Listed below are some extra professional recommendations on easy methods to have a Covid-safe Christmas, from slicing again on socialising to staying open air.
11:46
A brand new Guardian Australia sequence, Inside Covid, is taking an in-depth take a look at the tales which have remained hidden from public view through the pandemic.
This newest instalment hears from three intensive care employees about what life has actually been like on the ward.
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11:12
Germany has added the US, Spain and Portugal to its checklist of excessive danger areas for Covid whereas eradicating Austria, Reuters reviews.
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11:09
Honduras started giving booster photographs to all adults on Thursday, in efforts to suppress Omicron after beforehand solely providing boosters to healthcare employees and weak individuals.
“At this time we’re giving the Pfizer vaccine to the inhabitants aged 18 and above who’ve already had a second dose three months in the past. Now we have not confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant, however we should forestall it,” well being minister Alba Flores stated.
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11:03
UK breaks day by day Covid infections tally once more with nearly 120,000 new circumstances
The UK detected 119,789 new Covid infections previously 24 hours, a 139% rise on the 50,023 new circumstances recorded on Thursday two weeks in the past.
An extra 147 individuals died from Covid-related causes, in comparison with 146 deaths recorded on Thursday final week.
The NHS England nationwide medical director, Stephen Powis, stated the NHS was “on a warfare footing and workers are taking the battle to Omicron”.
The UK well being secretary, Sajid Javid, stated ministers wouldn’t be imposing any recent restrictions in England earlier than Christmas, regardless of new circumstances on Wednesday rising above 100,000 for the primary time within the pandemic.
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10:45
Vatican Metropolis has introduced tighter restrictions for all Vatican employees, requiring them to point out a inexperienced cross of Covid vaccination or virus restoration as a result of a “worsening of the present well being emergency”.
Beforehand, the unvaccinated might enter workplaces if they’d proof of a damaging check, however this may not be acceptable.
It comes after Italy moved to tighten restrictions to curb a pointy rise in Covid infections, together with making mask-wearing obligatory open air once more. (See our earlier publish.)
Early information advised the extremely mutated Omicron variant accounted for 28% of Italian circumstances on 20 December, well being authorities stated.
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10:23
Poland reported 17,156 new Covid circumstances previously 24 hours, in accordance with Polskie Radio, a 37.5% lower on the 27,459 recorded on Thursday two weeks in the past.
Poland’s most up-to-date wave noticed circumstances spike in late November and early December earlier than receding in latest weeks. However Omicron – with 14 circumstances detected far in Poland – has led to fears of a resurgence.
An extra 616 individuals died associated to Covid on Thursday, a ten% enhance on the 561 deaths two weeks in the past. A complete of 93,445 in Poland have died with the virus.
That is Jem Bartholomew taking cost of the worldwide weblog for some time. Drop me an e mail or message me on Twitter with any suggestions or tales, it’s all the time nice to listen to from you.
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09:56
Zambia will introduce booster vaccines from 27 December because it battles the coronavirus, which has contaminated over 200,000 individuals and killed greater than 3,000.
Reuters reviews:
The southern African nation additionally plans to start out vaccinating youngsters aged 12-17, who till now haven’t been eligible for the Covid-19 jab, well being minister Sylvia Masebo stated at a media briefing.
Masebo stated main vaccination, at present under 15% of the eligible inhabitants, would stay a precedence as Zambia seeks to boost its protection to 70% by June subsequent yr.
09:47
Denmark would require foreigners coming into the nation to offer a damaging Covid-19 check from 27 December, no matter vaccination standing.
Reuters reviews:
The requirement follows comparable bulletins from Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland earlier this week.
Below the brand new guidelines, all non-citizens and non-residents looking for to enter the nation might want to current a damaging PCR check taken inside 72 hours, or a damaging speedy antigen check taken inside 48 hours, the Danish ministry of well being stated in an announcement.
The principles are set to be in drive till a minimum of 17 January and failure to conform will end in a tremendous of three,500 Danish kroner (£396).
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09:35
The US Meals and Drug Administration has authorised Merck & Co’s antiviral tablet for Covid-19, after giving the go-ahead to an analogous remedy from Pfizer a day earlier.
Reuters reviews:
Merck’s drug, molnupiravir, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, was proven to scale back hospitalisations and deaths by round 30% in a medical trial of high-risk people early in the middle of the sickness. The company authorised the oral drug for the remedy of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults who’re liable to extreme illness.
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09:34
The north-eastern Spanish area of Catalonia will ban residents from leaving their properties between 1am and 6am from the morning of 24 December, though different areas proceed to take a much less stringent method.
Reuters reviews that the area gained courtroom approval for an evening curfew on Thursday as Madrid pledged to distribute hundreds of thousands extra check kits to sort out the Omicron variant.
Southern Murcia has additionally advised non-essential companies to close at 1am, curbing revelry in a rustic the place bars and eating places routinely keep open till the small hours.
“The thought is to attempt to restrict, through the Christmas season, social interactions the place the masks isn’t used,” Murcia’s regional chief, Fernando López Miras stated as he defined the measure, which northern Aragon was additionally contemplating.
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09:25
The Guardian’s US staff have interviewed consultants on easy methods to make the Christmas holidays as secure from Omicron as potential, with helpful recommendation that’s relevant to a lot of different nations.
08:47
Italy is planning to tighten restrictions to curb a pointy rise in Covid-19 infections, together with making mask-wearing obligatory open air once more.
The prime minister’s workplace stated that amongst different measures that look set to be permitted when the cupboard meets in a while Thursday might be an order making it obligatory to put on the extra protecting FFP2 face masks in public areas reminiscent of theatres, cinemas and at sports activities occasions, Reuters reviews.
The assertion stated the federal government was additionally contemplating closing discos and golf equipment up till New 12 months’s Eve.
The validity of Covid-19 well being certificates, which give entry to an array of locations and companies, might be minimize to 6 months from 9 months.
As well as, the federal government is reviewing whether or not to hurry up booster photographs, seen as the best protect in opposition to the Omicron variant, by slicing the ready time after the second vaccine to 4 months from 5.
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08:37
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for infectious illness confirmed the nation’s first loss of life as a result of Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Thursday, Reuters reviews. The one who died was between the age of 60 and 79, the institute stated.
There have been 810 new Omicron circumstances reported, bringing the full variety of circumstances with the variant to three,198. The one circumstances counted are these which might be detected by whole-genome sequencing or a diagnostic suspicion primarily based on a variant-specific PCR check.