7th Jan 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=573 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English Indias new COVID19 cases have soared by 90928 in the past 24 hours up nearly fourfold since the start of the year mostly from cities where health officials say the Omicron variant has overtaken Delta. Cities such as capital New Delhi Mumbai in the west and Kolkata in the east are experiencing a surge in COVID19 cases although without a corresponding rise in hospitalisations. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/6/india-new-covid-cases-omicron-cities-elections 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English There is a quote attributed to Mark Twain its easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled says Marius Mioc a selfpublished Romanian author as he clutches two copies of his latest book Covid The Lie of The Century. This is not a real pandemic but hysteria and it is driven by politics and the want to make money. Despite having previously sold his books about Romanias 1989 revolution against the former Communist regime in local bookshops Mioc found retailers did not want to stock his latest work which was first published in 2020 and costs 45 RON just more than 10. That he says is all part of the conspiracy. In Romania which has among the lowest spending on healthcare in Europe and a health system that is consistently ranked the worst in the European Union doctors are bracing for a surge of the fastspreading Omicron variant. Head of the communicable disease centre Adriana Pistol recently warned a peak of 25000 daily cases was soon possible a significant jump from the current 1800 or so cases per day now in the country of 20 million. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/6/vaccine-hesitancy-grips-romania-as-threat-of-omicron-surge-looms 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Hundreds of thousands of Chicago students remained out of school for a second straight day Thursday after leaders of the nations thirdlargest school district failed to resolve a deepening clash with the influential teachers union over COVID19 safety protocols. The Chicago Teachers Union which voted to revert to online instruction told teachers to stay home starting Wednesday during the latest COVID19 surge while both sides negotiate. The move just two days after students returned from winter break prompted district officials to cancel classes. Chicago Public Schools like most other districts has rejected a return to remote learning saying it worsens racial inequities and is detrimental to academic performance mental health and attendance. District officials insist schools can safely remain open with protocols in place. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-chicago-illinois-fb002d901502f7c56c079be9111b2dfd 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Afternoons with Grammy. Birthday parties. Meeting other toddlers at the park. Parents of children too young to be vaccinated are facing difficult choices as an omicron variantfueled surge in COVID19 cases makes every encounter seem risky. For Maine business owner Erin Connolly the most wrenching decision involves Madeleine her 3yearold daughter and Connollys mother who cares for the girl on the one day a week she isnt in preschool. Its a treasured time of making cookies going to the library or just hanging out. But the spirited little girl resists wearing a mask and with the highly contagious variant spreading at a furious pace Connolly says shes wondering how long that can continue and when does it feel too unsafe. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-deceaac9b52c52ccc9511c57df3a3f9d 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Principals superintendents and counselors are filling in as substitutes in classrooms as the surge in coronavirus infections further strains schools that already had been struggling with staffing shortages. In Cincinnati dozens of employees from the central office were dispatched this week to schools that were at risk of having to close because of low staffing. The superintendent of Boston schools Brenda Cassellius tweeted she was filling in for a fifth grade teacher. San Franciscos superintendent Vince Matthews has called on all employees with teaching credentials to take a class. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-pandemics-cincinnati-6c6be609e8d74d402f714a06beb52dea 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Frances parliament on Thursday approved President Emmanuel Macrons plans for a vaccine pass to help curb the spread of the Omicron variant after a tumultuous debate whipped up by Macrons comments that he wanted to piss off the unvaccinated. Macron told Le Parisien newspaper earlier this week that he wanted to make the lives of those refusing the COVID19 vaccine so complicated by squeezing them out of public places that they would end up getting jabbed. read more. Macrons coarse language barely three months before a presidential election was widely seen as a politically calculated tapping into a intensifying public frustration against the unvaccinated. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-parliament-approves-latest-covid-vaccine-measures-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that making vaccination compulsory to rein in the new coronavirus would not be very helpful as that move would bring more problems than solutions. We already have some difficulties to control the health pass compliance. Those difficulties would be even bigger if we made vaccination compulsory Castex told BFM TV and RMC Radio. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/french-prime-minister-not-favour-compulsory-covid-vaccination-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Two dogs trained to detect an odor distinct to people who are sick with COVID19 will visit three school districts in Bristol County this week. A black Labrador named Huntah and a golden Lab called Duke can detect the smell of the virus on surfaces and will sit to indicate when they pick up the scent. The dogs will visit schools in the Freetown Lakeville and Norton school districts WBZTV reported Tuesday. With COVID whether its the omicron whether its the delta our dogs will hit on it said Bristol County Capt. Paul Douglas. And if theres a new variant that comes out in six months hopefully there isnt but if there is one COVID is COVID. Fairhaven School Superintendent Tara Kohler welcomed the dogs saying their presence shows students we are doing everything we can to mitigate the risk and I want them to feel secure and safe and not anxious about their surroundings. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-oddities-lifestyle-health-education-f4dc33180249559b42d922df8d767db9 5th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

CNBC New Covid19 variants are likely to keep on emerging until the globe has been vaccinated against the virus experts warn saying that the sharing of vaccines is not just an altruistic act but a pragmatic one. Until the whole world is vaccinated not just rich Western countries I think we are going to remain in danger of new variants coming along and some of those could be more virulent than omicron Dr. Andrew Freedman an academic in infectious diseases at Cardiff University Medical School told CNBC on Thursday. Viruses tend to become milder as they evolve Freedman noted but he cautioned that this isnt always the case. It may well be with future variants that they are even more contagious. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/06/new-covid-variants-are-a-danger-until-the-whole-world-is-vaccinated.html 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Italy has made it obligatory for people aged 50 or more to be vaccinated against Covid19 as the country scrambles to ease pressure on hospitals and reduce deaths amid a dramatic surge in infections. The measure is among the toughest vaccine mandates in Europe and takes effect immediately. The move was unanimously supported by ministers despite divisions between the parties that make up prime minister Mario Draghis broad coalition before the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/05/italy-makes-covid-vaccinations-compulsory-for-over-50s 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday people who have not taken COVID19 shots will be arrested if they disobeyed stayathome orders as infections hit a threemonth high. Duterte in an televised address to the nation said he was asking community leaders to look for unvaccinated people and make sure they were confined to their homes. If he refuses if he goes out his house and goes around the community he can be restrained. If he refuses the captain is empowered now to arrest recalcitrant persons Duterte said. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-duterte-threatens-unvaccinated-people-with-arrest-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Malaysia has granted conditional approval for the use of Pfizer Inc.s COVID19 vaccine for children aged between 5 and 11 years old the health ministry said on Thursday. The countrys drugs regulator has also cleared a vaccine made by Chinese firm CanSino Biologics to be used as a booster shot for adults over the age of 18 health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a statement. Malaysia which has one of the highest vaccination rates in Southeast Asia last week cut waiting times to encourage more people to take a booster jab in a bid to stem the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysia-approves-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-children-aged-5-11-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Brazils Health Ministry said on Wednesday that it will go ahead with the voluntary vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years old against COVID19 and dropped plans to require a doctors prescription. While vaccination will not be mandatory state governments have the final word on public health decisions and could require that children be vaccinated to be able to attend school. Children have unfortunately died of COVID19 not many but every childs life is important Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said in a news conference. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-vaccinate-children-aged-5-11-against-covid-19-minister-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Ukraine is now offering booster doses of COVID19 vaccines to all adults as the Omicron variant is spreading and is likely to lead to a spike in coronavirus infections next month Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said on Thursday. Following several periods of strict restrictions the average daily number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine fell in early January to about 4000 from above 10000 in early December. The medical system is preparing for another increase in the number of COVID19 cases in Ukraine Lyashko said in a post on Facebook. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-offers-booster-covid-19-shots-all-adults-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters German towns have appealed to authorities for less flying by the seat of your pants and more forwardthinking as the country looks likely to miss its vaccination target for January. Local leaders have described the vaccine rollout as chaotic complaining of a lack of communication about when and how much vaccine they would receive which made it difficult to plan. The complaints came as the government considered a proposal to further tighten restrictions on going out and gathering socially for those who have not yet received a booster shot. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frustrated-german-towns-urge-leaders-plan-fourth-covid-dose-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Portugal will allow students to return to school from next week and nightclubs to reopen on Jan. 14 despite a record surge in COVID19 cases with hospital admissions still well below levels seen earlier in the pandemic the government said on Thursday. It is evident that the Omicron variant is less severe ... vaccination has been effective against it Prime Minister Antonio Costa told a news conference referring to the fastspreading variant that emerged in late 2021. Thats why we have a much lower number of hospitalisations fewer people in ICU and deaths. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/portugal-eases-covid-19-rules-infections-soar-hospitalisations-still-low-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Austria will impose new COVID19 measures from Saturday and the government is still working on a draft law to make vaccinations compulsory from Feb. 1 as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Thursday. Austria managed to slash daily COVID19 cases with its fourth full coronavirus lockdown between November and December last year but Omicron is pushing the numbers up again. We need to do everything we can possibly do together to prevent another lockdown Nehammer told a news conference after the federal government met provincial leaders and pandemic task force experts. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/austria-decides-new-covid-19-measures-including-shorter-quarantine-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called on the U.S. to impose restrictions on troops stationed in Japan amid virus outbreaks thought to have stemmed from bases which have strained ties between the allies. In a phone conversation Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken Hayashi called for stronger virus measures including limits on excursions off base to relieve anxiety among local people according to a statement issued by Japans Foreign Ministry. Blinken responded that the health and safety of local people was extremely important and said he would convey the message to the Defense Department the ministry said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-05/tokyo-governor-says-she-won-t-seek-virus-restrictions-for-now 6th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

The Guardian A vaccination doubt line set up by doctors in the Netherlands is receiving up to 1000 calls a day from people who are still unsure whether or not they should get jabbed against the coronavirus. The helpline originally launched as a local service in November by Robin Peeters an endocrinologist at the Erasmus medical centre in Rotterdam and Shakib Sana a GP was given a national number last month and has been inundated with inquiries. Staffed mainly by volunteer medical students from rooms made available in the university hospitals of Utrecht Amsterdam Nijmegen Maastricht and Rotterdam the service has met an extraordinary response Peeters said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/05/covid-vaccination-doubt-line-receiving-up-to-1000-calls-a-day-in-the-netherlands 6th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

BBC News Boris Johnson has accused antivaccine campaigners of speaking mumbo jumbo when it comes to coronavirus jabs. The prime minister said those spreading false information on social media were totally wrong and it was time for him to call them out. Some European countries are making vaccination mandatory but Mr Johnson stressed it was important for the UK to maintain its voluntary approach. In the UK 90 of over12s have now had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. And nearly 83 have had a second dose while 60 have had their booster or third primary dose. Thursdays coronavirus figures showed 179756 new cases had been reported in the UK and 231 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59898498 6th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

BBC News Hundreds of passengers have been issued fines for not wearing face coverings on Londons transport network since it was made mandatory. Compulsory face coverings were reinstated amid rising concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid19. Penalty notices up to 200 were issued to 536 people between 30 November and 21 December the Mayor of London said. Figures showed a further 287 passengers have penalties being processed by Transport for London TfL. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-59893269 6th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Novak Djokovic faced at least 72 hours holed up in a Melbourne hotel for immigration detainees after he was denied entry into Australia on Thursday amid a political firestorm over hismedical exemption from COVID19 vaccination requirements. The tennis star who is chasing a recordbreaking 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open remained in the country after his lawyers launched an appeal seeking to overturn the federal government decision. A court agreed not to deport him before a full hearing scheduled for Monday. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/exclusive-novak-djokovic-denied-entry-australia-seeking-injunction-stop-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg The family of Novak Djokovic accused Australia of trying to deny the top world tennis star a record 10th Grand Slam victory there and his countrys president denounced what he called a political campaign over Covid19 protocols. Djokovics lawyers mounted a legal challenge against Australias decision to hold him at a hotel used for detaining refugees and expel him after federal officials overruled a state vaccine exemption for the tennis star that sparked a national uproar. Due to compete in the Australian Open this month the Serbian player offered insufficient proof to enter the country under current pandemic rules the Australian Border Force said Thursday. While he was earlier granted a medical exemption to enter the state of Victoria the federal government revoked that after officials questioned the athlete for hours at Melbourne Airport. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-05/djokovic-australian-visa-request-in-jeopardy-amid-vaccine-row 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The Gavi vaccine alliance is in talks with Indias Bharat Biotech over potential procurement of the companys Covaxin COVID19 shot for the COVAX global vaccine distribution programme a Gavi spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday. We are in discussion with Bharat Biotech as we consider the overall needs of the COVAX portfolio in 2022. However we have no agreement for supply of Covaxin to COVAX at this time the spokesperson said in an email. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/gavi-indiaa-bharat-discussing-possible-covax-use-covaxin-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters More than 85 of Indonesias population has antibodies against COVID19 a governmentcommissioned survey showed but epidemiologists warned it was not clear whether this immunity could help contain a fresh wave of coronavirus infections. The survey conducted between October and December by researchers at the University of Indonesia found Indonesians had developed antibodies from a combination of COVID19 infections and vaccinations. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-survey-finds-85-population-have-covid-19-antibodies-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Pandemic may be affecting infants brains Coronavirus infection during pregnancy does not appear to affect infants brain function but the pandemic itself may be having an impact a study published on Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics suggests. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pandemic-may-affect-infants-brain-development-coronavirus-can-trigger-kidney-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Speciality vaccines company Valneva VLS.PA said it was keeping its previous timetable on clinical trials and regulatory submissions for its VLA2001 COVID19 vaccine candidate with regulatory approvals targeted in the first quarter of this year. We continue to believe that our inactivated vaccine candidate could be an important component of the fight against COVID19 and Valneva remains fully committed to bringing VLA2001 to people who need it as soon as we can said Valneva chief executive Thomas Lingelbach. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/vaccines-company-valneva-sticks-goal-covid-vaccine-approvals-q1-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said on Wednesday it expanded the eligibility of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SEs booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. The move came after a panel of outside experts advising the CDC voted earlier to recommend booster shots of the COVID19 vaccine be made available for ages 12 to 15. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/cdc-advisory-panel-favor-pfizer-vaccine-booster-ages-12-15-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg on MSN.com U.S. public health advisers said vaccinated teens should get a Covid19 booster shot from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE an important step in efforts to expand immunizations and keep schools open. The panel of outside experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to 13 to 1 to recommend the booster shot for people ages 12 to 17 who received their second dose at least five months earlier. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed the recommendation making it official. https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/other/pfizer-covid-booster-gets-panel-e2-80-99s-backing-for-use-in-teens/ar-AAStyAH 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News With rapid testing becoming a key tool in the fight against Covid19 in a midOctober call with the White House I offered to sell my Covid testing company recently valued at 99.8 million to the government for just 1. As an alternative I also offered to sell the government our test at cost. My company Global Diagnostic Systems had just completed clinical trials showing our rapid Covid19 home test had 100 sensitivity meaning no false negatives and 95 specificity meaning just 5 false positives. On hearing about this performance a senior White House official told me Apply to the FDA ASAP. https://www.statnews.com/2022/01/06/make-home-covid-19-tests-highly-sensitive-to-infection/ 6th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News A new study raises significant doubts about whether athome rapid antigen tests can detect the Omicron variant before infected people can transmit the virus to others. The study looks at 30 people from settings including Broadway theaters and offices in New York and San Francisco where some workers were not only being tested daily but were because of rules at their workplaces receiving both the antigen tests and a daily test that used the polymerase chain reaction or PCR which is believed to be more reliable. On days 0 and 1 following a positive PCR test all of the antigen tests used produced falsenegative results even though in 28 of the 30 cases levels of virus detected by the PCR test were high enough to infect other people. In four cases researchers were able to confirm that infected people transmitted the virus to others during the period before they had a positive result on the rapid antigen test. https://www.statnews.com/2022/01/05/study-raises-doubts-about-rapid-covid-tests-reliability-in-early-days-after-infection/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN While the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to drive up Covid19 cases and hospitalizations and the numbers are likely to get worse before they get better health experts say its critical Americans continue safe practices to prevent infections. I dont buy the idea that we are all going to get Omicron and therefore just give up trying. I think thats wrong Dr. Robert Wachter chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco told CNNs Erin Burnett on Wednesday. Its likely that the next month is going to be awful he said. But this does not mean that everyone should assume they will catch the virus he said noting the pattern of Omicron infections in the UK and South Africa. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/06/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News A total of 125 passengers who arrived in the northern Indian city of Amritsar on a chartered flight from Italy have tested positive for Covid19. They will be placed in isolation health officials said. They were among 179 passengers on the flight from Milan which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon. India reported more than 90000 cases on Thursday a nearly sixfold rise over the past week that experts say is fuelled by the Omicron variant. The country recorded 325 deaths in the 24 hours but only one has been linked to Omicron officials said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-59894989 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Thailand on Thursday raised its COVID19 alert level following rising infections driven by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus a senior health official said. The change from level three to four sets a pretext for possible measures that could follow such as closing highrisk areas and placing restrictions on domestic travel or public gatherings. Thailand has entered a new wave of infections where new cases will be rising fast said Kiattiphum Wongrajit permanent secretary of the health ministry. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/thailand-raises-covid-19-alert-level-due-omicron-spread-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant Australias daily coronavirus infections soared to a fresh peak on Thursday overwhelming hospitals while isolation rules caused labour shortages putting a strain on businesses and supply chains. With Thursdays count still incomplete Australia so far has reported 72392 new infections easily exceeding the high of 64774 set a day earlier. Western Australia is due to post its new cases later. Prime Minister Scott Morrison facing a federal election before May is under pressure over his handling of the Omicron outbreak due to stock shortages of antigen tests and hourslong wait times at testing centres. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-suffers-record-covid-cases-straining-businesses-supply-chains-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Mexico is likely to surpass 300000 deaths from COVID19 this week the fifth highest death toll worldwide as infections rise after the holiday season fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism.Infections have more than doubled to 20000 during the last week when many tourists visited Mexico from the United States and Canada. Eleven of Mexicos 32 states decided not to resume inperson school classes this week with cases climbing fast. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-nears-300000-deaths-covid-19-cases-surge-after-holidays-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant Belgiums daily cases of COVID19 reached a new peak this week with health experts warning of between 30000 and 125000 cases a day by midJanuary in the nation of 11 million. The fifth wave has started. The weekly average has risen by 82 virologist Steven Van Gucht told a news conference following a government meeting on the coronavirus situation. Home to the European Union institutions and NATO Belgium registered 27199 new COVID19 cases on Jan. 3 beating a record set in Nov. 2020 and hit a fresh high of over 28000 on Jan. 4 as Omicron hit the country a little later than Britain Spain and France. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belgium-suffers-record-covid-cases-adapts-quarantine-strategy-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Argentina broke its record for COVID19 infections on Wednesday approaching 100000 daily cases as it faces a third wave of the pandemic driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. But the record of 95159 officially confirmed cases coming in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere summer holiday season with tourist centers full of travelers has not translated into a similar exponential rise in COVIDrelated deaths which totaled 52. We do not have a strong impact on intensive therapy units and less in terms of deaths the chief of staff of the Ministry of Health Sonia Tarragona told local radio station Urbana Play. The cases are mild or moderate and they are not putting stress on the health system. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/argentina-breaks-covid-19-case-record-daily-infections-near-100000-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters A diabetic man who died in the western state of Rajasthan was Indias first fatality from the Omicron COVID19 variant the health ministry said on Wednesday adding that overall infections had doubled to 58097 over the past four days. The health ministry reported that total Omicron infections had risen to at least 2135 just over a month since the first case was detected in the country. Government officials privately say daily cases in the countrys third wave of infections could surpass the record of more than 414000 hit last May. They also warn that many people are taking the Omicron variant lightly and not wearing masks as most cases have been mild. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-new-covid-19-cases-double-four-days-58097-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Britain on Wednesday reported record COVID19 prevalence for the last week of 2021 with one in 15 people in England infected as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said cases were increasing at the fastest rate ever. The increasing number of cases has put huge strains on public services such as hospitals which face staff shortages and growing admissions. Johnson has resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England. Instead he has bet that a vaccine booster drive and caution among the population will be enough to constrain the latest wave of infections despite the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-reports-record-covid-19-prevalence-omicron-surges-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters New coronavirus cases in the Netherlands jumped to a record high of around 24500 on Wednesday as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has become dominant in the country official data showed. Infections were up almost 60 from last week despite a strict lockdownthat has closed all but essential stores as well as restaurants hairdressers gyms museums and other public places since Dec 19. The previous record of just under 24000 cases in 24 hours was set during the wave of infections caused by the Delta variant of the virus that swamped hospitals throughout the country in late November. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/netherlands-registers-record-number-coronavirus-cases-24-hours-2022-01-05/ 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Officials in Hong Kong have disclosed the first preliminary positive case of Covid19 from an unknown source in almost three months a worrying sign as the city works to contain an omicron cluster. The citys health department suspects that the patient an unvaccinated worker in the North Point area of the city carries the omicron variant although whole genome sequencing still needs to be conducted to confirm if thats the case according to a government statement on Tuesday. The highly contagious variant has already scuttled the border reopening with China and sent hundreds of city residents to the governmentrun quarantine facility in an effort to contain the outbreak before it spreads. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced a vaccine requirement for restaurants and public leisure facilities will be imposed from February 24. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/hong-kong-reports-first-covid-case-from-unknown-source-in-months 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg The U.S. added more than 1 million people to its Covid19 case count on Monday as the true scope of a surge in infections over the holidays began to round into view. The highly mutated variant combined with delayed reporting by local governments over the holidays led to a singleday record for new cases for any country in the world. Mondays number is almost double the previous mark of about 590000 set just four days ago in the U.S. which itself was a doubling from the prior week. Using a sevenday average which smooths out the unevenness of data across the country cases climbed to 485363 a day on Monday more than doubling in the span of a week. The data is compiled by Johns Hopkins University which relies on local governments some of which may take more time than others to update their figures. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/u-s-sets-new-global-daily-record-of-over-1-million-virus-cases 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Englands National Health Service faces an unquantifiable challenge to clear a record backlog of patients as a result of the pandemic rising pressure on emergency departments and a failure to hire and train enough staff a committee of U.K. lawmakers said. Close to 6 million patients are waiting for elective care a figure that could double by 2025 as the crisis caused by Covid19 weighs heavily on the NHS according to a report published Thursday by Parliaments Health and Social Care Committee. Waiting times in emergency departments have also hit the worst levels since records began with one in four patients waiting longer than four hours to be admitted transferred or discharged in October. Thats despite about 4800 extra doctors and 1200 more nurses working in the NHS in October 2021 compared to the previous year according to the latest NHS workforce statistics. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-06/staffing-crisis-threatens-plan-to-clear-u-k-hospital-backlogs 6th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Hospitals across the U.S. are feeling the wrath of the omicron variant and getting thrown into disarray that is different from earlier COVID19 surges. This time they are dealing with serious staff shortages because so many health care workers are getting sick with the fastspreading variant. People are showing up at emergency rooms in large numbers in hopes of getting tested for COVID19 putting more strain on the system. And a surprising share of patients twothirds in some places are testing positive while in the hospital for other reasons. At the same time hospitals say the patients arent as sick as those who came in during the last surge. Intensive care units arent as full and ventilators arent needed as much as they were before. The pressures are neverthless prompting hospitals to scale back nonemergency surgeries and close wards while National Guard troops have been sent in in several states to help at medical centers and testing sites. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-49810a71d2ca21c4b56adb1d1092b6dd 5th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press California is struggling to staff hospitals and classrooms as an astonishing spike in coronavirus infections sweeps through the state. The fastspreading omicron variant of COVID19 is sidelining exposed or infected health care workers even as hospital beds fill with patients and some facilities are going to be strapped Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Wednesday. Some 40 of hospitals are expecting to face critical staff shortages and some are reporting as much as one quarter of their staff out for virusrelated reasons said Kiyomi Burchill of the California Hospital Association. In Fresno County more than 300 workers at area hospitals were either isolating because of exposure or recovering said Dan Lynch the countys emergency medical services director. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-education-california-8b3e0598c71fb86e5912cbe47fed8518 5th Jan 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters More cities in central Chinas Henan province imposed COVID restrictions as infections there rose sharply while authorities in the northwestern city of Xian apologised on Thursday to a woman whose miscarriage during lockdown stirred public outrage. Henan reported 64 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Wednesday up from just four a day earlier official data showed on Thursday. While those numbers are small by global standards and no cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant have been reported so far in Henan several cities there imposed new limits on travel and other activities in response. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-henan-imposes-more-covid-curbs-cases-spike-though-numbers-small-2022-01-06/ 6th Jan 2022