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05:32
Suspected Omicron case present in Germany, says state minister
A German state minister has warned that the Omicron variant has “very doubtless already arrived” in Germany, as mutations typical of the variant have been detected in a traveller getting back from South Africa.
“Final night time a number of Omicron-typical mutations have been present in a traveller getting back from South Africa,” tweeted Kai Klose, the minister of state for social affairs and integration within the western German state of Hesse.
The total sequencing of the variant hasn’t but been carried out, however he mentioned well being authorities had a “excessive stage of suspicion” that the particular person has contracted the brand new pressure. The traveller has been remoted at residence.
If confirmed, it might be the primary case of the Omicron variant in Germany.
No additional particulars got in regards to the passenger or which airport the contaminated particular person had arrived at. Frankfurt Worldwide airport, Germany’s busiest airport, is positioned within the state of Hesse.
“When you have returned from southern Africa within the final week, restrict your contacts and get examined,” Klose warned.
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04:06
The UK ought to lower the hole between the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and the booster jab from six to 5 months, the Labour occasion mentioned on Saturday, Reuters reviews.
As the brand new Omicron variant sparked concern world wide, Alex Norris, Labour’s junior well being spokesperson, mentioned:
This new variant is a wake-up name.
The pandemic isn’t over. We have to urgently bolster our defences to maintain the virus at bay.
Yesterday, Labour referred to as on ministers to behave shortly to “get a grip” of the problems earlier than Omicron had an opportunity to take maintain.
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03:49
Omicron variant unlikely to result in ‘reboot of pandemic’ – director of Oxford Vaccine Group
The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, which developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, expressed cautious optimism that present vaccines could possibly be efficient at stopping severe illness from the Omicron variant and mentioned it’s unlikely to lead to a reboot of the pandemic.
Talking on BBC Radio 4’s Right now programme, Prof Sir Andrew Pollard mentioned:
Should you take a look at the place a lot of the mutations are, they’re much like areas of the spike protein which have been seen with different variants to this point and that tells you that regardless of mutations present in different variants, the vaccines have continued to stop very extreme illness as we’ve moved by way of Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.
No less than from a speculative perspective we’ve got some optimism that the vaccine ought to nonetheless work towards this variant for extreme illness however actually we have to wait a number of weeks to have that confirmed.
However this can be very unlikely {that a} reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated inhabitants like we noticed final 12 months goes to occur
Pollard added that it was nonetheless too early from the information in South Africa to make any decisive conclusions of the influence the Omicron variant could have.
He was additionally hopeful {that a} new vaccine, if wanted, could possibly be developed quickly. He mentioned:
The processes of how one goes about creating a brand new vaccine are more and more effectively oiled.
So if it’s wanted that’s one thing that could possibly be moved very quickly.
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03:26
Morning, I’m Aamna Mohdin and I’ll be helming the weblog for the subsequent few hours. If you wish to get in contact, you’ll be able to e-mail me (aamna.mohdin@theguardian.com) or message me on Twitter (@aamnamohdin)
03:03
Sri Lanka is the most recent nation to ban travellers from six southern African international locations on Saturday over considerations in regards to the new Omicron Covid variant.
From Monday, travellers is not going to be allowed into the nation from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini, a press release from the director common of well being providers mentioned, native publication the Deccan Herald reviews.
Travellers who arrived from these six international locations over the previous two days must bear obligatory 14 days quarantine.
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02:56
South Africa’s hospitals see rise in youthful Covid sufferers
The variety of confirmed Omicron Covid instances in South Africa remains to be comparatively low, with 2,828 new confirmed instances recorded on Friday, however its pace in infecting younger folks within the nation has alarmed well being professionals, the Related Press reviews.
“We’re seeing a marked change within the demographic profile of sufferers with Covid-19,” Rudo Mathivha, head of the intensive care unit at Soweto’s Baragwanath hospital, informed an internet press briefing.
“Younger folks, of their 20s to simply over their late 30s, are coming in with reasonable to extreme illness, some needing intensive care. About 65% will not be vaccinated and a lot of the relaxation are solely half-vaccinated,” mentioned Mathivha.
“I’m apprehensive that because the numbers go up, the general public well being care services will turn into overwhelmed.”
She mentioned pressing preparations are wanted to allow public hospitals to deal with a possible massive inflow of sufferers needing intensive care.
Diagnostic exams to this point point out the Omicron variant could also be liable for as many as 90% of the brand new instances, in keeping with South Africa’s well being officers.
Early research present that it has a copy fee of two — which means that each particular person contaminated by it’s prone to unfold it to 2 different folks.
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02:42
Many passengers on the 2 flights that arrived from South Africa to the Netherlands final night time didn’t put on face coverings, New York Occasions reporter Stephanie Nolen says.
Nolen, who was on one aircraft, mentioned many passengers didn’t comply with the well being tips regardless of a masks mandate by Dutch airline KLM, which operated each flights.
We now know that dozens of these passengers examined constructive for Covid, though authorities have but to verify the presence of the Omicron variant.
Passengers have been caught on the airport tarmac for about 4 hours earlier than being despatched to be swabbed, tweeted Nolen, who later mentioned she examined adverse.
“… nonetheless most likely 30% of ppl are sporting no masks or solely over mouth. Dutch authorities not imposing. We’re simply all on this unventilated room at hour 12, respiration on one another,” she added.
“In spite of everything that point with maskless yellers in an unventilated house – we will see what the subsequent days deliver.”
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02:29
As Europe braces for a attainable outbreak of the brand new Omicron coronavirus variant, here’s a fast visible refresh of the place the continent stands in its struggle towards the coronavirus.
This up to date map signifies incidence charges throughout Europe.
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02:23
Sixty-one travellers from South Africa in Netherlands check constructive for Covid
Dutch well being authorities mentioned that 61 individuals who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday examined constructive for Covid-19, Reuters reviews.
Authorities are conducting additional testing to see if any of the infections are with the not too long ago found Omicron coronavirus variant.
Round 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on the 2 KLM flights on Friday after which confronted hours of delays and testing attributable to considerations over the brand new virus variant.
The Dutch well being ministry mentioned early on Saturday 61 exams had come again constructive.
“Travellers with a constructive check consequence will likely be positioned in isolation at a resort at or close to Schiphol,” well being authorities mentioned in a press release. “Of the constructive check outcomes, we’re researching as shortly as attainable whether or not they’re the brand new variant of concern, now named ‘Omicron’.”
The Dutch authorities banned all air journey from southern Africa early on Friday. The well being minister, Hugo de Jonge, decided that passengers already en path to the Netherlands must bear testing and quarantine upon arrival.
Up to date
02:10
Thailand is now the most recent nation to ban entry of individuals travelling from eight African international locations it designated as high-risk for the brand new B 1.1.529 Covid-19 variant, a senior well being official mentioned.
Beginning in December, journey from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, will likely be prohibited, the official informed a information convention, as reported by Reuters.
02:07
Hello everybody, it’s Samantha Lock right here, able to take you thru all the brand new Covid developments this weekend.
It’s been a busy previous 24 hours on the Covid entrance with nations racing to shut borders and reimpose restrictions after a brand new Covid variant was detected final week.
Right now, the World Well being Group named the variant “omicron” and categorized it as a extremely transmissible virus of concern.
Belgium detected Europe’s first confirmed case of the brand new variant on Friday because the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and a number of European nations imposed journey bans on south African nations.
Let’s dive proper again in with a fast recap of all the important thing developments you’ll have missed from the previous few hours.
- The US and Canada launched new journey restrictions in response to the Omicron variant.
- EU members additionally agreed to limit journey from seven African international locations.
- The primary European case of B.1.1.529 variant has been recognized in Belgium.
- The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has mentioned no instances of the brand new Covid-19 Omicron variant detected in South Africa have to this point been recognized in america to this point.
- New York governor Kathy Hochul issued a Covid-19 “catastrophe emergency” declaration on Friday, citing growing charges of infections and hospitalisations. An order from the governor mentioned the state was experiencing Covid-19 transmission “not seen since April 2020” and that hospital admissions has been growing over the previous month to over 300 a day.
- The UK reported an extra 50,091 Covid instances and 160 deaths.
- India reported its lowest day by day Covid case rise in 541 days, in keeping with Union Well being Ministry information up to date immediately. The only-day rise of 8,318 new Covid infections and 465 deaths noticed lively instances decline to 1,07,019 – the bottom seen since March 2020.
- South Korea’s Covid deaths hit report excessive with new curbs anticipated. The nation reported 4,068 new Covid-19 instances and 52 new deatgs. Critically unwell sufferers hit an all-time excessive of 634, up 17 from the day prior to this, in keeping with the Korea Illness Management and Prevention Company (KDCA).
- India will resume scheduled worldwide flights from 15 December with a restricted service to 14 nations, the Civil Aviation Ministry mentioned.
- Australia confirmed it would shut its borders to anybody who has been in southern Africa, and isn’t an Australian citizen. Australian residents, residents and their dependents arriving from these international locations might want to go into fast supervised quarantine for 14 days.
- Brazil will shut its borders to travellers arriving from six southern African international locations, chief of workers to president Jair Bolsonaro mentioned.
- Germany reviews a further 67,125 Covid instances and 303 deaths, in keeping with information from the Robert Koch Institute.
- Germany’s prime well being officers have raised the prospect of a nationwide lockdown amid quickly rising coronavirus instances and a dramatic enhance within the variety of sufferers in intensive care.
- The Netherlands will likely be “successfully closed from 5pm to 5am” in keeping with remarks by caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte, saying new Covid restrictions from Sunday.
- Dozens of individuals are prone to have examined constructive for the virus throughout the 600 passengers who landed at Schiphol airport within the Netherlands from South Africa on Friday.
- The European Centres for Illness Prevention and Management (ECDC) has categorized Omicron, B.1.1.529, a “variant of concern”, warning the danger is “excessive to very excessive”.
- Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Morocco have launched various bans on travellers from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini in keeping with AFP. Egypt has suspended direct flights to and from South Africa. Iran mentioned it would ban overseas travellers from six international locations, together with South Africa.
- Canada launched new border measures and ‘rigorous monitoring’, banning overseas travellers from seven African international locations.
- Shares within the US adopted these in Asia and Europe by falling sharply on Friday within the wake of considerations in regards to the new Covid variant.
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