30th Dec 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=569 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English France is seeing a tsunami of COVID19 infections with 208000 cases reported during the past 24 hours on Wednesday a new national and European record Health Minister Olivier Veran has told lawmakers. France has been breaking infection records repeatedly during the past few days with Tuesdays 180000 cases already the highest for a country in Europe according to data on Covidtracker.fr. This means that 24 hours a day day and night every second in our country two French people are diagnosed positive Veran said. We have never experienced such a situation he said describing the increase in cases as dizzying. Global COVID19 infections have hit record highs during the past seven days data from the Reuters and AFP news agencies showed on Wednesday as the new Omicron variant spreads rapidly keeping many workers at home and overwhelming testing centres. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/29/france-report-record-of-more-than-200000-daily-covid-cases 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out new cases of COVID19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265000 per day on average a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. New cases per day have more than doubled over the past two weeks eclipsing the old mark of 250000 set in midJanuary according to data kept by Johns Hopkins University. The fastspreading mutant version of the virus has cast a pall over Christmas and New Years forcing communities to scale back or call off their festivities just weeks after it seemed as if Americans were about to enjoy an almost normal holiday season. Thousands of flights have been canceled amid staffing shortages blamed on the virus. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-c69d1521b6411b6b78aae85d95165f5c 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters COVID19 deaths and hospitalizations are comparatively low as the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday as cases in the United States reached a record high. In a few short weeks Omicron has rapidly increased across the country and we expect will continue to circulate in the coming weeks. While cases have substantially increased from last week hospitalizations and deaths remain comparatively low right now she said referring to overall cases. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/despite-surge-covid-cases-deaths-hospitalizations-low-walensky-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Top U.S. infectious disease adviser Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday that the surge in the COVID19 Omicron variant in the United States is likely to peak by the end of January. I would imagine given the size of our country and the diversity of vaccination versus not vaccination that its likely to be more than a couple of weeks probably by the end of January he said on CNBC. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fauci-says-omicron-likely-peak-us-by-end-january-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Ireland became the latest country to smash its previous record number of daily COVID19 cases on Wednesday reporting 16428 new infections as those requiring treatment in hospital also began to rise the health department said. That topped the 11182 reported on Dec. 24 with the fast spreading Omicron accounting for almost all cases and making tests hard to come by. There are 568 coronavirus patients in hospital sharply up on the Dec. 25 twomonth low of 378. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ireland-smashes-daily-covid-19-case-record-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The simultaneous circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus is creating a tsunami of cases World Health Organization WHO directorgeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Wednesday. Delta and Omicrom are now twin threats driving up cases to record numbers leading to spikes in hospitalisation and deaths said Tedros. I am highly concerned that Omicron being highly transmissible and spreading at the same time as Delta is leading to a tsunami of cases. https://www.reuters.com/world/whos-tedros-concerned-about-tsunami-cases-covid-19-variants-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Bolivia reported late on Tuesday an alltime record of 4934 new cases of COVID19 as the omicron variant spreads worldwide but without any confirmed cases of the variant in the Andean nation. This is the worst epidemiological storm that we have lived through since the pandemic started said Carlos Hurtado a top health official in Santa Cruz the countrys most populated region and the most affected by the spread of the virus. Bolivia is going through its fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Its previous record number of infections had been of 3179 cases on May 25 during its third wave according to Reuters data. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolivia-reports-all-time-record-covid-infections-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Lockdown Exit

CNN Many countries in Latin America were hit with soaring Covid19 death rates early in the pandemic as coronavirus raged throughout the region. The tide is turning in many Latin American nations today where vaccination rates are outpacing countries in Europe and North America and helping drive down deaths. The vaccine rollout was slow at the start with just getting the vaccines in hand a major issue. Just six months ago Latin America and the Caribbean were reporting just under half of all Covid19 related deaths worldwide. Now the region accounts for about 10 of Covid19 related deaths according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. Thats due to the accelerated delivery of European American Chinese and homegrown vaccines that a number of Latin American nations have received in the second half of this year according to Pan American Health Organization PAHO data. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/28/americas/latin-america-vaccination-rates-intl/index.html 28th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News A fresh booster jab drive has been launched by the NHS in an effort to protect more people from the rapid spread of the COVID19 Omicron variant. Another 650000 text messages and 50000 letters will be sent in the coming days to those people who are yet to get their third vaccine dose asking them to have a jabby new year. Millions were contacted earlier in the week with a similar message encouraging people to book their boosters as soon as possible. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-fresh-vaccine-booster-drive-launched-amid-continued-rise-in-coronavirus-cases-12505504 29th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Australia will seek to make urgent changes to COVID19 testing rules to ease pressure on test sites as infections surged and the countrys most populous state reported a near doubling in daily cases. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday Australia needed a gear change to manage overburdened laboratories and get people out of isolation. He called a snap meeting of the national cabinet on Thursday. We just cant have everybody just being taken out of circulation because they just happen to be at a particular place at a particular time Morrison said during a media briefing. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-omicron-outbreak-strains-testing-clinics-cases-hit-records-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Approval of a third COVID19 vaccine dose for U.S. children aged 1215 could be days or weeks away the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC told CNN in an interview. Asked when children in that age group could receive a booster shot CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said So the FDA Food and Drug Administration is looking at that right now. Of course the CDC will swiftly follow as soon as we hear from them and Im hoping to have that in the days to weeks ahead. It was not immediately clear however that Pfizer Inc and its partner BioNTech SE the only manufacturer whose COVID19 vaccine is approved for kids has formally sought FDA approval for a booster in children ages 1215. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-cdc-chief-hopes-make-call-covid-boosters-12-15-year-olds-days-weeks-cnn-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal As states grapple with how to rein in the spreading Omicron variant many governors and health officials are applying a lighter touch than during previous Covid19 surges as they are armed with more tools to combat the virus and increasingly mindful of the economic harm caused by sweeping restrictions. Many decision makers say they are trying to avoid strict measures enacted during previous Covid19 surges by encouraging vaccinations increasing capacity for rapid testing and closely watching factors such as hospital admissions and boostershot uptake. Im trying to build longterm solutions New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu a Republican said in an interview Tuesday adding that he expects the pandemic may be a part of life for a while. So the answer there is not to turn things on and off as things surge or dont surge. We have the tools to manage this. https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-omicron-variant-spreads-states-aim-for-balance-between-curbs-and-safety-11640714214 29th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News Coronavirus tests could be temporarily unavailable to order due to exceptionally high demand the UK Health Security Agency has warned. Demand is surging as the more transmissible Omicron variant pushes cases numbers to record levels. Lateral flow and PCR tests were both unavailable for home delivery across the UK via the government website on Wednesday morning. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-lateral-flow-and-pcr-tests-unavailable-for-delivery-on-government-website-as-case-numbers-surge-12505634 29th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Germany is buying 1 million packs of Pfizer Inc.s newly approved pill to treat Covid19 securing supplies as infections from the fastspreading omicron variant rise rapidly. The Paxlovid drug is extremely promising because it can help people who risk falling seriously ill Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told German news agency DPA. The countrys health authorities reported a total of 10443 omicron cases as of Tuesday a 43 jump from the previous day. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-28/germany-buys-pfizer-s-covid-pill-amid-surging-omicron-cases 28th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent The Covid jab is one of the most expensive vaccines in history for poorer countries analysis shows raising further the concern that those most in need will continue to struggle to access the lifesaving vaccines in the coming year. Despite international promises that the vaccines would be made available at the cheapest prices to lowerincome countries these nations are paying well above the expected cost. World Health Organisation WHO data analysed by The Independent shows that governments of lowerincome countries are paying a median price of 6.88 5.12 per dose for Covid vaccines. Before the pandemic developing countries paid a median price of 0.80 a dose for nonCovid jabs WHO figures show. The price is high relative to the other vaccines used worldwide and in large quantities said Tania Cernuschi team lead for the WHOs global access immunisation vaccines and biologicals department. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-poorer-countries-latest-doses-b1978215.html 28th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

AlJazeera US President Joe Biden has formally ordered an end to travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant saying that the curbs are no longer necessary to protect the public health. Biden issued a proclamation on Tuesday repealing the restrictions on travel into the United States from South Africa Botswana Zimbabwe Namibia Lesotho Eswatini Mozambique and Malawi. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/28/biden-confirms-end-of-omicron-travel-curbs-for-african-nations 28th Dec 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters U.S. health authorities on Monday shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases of COVID19 to five days from the previous guidance of 10 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said the asymptomatic people after isolation should follow five days of wearing a mask when around others. It also recommended a fiveday quarantine for those exposed to the virus who are unvaccinated or are over six months out from their second mRNA dose or more than two months after the Johnson Johnson vaccine and not yet boosted. The quarantine period should be followed by strict mask use for an additional five days. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/cdc-cuts-quarantine-time-all-americans-with-covid-19-5-days-2021-12-27/ 28th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

The Independent Yossi Levy has repeatedly booked and canceled his coronavirus vaccine appointment. The 45yearold ultraOrthodox Jew recovered from the virus earlier this year as have his eight children and wife. But a combination of lethargy and procrastination has prevented him from following through and getting inoculated. It isnt something pressing. Im not opposed to it. Its just laziness he said. Levy is among the hundreds of thousands of ultraOrthodox Jews who have yet to receive their COVID19 shots. The group has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country despite being hit hard by the pandemic. Facing the new coronavirus variant omicron officials are now scrambling to ramp up vaccination rates in a population that has so far been slow to roll up their sleeves. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/covid-jews-jerusalem-judaism-israelis-b1983176.html 29th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will not vaccinate his 11yearold daughter against COVID19 he said on Monday maintaining the firm antivaccine stance that has drawn criticism from public health experts and hit his poll numbers. The rightwing leader added that the nations health minister Marcelo Queiroga will divulge on Jan. 5 the manner in which Brazil will carry out its coronavirus vaccination campaign for 5 to 11yearolds which was approved earlier this month. Children have not been dying in a way that justifies a vaccine for children he told reporters in the southern state of Santa Catarina. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-says-daughter-11-will-not-get-covid-19-jab-2021-12-27/ 29th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Wednesday that the overwhelming majority of patients ending up in intensive care with COVID19 had not received their booster vaccine as he urged people to get their jabs. Johnson on a visit to a vaccine centre said he had been told by some doctors that up to 90 of patients with COVID19 in intensive care had not received their booster vaccines. Im sorry to say this but the overwhelming majority of people who are currently ending up in intensive care in our hospitals are people who are not boosted he said. Ive talked to doctors who say the numbers are running up to 90 of people in intensive care. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-johnson-says-people-without-covid-boosters-ending-up-hospital-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Partisan Exits

The Guardian A growing sense of frustration with people who have not been vaccinated against Covid has been creeping into the speeches of senior government figures from Sajid Javid to Boris Johnson in recent weeks. The health secretary has accused those who have chosen not to take up the offer of free vaccination of taking up hospital beds damaging society and potentially harming their families as well as themselves. The prime minister also began rolling the pitch for a possibly tougher approach towards the unvaccinated when he spoke of the need for a national conversation about how the NHS would cope with the Omicron wave and further new variants. I dont believe we can keep going indefinitely with nonpharmaceutical interventions restrictions on peoples way of life just because a substantial proportion of the population still sadly has not got vaccinated he said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/28/unvaccinated-uk-covid-dilemma-vaccine-refusers 28th Dec 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters A lockdown of 13 million people in the Chinese city of Xian entered its seventh day on Wednesday with many unable to leave their residential compounds and relying on deliveries of necessities as new COVID19 infections persisted. Xian reported 151 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday or nearly all of the 152 cases nationwide bringing the total number of local Xian cases to nearly 1000 during the Dec. 928 period. No cases of the Omicron variant have been announced in the city so far. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reports-197-new-covid-19-cases-dec-28-vs-209-day-earlier-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal A highstakes legal battle is taking shape over lucrative patent rights for Covid19 vaccines with drug companies pitted against each other and government and academic scientists over who invented what. The U.S. government and Moderna Inc. MRNA whose collaboration led to one of the most widely used shots have fought over who discovered a key component and owns its rights. Meantime Pfizer Inc. PFE and BioNTech SE makers of another leading vaccine are in a patent battle with a smaller company and some analysts think they could end up facing off against Moderna. At the heart of the disputes Who can claim to have invented important elements of the Covid19 vaccines Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. If anyone succeeds in establishing a role in the discovery of the vaccines Pfizer and Moderna would have to share with others a bigger cut of the tens of billions of dollars in vaccine sales being generated. Its scientific credit and money. Thats what people want said Jacob Sherkow a professor who specializes in biotechnology intellectual property at the University of Illinois College of Law. This is a major biotech invention for which tens of billions of dollars are riding on the line. https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-invented-covid-vaccines-11640726776 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

iNews Scientists developing a Covid19 vaccine skin patch say the invention could revolutionise the coronavirus immunisation process by delivering it to people through the post and allowing them to vaccinate themselves by simply sticking it on their skin. Experts at Lancaster University have developed a new Covid19 vaccine which has shown highly promising results in animal trials and they are already working on a nasal spray method of delivery. However researchers have revealed they are now developing a patch version of the same vaccine which will have exciting implications if it proves successful in trials and is approved. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-patch-alternative-jabs-protection-like-plaster-home-delivery-1365876 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters An Israeli hospital administered fourth COVID19 vaccine doses to a test group of health workers on Monday in what it called the first major study into whether a second round of boosters will help contend with the fastspreading Omicron variant. Results of the trial likely to be closely watched internationally will be submitted to Israels Health Ministry in about two weeks said a spokesperson for Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv. Israel was the fastest country to roll out initial vaccinations a year ago and became one of the first to launch a booster programme after observing that immunity waned over time https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/israel-tests-4th-covid-vaccine-dose-awaits-ministry-green-light-2021-12-27/ 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Israels Oramed Pharmaceuticals said on Wednesday its Oravax Medical unit signed a deal with Vietnams Tan Thanh Holdings for the preorder of 10 million doses of its oral COVID19 vaccine that is in clinical trials. The agreement gives Tan Thanh a drug distributor the right to sell Oravaxs oral vaccine in development throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN which includes Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar the Philippines Singapore Thailand and Vietnam Oramed said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/israels-oramed-gets-vietnam-pre-order-10-mln-covid-19-vaccine-doses-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Infection with the omicron coronavirus variant can also strengthen immunity against the earlier delta strain reducing the risk of severe disease according to a paper released by South African scientists. While omicron has been shown to be highly transmissible and can evade some antibodies after two weeks of getting symptoms immunity to subsequent infections from the strain rose 14fold according to the authors led by Alex Sigal and Khadija Khan of the Durban South Africabased Africa Health Research Institute. A smaller improvement was found against delta they said. If we are lucky omicron is less pathogenic and this immunity will help push delta out said Sigal who has previously found a twodose course of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SEs Covid19 shot as well as a previous infection may give stronger protection against omicron. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-28/omicron-may-reduce-delta-infections-south-african-study-shows 29th Dec 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg The omicron variant thats taking the world by storm is not the same disease we were seeing a year ago a University of Oxford immunologist said reinforcing reports about the strains milder nature. The strain first discovered at the end of November appears to be less severe and even patients who do end up in the hospital spend less time there John Bell regius professor of medicine at Oxford said on BBC Radio 4s Today program. The horrific scenes that we saw a year ago intensive care units being full lots of people dying prematurely that is now history in my view and I think we should be reassured that thats likely to continue Bell said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-28/covid-with-omicron-isn-t-same-disease-oxford-scientist-says 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Al Jazeera English The world has hit a new record number of COVID19 cases in a single week according to one tally with daily infections also reaching new highs in the United States Australia and several European countries amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. More than 935000 cases on average have been detected each day between December 22 and 28 according to the tally published by the AFP news agency on Wednesday. In total 6.51 million coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide in the past week. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/29/world-hits-record-number-of-covid-19-cases-in-a-week 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Japan braced for a feared rebound in coronavirus cases as the highways and airports filled with travelers at the start of New Years holidays on Wednesday. The governors of the metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka urged residents to keep endofyear gatherings small as more cases of the Omicron variant of COVID19 come to light including a suspected cluster at an Osaka nursing home. Health officials advised travelers to avail themselves of free coronavirus tests before departure amid fears that an outpouring of city dwellers could spread infections to the countryside. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-braces-omicron-spread-new-years-travelers-fan-across-country-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Thai health authorities warned on Wednesday that residents should brace themselves for a potential jump in coronavirus cases after classifying the countrys first cluster of the Omicron variant as a superspreader incident. The Omicron cluster identified in the northeastern province of Kalasin on Christmas eve has been linked to a couple who had travelled from Belgium and visited bars concerts and markets. The ensuing cluster had infected hundreds with cases spreading to 11 other provinces said senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong citing how one of the bars linked to the cluster had been packed and did not have good ventilation. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/thailand-warns-spike-covid-19-cases-after-super-spreader-event-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters At the St Joseph COVID Treatment Centre in Kinshasa patients lie in ramshackle rooms breathing oxygen from old tanks. The clinic has 38 beds and all but one are occupied. In a backyard littered with medical equipment tents are needed to cope with the overflow. Democratic Republic of Congo is the least vaccinated country against COVID19 in the world. Now a fourth wave of the coronavirus threatens to put greater pressure on its rickety health system than at any time during the pandemic. We have experienced the three previous waves gradually but in the fourth wave cases have jumped overnight said Francois Kajingulu the head of St Joseph. On Monday we had 56 cases and on Saturday we went straight from 30 to 36. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/under-vaccinated-congo-fourth-covid-19-wave-fills-hospitals-2021-12-27/ 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Global COVID19 infections hit a record high over the past sevenday period Reuters data showed on Wednesday as the Omicron variant raced out of control and governments wrestled with how to contain its spread without paralysing fragile economies. Almost 900000 cases were detected on average each day around the world between Dec. 22 and 28 with myriad countries posting new alltime highs in the previous 24 hours including the United States Australia many in Europe and Bolivia. https://www.reuters.com/world/covid-19-cases-surge-around-world-raising-testing-quarantine-fears-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters New Zealand said on Wednesday that a person who tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID19 had briefly been active in the community in Auckland. The person arrived in New Zealand from the United Kingdom on Dec 16 but only tested positive on Dec 17 the health ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the person was in Auckland city on Dec 26 and Dec 27 but that they do not believe the individual was highly infectious at the time of exposure. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-records-first-community-exposures-border-related-omicron-case-2021-12-29/ 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN A fivefold increase in pediatric admissions in New York City this month. Close to double the numbers admitted in Washington DC. And nationwide on average pediatric hospitalizations are up 48 in just the past week. The highly transmissible Omicron variant is teaming up with the busy holiday season to infect more children across the United States than ever before and childrens hospitals are bracing for it to get even worse. I think we are going to see more numbers now than we have ever seen Dr. Stanley Spinner who is chief medical officer and vice president at Texas Childrens Pediatrics Urgent Care in Houston told CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/27/health/covid-kids-hospitals/index.html 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Barron's Covid19 cases are setting records. The daily number of new infections hit alltime highs both in the world and in the U.S. Infections have surged again in the past month as the Omicron coronavirus variantthe latest strain spread like wildfire from country to country. Worldwide the daily number reached 1.49 million on Monday the new high is actually lower than the previous record of 1.5 million set in December 2020 because of reporting irregularities that now have been factored in Bloomberg reported. In the U.S. there were 512553 new confirmed cases on Monday according to Johns Hopkins data. The previous daily high was 303461 set on Jan. 8. https://www.barrons.com/articles/global-covid-cases-record-daily-high-omicron-51640704371 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Wall Street Journal The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating or monitoring 86 cruise ships with reported Covid19 cases on board according to a list posted on its website Tuesday as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads around the world. The CDC investigates a ship if there are one or more reported Covid19 cases among the crew or if cases reported account for at least 0.10 of total passengers in the past seven days. For a ship with 6500 passengers that would mean seven cases would trigger an investigation. As part of the investigation the CDC works with the cruise ship to lower transmission and ensure medical resources on board arent overwhelmed according to the agency. It also gathers additional information such as case exposure histories vaccination rates and details about close contacts. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-investigating-86-cruise-ships-with-covid-19-cases-11640731051 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg The omicron variant is causing an increasing share of coronavirus infections in the U.S. though its climb to dominance has been gentler than earlier estimates indicated according to an updated federal model. Omicron accounted for an estimated 58.6 of sequenced U.S. virus cases in the week ending Dec. 25 the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Nowcast model showed Tuesday up from an estimated 22.5 a week earlier. The oncedominant delta variant accounted for 41.1 of cases in the most recent period according to the CDC. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-28/omicron-continues-rise-in-new-u-s-data-showing-steadier-ascent 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Much of Asia has largely managed to keep omicron at bay even as the variant rages in other parts of the world but the region that is home to most of the globes population is bracing for what may be an inevitable surge. Strict quarantine rules for arrivals and widespread mask wearing have helped slow the spread of the highly contagious variant in Asia. Countries such as Japan South Korea and Thailand quickly reinstated entry and quarantine restrictions in recent weeks after relaxing them in the fall. But cases are mounting and experts say the next few months will be critical. Those fears have been amplified by doubts about the effectiveness of the Chinesemade vaccines used in China and much of the developing world. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-south-korea-japan-thailand-f0501ef0268ff43b77e87bc181ea4974 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

AlJazeera The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is raising fears of a third wave of the pandemic in India. The country on Wednesday reported a total of nearly 800 Omicron cases while COVID19 infections rose by 9195 new daily cases a 44 percent spike from the previous day. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/29/india-new-covid-wave-omicron-infections-spread 29th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Wall Street Journal Vaccine makers have delivered more Covid19 shots to the worlds poorest nations in recent months but wealthy countries are still receiving a disproportionate share. The unequal distribution global health experts say has hampered efforts to move past the pandemic and allowed new variants like Omicron to emerge. Highincome nations which include the U.S. and are home to a sixth of the worlds population have received nearly half of all 5.9 billion doses made by the four major Western vaccine makers according to healthcare data company Airfinity. https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-covid-19-vaccines-are-reaching-poorer-nations-but-slowly-11640692804 28th Dec 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Portugal on Tuesday reported the biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. There were 17172 new cases in a day more than the previous record of 16432 reported at the end of January the government said in an emailed statement. There were 19 fatalities in a day. The number of patients in intensivecare units rose by two to 152. Thats a fraction of the level reached at the end of January and early February when the country faced one of the worlds worst outbreaks and the number of patients in intensivecare units rose to as high as 904. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-28/portugal-reports-record-number-of-daily-new-coronavirus-cases 28th Dec 2021