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00:43
Tsunami-hit Tonga goes into lockdown
Tonga has gone into lockdown after recording two Covid-19 instances amongst port staff serving to distribute worldwide assist within the wake of the volcanic eruption and tsunami that devastated the Pacific nation final month.
The instances appear to substantiate fears amongst Tongan officers that the arrival of assist may convey an outbreak of the virus, which may signify an even bigger hazard to Tonga than the tsunami.
The prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, stated the lockdown, which started at 6pm on Wednesday, might be open-ended, however will final for a minimum of 48 hours, at which level it is going to be reviewed.
Tonga remains to be reeling from the eruption of the undersea Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on 15 January, which despatched gasoline 20km into the air, prompted a tsunami, with waves reaching 15 metres (49ft), and blanketed the nation in ash.
Learn the complete story from our Pacific editor Kate Lyons right here.
00:25
France eases Covid curbs, together with outside mask-wearing
France will start to carry some Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday, together with obligatory outside mask-wearing, Agence France-Presse studies.
Viewers capability limits for live performance halls, sporting matches and different occasions may even be eliminated, and though homeworking will not be mandated it’s going to nonetheless be really useful.
The transfer begins a two-part leisure of curbs introduced on the finish of January – regardless of the nation hitting report ranges of day by day instances final month – and comes as England and Denmark additionally eased their restrictions.
France “will have the ability to carry a lot of the restrictions taken to curb the epidemic in February” because of the brand new vaccination go, which changed the well being go, prime minister Jean Castex stated in January.
The second stage of the curb-lifting will see nightclubs, shut since December, reopen on 16 February and standing areas will once more be allowed at concert events, sporting occasions and bars.
Paris has not made the easing of restrictions conditional on the progress of the well being state of affairs. Authorities view the specter of the Omicron variant as restricted and fewer harmful than earlier strains of the virus, though it’s extra contagious.
A median of 322,256 instances had been recorded over the earlier seven days, in response to newest figures, in contrast with 366,179 per week in the past.
00:17
Welcome and abstract of key developments
Hiya and welcome to the Guardian’s stay protection of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Virginia Harrison.
France will start lifting coronavirus restrictions together with obligatory outside mask-wearing on Wednesday in a bid to ease residents’ day by day lives, dividing opinion because the nation solely final month reported report Covid-19 infections.
Tonga has entered a lockdown after recording two Covid-19 instances amongst port staff serving to distribute worldwide assist within the wake of the volcanic eruption and tsunami that devastated the Pacific nation final month.
Right here’s what else has been occurring over the previous 24 hours:
- The WHO has stated the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, typically often known as a “stealth” subvariant, is beginning to outcompete BA.1. The BA.2 sub-variant has now been detected in 57 nations and accounted for greater than half of all sequenced Omicron instances, the UN company stated.
- The UK prime minister Boris Johnson attended a leaving do for a No 10 aide in the course of the strict post-Christmas lockdown, which is now underneath police investigation, the Guardian has discovered. Prosecco is alleged to have been drunk by some workers, with Johnson understood to have given a speech thanking the official for his or her work and staying for round 5 minutes.
- Within the US kids underneath 5, the final group of People nonetheless ineligible for vaccines in opposition to Covid-19, could quickly obtain emergency authorisation for the pictures, however getting all kids vaccinated stays a severe problem.
- The Covid pandemic has “destroyed morale” amongst college leaders in England, who really feel they’ve been scapegoated for presidency failures in the course of the disaster as an alternative of being hailed as heroes for his or her function on the frontline, MPs might be informed in a briefing on Wednedsay.
- China reported 63 confirmed coronavirus instances for 1 February, down barely from 66 a day earlier, the nation’s well being authority stated on Wednesday.
- Meantime, on the Winter Olympics in Beijing, 32 new Covid infections had been detected amongst Video games-related personnel on 1 February. Seventeen had been within the “closed loop” bubble that separates all occasion staff from the general public.
- Well being staff on the frontline of the Covid vaccination programme in India say individuals are being formally registered as double vaccinated with out receiving each doses due to stress to satisfy authorities targets.
- Australia recorded 69 Covid deaths because the nation continued to battle the unfold of the Omicron variant with worrying outbreaks in some distant communities.
- Two years into the pandemic in Japan, some residents in former vacationer hotspot Kyoto admit that they’ve discovered to embrace life with out international guests
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