim Spector lead scientist on the Zoe COVID Study warned against complacency saying this is not a reason to be relaxed about Omicron. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-omicron-variant-may-be-milder-but-its-infection-rate-could-be-devastating-expert-warns-12490761 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters One month after her son Eran had recovered from a mild case of COVID19 Sara Bittan rushed the threeyearold to the emergency room. He had high fever a rash his eyes and lower body were swollen and red his stomach was hurting and he was crying in pain. Eventually diagnosed with the rare multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children MISC also known as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome or PIMS Eran was hospitalized in October for a week and has fully recovered Bittan said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/doctors-weigh-covid-19-impact-children-vaccine-drives-ramp-up-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters British researchers on Wednesday started recruitment for a clinical trial to test antiviral COVID19 treatments for use in people early on in the disease who are at higher risks of complications starting with Mercks molnupiravir. Britain became the first country in the world to approve molnupiravir which was jointly developed by U.S.based Merck Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in November. Britains Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency MHRA recommended the antiviral pill for use in people with mild to moderate COVID19 and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness such as obesity older age diabetes and heart disease. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-starts-recruiting-real-world-covid-antiviral-trial-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the use of AstraZenecas antibody cocktail to prevent COVID19 infections in individuals with weak immune systems or a history of severe side effects from coronavirus vaccines. The antibody cocktail Evusheld is only authorized for adults and adolescents who are not currently infected with the novel coronavirus and have not recently been exposed to an infected individual the regulator said. The authorization for the therapy made up of two monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab marks a significant step for AstraZeneca whose widely used COVID19 vaccine is yet to be approved by U.S. authorities. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-authorizes-astrazenecas-covid-19-antibody-drug-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Chinas medical products regulator said on Wednesday it had approved the use of Brii Biosciences neutralising antibody cocktail for COVID19 the first treatment of its type against the virus given the goahead in the country. The combination of BRII196BRII198 showed a 80 reduction of hospitalisation and deaths in nonhospitalised COVID19 patients at high risk of developing severe disease based on final results from a Phase III clinical trial Brii said in a statement on Thursday. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/china-approves-brii-biosciences-covid-19-treatment-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press Vaccine makers are racing to update their COVID19 shots against the newest coronavirus threat even before its clear a change is needed just in case. Experts doubt todays shots will become useless but say its critical to see how fast companies could produce a reformulated dose and prove it works because whatever happens with omicron this newest mutant wont be the last. Omicron is pulling the fire alarm. Whether it turns out to be a false alarm it would be really good to know if we can actually do this get a new vaccine rolled out and be ready said immunologist E. John Wherry of the University of Pennsylvania. https://apnews.com/article/omicron-variant-vaccine-makers-updating-shots-ea635d3e28d208ab1e4083537506bb99 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press More than 40 people in the U.S. have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far and more than threequarters of them had been vaccinated the chief of the CDC said Wednesday. But she said nearly all of them were only mildly ill. In an interview with The Associated Press Dr. Rochelle Walensky director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the data is very limited and the agency is working on a more detailed analysis of what the new mutant form of the coronavirus might hold for the U.S. What we generally know is the more mutations a variant has the higher level you need your immunity to be. ... We want to make sure we bolster everybodys immunity. And thats really what motivated the decision to expand our guidance Walensky said referencing the recent approval of boosters for all adults. https://apnews.com/article/ap-interview-coronavirus-omicron-rochelle-walensky-83c6607d1809a922ae0f892e22a5377f 9th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer and BioNTechs Covid19 booster shot to cover 16 and 17yearolds making it the only booster shot currently available in the United States for teenagers in this age group. Within hours Rochelle Walensky director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the expanded authorization clearing the way for 16 and 17year olds to book booster shot appointments. Today CDC is strengthening its booster recommendations and encouraging everyone 16 and older to receive a booster shot Walensky said in a statement. We know that Covid19 vaccines are safe and effective and I strongly encourage adolescents ages 16 and 17 to get their booster if they are at least 6 months post their initial Pfizer vaccination series. https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/09/fda-expands-authorization-for-pfizers-covid-19-booster-to-cover-16-and-17-year-olds/ 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian For Dr Rina DAbramo of the MetroHealth System in Cleveland its difficult when patients in the emergency room tell her they have not been vaccinated. You can hear it in their voice when you say Are you vaccinated said DAbramo who works at a hospital in the Brecksville suburb. They shrink down and are like No. Now I know why I need to be vaccinated. Unfortunately there are plenty of people in Ohio and the rest of the US too who have not yet learned that lesson even as infection rates nationally start to surge again amid fears of the possibly highly contagious new Omicron variant. Ohio is one of the states that has seen the largest recent increases in hospitalizations due to Covid as the number of cases climbs across the country. There has been 19 increase in hospitalizations over the past two weeks in the United States according to a New York Times analysis of data https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/09/us-covid-cases-surge-vaccine-progress-slows-omicron-variant 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent The public is being urged to regularly take lateral flow tests as a measure to stem the spread of Covid19. Chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said it has been in Executive guidance for some period of time. He described it as important to delay as long as possible further introductions of the Omicron variant. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/northern-ireland-chief-medical-officer-omicron-pcr-test-public-health-agency-b1972324.html 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent Pakistan has detected its first case of the Covid omicron variant that has now spread to almost 60 countries. Authorities on Thursday announced that the first case had been found in Pakistans most populous city of Karachi in a resident who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Without revealing any further details spokesperson for the southern province of Sindh told Reuters news agency that the person was unvaccinated and had recently travelled to another country. The spokesperson added that the infected persons contacts were being traced. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-covid-omicron-variant-cases-b1972723.html 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant highlights the perilous situation the world is in roughly two years after the start of the COVID19 pandemic WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday. He added that he was disappointed that countries had imposed blanket travel bans on southern Africa over Omicron and that transparency would help end the pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/whos-tedros-says-omicron-coronavirus-variant-highlights-perilous-situation-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Japans COVID19 infections are falling in contrast with rebounds in other parts of Asia baffling experts. New daily infections have slowed to fewer than one per million people the least among major economies except China and fatalities have fallen to zero in recent days. South Korea with similar vaccination coverage is seeing record infections. Cases remain elevated in Singapore and are rising again in Australia as authorities there relax stringent controls on movement https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japans-covid-19-cases-defy-asia-rebound-yet-fears-remain-winter-wave-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Denmark will again impose restrictions aimed at curbing the rapid spread of COVID19 including the new Omicron variant the countrys prime minister said on Wednesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-reintroduces-some-covid-19-restrictions-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters South Africa reported nearly 20000 new COVID19 cases on Wednesday a record since the Omicron variant was detected and 36 new COVIDrelated deaths. It was not immediately clear how many of the infections were caused by Omicron given only a fraction of samples are sequenced but experts believe it is driving South Africas fourth wave of infections. The statistics from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases NICD brought the confirmed number of cases in the country to 3.071 million with more than 90000 COVIDlinked deaths since the pandemic started. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/south-africa-reports-nearly-20000-new-covid-19-cases-record-omicron-wave-2021-12-08/ 9th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters COVID19 infections have been spreading in pubs and clubs in Australias biggest city including three new cases of the Omicron variant found among people who went on a harbour party cruise sending officials rushing to trace contacts. Authorities have been easing restrictions in Sydney since early October when the city emerged from a nearly fourmonth lockdown to contain the Delta coronavirus variant after the population reached higher vaccination levels. We have seen recently increased transmission in larger social venues ... and that is certainly a contributing factor to the increase in cases Marianne Gale New South Wales Deputy Chief Health Officer said in a video posted on Twitter. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coronavirus-spreads-australias-pubs-omicron-cases-linked-party-boat-2021-12-09/ 9th Dec 2021