Coronavirus - 30th November 2021

Summary for Tuesday, 30th November

• New measures to combat the spread of the Omicron variant have come into force
  
• Face coverings are mandatory again on public transport and shops in England
  
• People arriving in the UK will have to take a PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative result
  
• All adults are now being offered boosters and the NHS says people will be called in priority order
  
• Boris Johnson will lead a press conference later today as the government seeks to encourage take-up
  
• Updated guidance urges secondary school pupils in Wales to wear face masks in classrooms
  
• A total of 14 cases of the new Omicron variant have now been detected in the UK
  
• The World Health Organization said the Omicron variant was likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid surges could have “severe consequences” in some areas.
  
• The UK is to ramp up booster vaccinations and will halve the minimum gap between jabs to three months, aiming to administer 500,000 jabs a day.
  
• The UK also announced that all adults would be eligible for a booster jab as part of the country’s response to Omicron as the country recorded 42,583 new cases and a further 35 deaths.
  
• France recorded a big jump in Covid cases after the health minister said the country had entered the fifth wave of the pandemic last week.
  
• Omicron has been detected in at least a dozen countries including Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Israel, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa.
  
• Sweden, Canada, Spain and Portugal reported their first cases linked to the Omicron variant.
  
• US president Joe Biden has said Omicron “is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic”. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is urging all US adults 18 and over to get booster shots. No further travel restrictions were planned for the US.
  
• President Xi Jinping said China would offer another 1bn doses of Covid vaccines to African countries and would encourage Chinese companies to invest $10bn in Africa over the next three years, Reuters reports.
  
• Poland, Ghana and Norway announced new restrictions on travel and socialising.
  
• The Omicron variant has now been detected in at least a dozen countries including Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Israel, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Spain and Portugal.
  
• The head of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the threat posed by the “highly mutated” Omicron variant showed what a “perilous and precarious” situation the world was in, as he warned that the pandemic would not end until every country has access to vaccines.
  

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of coronavirus developments this Tuesday.
Bringing you all the latest as it happens.

Top story in the UK today

Face coverings have become mandatory again on public transport and shops in England in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
People arriving in the UK from abroad will now also have to take a PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
The number of cases of the new variant detected in the UK is now in double figures.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it is expected cases will continue to rise in the coming days.
Read more here.

What are the new rules?

• From Tuesday, face coverings will once again be compulsory in shops and on public transport in England
  
• Pupils at secondary schools in England are being "strongly advised" to wear face coverings in communal areas. The guidance also applies to staff and visitors at all schools and childcare settings
  
• All contacts of suspected Omicron cases will be contacted by NHS test and trace and required to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of your vaccination status
  
• From 04:00 GMT on Tuesday, anyone entering the UK will require a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival and must self-isolate until they have a negative result
  
• Boosters will now be offered to all adults and a second jab offered to children aged 12 to 15
  

PM to lead Downing Street Covid briefing later

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street coronavirus briefing later today.
It comes as his government prepares to get millions of Covid booster jabs in the arms of all adults and second doses offered to children aged 12 to 15 to guard against the new Omicron variant.

The Papers: Booster jabs 'scramble'

Many of Tuesday’s front pages focus on the expansion of the Covid booster programme in response to the Omicron variant, with all over-18s now eligible for a third dose three months after their second.

The Metro says hits on the NHS vaccine website surged on Monday night as thousands joined a virtual queue to book their booster.

The i describes the NHS as "scrambling" to offer booster jabs to an extra 25 million people to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. The health service is pleading for a "volunteer vaccine army" to help deliver vaccines, the paper reports.


The Times quotes Health Secretary Sajid Javid as saying the best defence against the variant is to "put the booster programme on steroids". However, the paper suggests reaching the aim of delivering 3.5 million jabs a week is likely to take until the end of the year to achieve.

NHS: You will be called to get the booster

We are expecting more details later from the NHS on how the booster programme will be accelerated to combat the Omicron variant.
It was announced yesterday that all adults will now be offered boosters and there has been quite a lot of confusion about how this will work and how people can book.
An NHS spokesman says boosters will be given in priority order.
"The NHS will contact you when you are due to book in for your lifesaving booster vaccination, and when you get the call, it's vital that people come forward as quickly as possible," the spokesman says.
We'll bring you more details about the roll-out as we get them.

Little compliance with new mask rules at Manchester travel hub

Rowan Bridge - BBC News

Passengers wait for a bus at Manchester Piccadilly Gardens

It’s dark and wet at Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens, a hub for the public transport network with buses and trams pulling people in from across the city.
Despite the changes in the law from today though there’s little sign of it making a difference on the ground.
“How many people on your bus were wearing a mask?” I ask an early arrival.
“I would put it at about quarter of them," they say. "Once the new variant takes hold that’s when you see people’s mindset changing, until it actually happens there’s not much you can do.”
A woman I approach admits she started off wearing one on the bus but took it off because no-one else was wearing them and it was uncomfortable.
I ask her if the fact the law has changed will change her behaviour.
"Possibly. We’ll have to see how it goes. I probably will at the start but if no-one else is then I probably won’t”.
Another woman tells me she doesn’t see the need. “To be honest I've had the vaccine and if everyone has it then maybe there’s no need to wear a mask.”
According to Transport for Greater Manchester about two in three people didn’t bother wearing a mask on the tram system - where it was already compulsory - before today. Mask-wearing on buses - where it was not required until now - has been even lower.
Experience this morning suggests the law may have changed but people’s behaviour may have some way to go to catch up.

Australia on alert as new variant case enters community

International passengers wearing protective clothing arrive at Melbourne airport

Australian authorities have called for calm after it merged a person infected with the new Omicron Covid-19 variant has been active in the community.
The fully vaccinated individual was likely infectious when they visited a shopping centre in Sydney, officials say.
The unnamed traveller had recently re-entered the country and all passengers on the person's flight have been contacted and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
Authorities say urgent genomic tests have begun to determine whether two other positive cases on the same flight were also infected with the Omicron variant.
The announcement brings Australia's confirmed infections of the new variant to six. All other cases to date have been asymptomatic or displaying very mild symptoms.
Australia has already delayed the reopening of its international borders in an attempt to halt the spread of the new variant and the state of New South Wales, home to a third of Australia's 25 million population, has introduced heavy fines for overseas arrivals who fail to comply with quarantine rules.

See fewer people over Christmas, says Harries

Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has been calling on people to do their bit by reducing the number of social contacts they have over the Christmas period.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she says the new Omicron variant can be kept at bay if people don't socialise when they don't need to and they get the booster jab.
Scientific advice shows working from home would be a key measure to bring in if there is a significant surge in cases, she says.
But, at the moment, we are still at an early stage with five confirmed Omicron cases in England, and 10 highly probable, she adds.
In the UK as a whole, 14 Omicron cases have been detected.
On vaccine effectiveness, she says experts do expect it to be reduced in the face of Omicron, but booster jabs will "shoot up immunity levels" and a high level of immunity among the population might counter the reduced effectiveness against Omicron "to some extent".

Singapore’s health ministry just announced that two travellers from Johannesburg who tested positive for the Omicron variant in Sydney had transited through Changi airport.
The two left Johannesburg on 27 November on a Singapore Airlines flight and arrived at Changi on the same day for their transit flight, the ministry said in a statement, Reuters reports.
Both had tested negative for Covid-19 before departure, it added.
The ministry said most of the travellers had remained in the transit area at Changi airport. Of the seven who disembarked, six had been placed on a 10-day stay-at-home notice, while the seventh – a close contact of an infected individual on the flight – had been quarantined.
The ministry said:

Contact tracing is ongoing for airport staff who may have come into transient contact with the cases.

Canada has confirmed an additional two cases of the Omicron variant, bringing the nationwide tally to five cases.
A further two cases of the variant were detected in Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health said late on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Quebec discovered its first case of the variant, health officials said.
Quebec health minister Christian Dube also told reporters that 115 travellers coming from countries affected by the new variant, primarily South Africa, were called and asked to isolate and test for Covid-19.
Quebec’s first case was a recent traveler to Nigeria, public health director Horacio Arruda said, and was similar to the two cases Ontario province reported on Sunday.

Thailand has reported another 4,306 new daily cases of Covid-19 and 37 deaths,
bringing the nation’s cumulative total to just over 2 million, according to recently released government health data.

Covid numbers for Malaysia
Another 4,066 daily Covid-19 cases and 61 deaths have been reported for 29 November, according to ministry of health data.
A total of 79.1% of the population have received at least one Covid vaccine dose, while 77.7% are fully vaccinated.

Hong Kong bans non-resident arrivals from 13 more countries

Hong Kong has banned non-residents from entering the city from four African countries and plans to expand that to travellers who have been to Australia, Canada, Israel and six European countries in the past 21 days due to fears over Omicron.
The food and health secretary, Prof Sophia Chan, made the announcement at a press briefing.
She said:

Hong Kong’s very stringent system of boarding, quarantine and also testing requirements has successfully stopped the transmission of the three Omicron cases, that we have identified in our designated quarantine hotel, from going into the community.

To prevent the Omicron variant from entering the community, the health chief said, Hong Kong should implement the most stringent measures.
In addition to the eight southern African locations announced earlier, the government would also include all other overseas places that had detected Omicron cases in the list of group-A specified, or high-risk, places.
The Hong Kong government said in a statement late on Monday that non-residents from Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia would not be allowed to enter the global financial hub as of 30 November.
Residents could return if they were vaccinated but would have to quarantine for seven days in a government facility and another two weeks in a hotel at their own cost.
The statement said:

Non-Hong Kong residents from these four places will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong.
The most stringent quarantine requirements will also be implemented on relevant inbound travellers from these places.

Additionally, non-residents who have been to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel and Italy in the past 21 days would not be allowed to enter the city from 2 December.
Vaccinated residents returning from these countries would have to do three weeks of hotel quarantine.
Hong Kong last week banned non-Hong Kong residents arriving from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Germany reported a daily rise of 45,753 Covid-19 cases and 388 deaths, the Robert Koch Institute reports.
Germany’s top health officials have previously raised the prospect of a national lockdown, warning that a rapidly increasing number of coronavirus cases and a dramatic rise in the number of patients in intensive care meant contact reduction was the only way of tackling the crisis and avoiding “the road to chaos”.

Ecuador joins the growing list of countries opting to restrict entry to passengers traveling from or via South Africa as well as other African countries.
The head of the World Health Organization in Africa earlier urged countries to keep borders open, saying banning flights over the potentially more transmissible Omicron strain “attacks global solidarity”.

China finds sudden outbreak in Russian border city

Helen Davidson & Xiaoqian Zhu - The Guardian
China is battling a sudden cluster of cases in a Russian border city, after three workers in the Inner Mongolia city of Manzhouli, were found to have Covid-19 during routine testing, prompting mass tests of the 300,000 city residents.
The national health commission reported 21 new locally transmitted cases on Monday, 20 of which were all in Manzhouli.
The mass detection has happened suddenly. Local media said two asymptomatic cases - which China classifies separately to confirmed cases - were detected on 27 November.
Contact tracing and further testing had identified another 27 by Monday. Several cargo yards have been closed as a result, and flights, trains, coaches, taxis and city buses have been suspended.
Schools have moved online, and hospitals have been limited to emergency care only.
Authorities have also imposed controls on city exits, temporarily closed markets and cultural, sports, leisure and entertainment establishments, and put limits on weddings, religious gatherings, and restaurants.
No confirmed cases had been reported from Inner Mongolia in more than two weeks, since the detection of four cases on 13 November, in Alxa League more than 2,300km to the south-west. Neighbouring province Heilongjiang this week suspended some rail freight imports to prevent potential transmission, local authorities said.

India’s daily Covid-19 deaths rose by 190 on Monday, bringing the nationwide total death toll to 468,980
according to health ministry data.
There were 6,990 new Covid cases reported in the past 24 hours. The figure is the lowest seen in the nation in 551 days, according to a ministry of health press release.
India’s active caseload stands at 100,543 – the lowest in 546 days.
The nation has been steadily reporting lower daily rises over the past few weeks.

 

Omicron variant present in Netherlands earlier than previously thought

The new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, was detected in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, Dutch health officials have said.
A spokesperson for the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said that they had found the variant in two newly sequenced test samples that were taken between 19 November and 23 November.
"It is not clear yet whether these people have visited Southern Africa," the official said.
The variant was first detected in South Africa on 24 November, after the new Dutch cases were present in the country.

A round-up of all the day’s leading coronavirus news stories so far this Tuesday:

• Hong Kong will ban non-resident arrivals from 13 more countries in addition to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Non-residents from Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia will also not be allowed to enter the global financial hub as of 30 November. Additionally, non-residents who have been to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel and Italy in the past 21 days will not be allowed to enter the city from 2 December.
  
• India stands ready to “expeditiously” send more Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa to help fight the Omicron variant, New Delhi said in a statement on Monday.
  
• India also reported a daily rise of 6,990 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest seen in the nation in 551 days, according to a ministry of health press release.
  
• China also pledged to donate 600m vaccine doses to Africa while working to encourage Chinese companies to invest $10bn in the continent over the next three years.
  
• China is battling a sudden cluster of cases in a Russian border city, after three workers in the Inner Mongolia city of Manzhouli were found to have Covid-19 during routine testing, prompting mass tests of the 300,000 city residents.
  
• The UK is set to ramp up booster vaccinations and will halve the minimum gap between jabs to three months, aiming to administer 500,000 jabs a day.
  
• Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and US president Joe Biden have both issued public appeals for vaccination.
  
• Canada has confirmed an additional two cases of the Omicron variant, bringing the nationwide tally to five cases.
  
• Ecuador joins the growing list of countries opting to restrict entry to passengers traveling from or via South Africa as well as other African countries.
  
• Germany reported a daily rise of 45,753 Covid cases and 388 deaths, the Robert Koch Institute reports.
  
• Stock markets in Asia bounced back again as investors’ concerns about the new Omicron Covid variant eased.
  
• Singapore’s health ministry said two travellers from Johannesburg who tested positive for the Omicron variant in Sydney had transited through Changi airport.
  

Dutch to retrospectively test for new variant

The Ramada Hotel where Dutch authorities have isolated 61 passengers who tested positive after arriving on two flights from South Africa.

Health officials in the Netherlands will carry out further studies to determine when the new Omicron variant first emerged in the country.
Newly sequenced tests from two people between 19 and 23 November found the variant was present in the country before it was first identified in South Africa.
Officials will contact the people involved and try to find out if they had recently travelled to the region.
Authorities will also retrospectively examine some older positive tests from people who had been to the countries affected, as the world attempts to determine where and when the new variant emerged.
On 26 November, 61 passengers tested at Schiphol Airport were found to have Covid, 14 of whom carried the Omicron variant.
Lab tests found several different strains of the Omicron variant, suggesting the people were likely infected independently from each other, from different sources, in different locations.

Poland reports highest Covid deaths since April

Adam Easton - Warsaw Correspondent
Poland reported 19,074 new coronavirus infections on Monday, and 526 virus-related deaths, the highest number of fatalities since April, figures from the health ministry showed.
But health minister Adam Niedzielski said no Omicron variant cases have been reported in Poland so far.
But Poland will ban flights from seven African countries, extend quarantine to 14 days for anyone returning to Poland from those countries as well as for unvaccinated people entering the country from non-Schengen countries.
There will also be restrictions on numbers allowed in restaurants, hotels, churches, gyms, cinemas, theatres and sporting facilities. The restrictions will come into effect between Dec 1 and Dec 17.
The number of new infections on Tuesday was down 4% from a week ago. Over the last six weeks, Poland has seen a rise in cases and hospitalisations.
Almost 54% of Poles are fully vaccinated, well below the EU average.

What are the rules on masks now?

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
From today, people in England must wear face coverings in shops and on public transport.
Secondary school pupils are being "strongly advised" to wear masks in communal areas, as are staff and visitors at all schools and childcare settings.
The new rules also apply to staff and customers in:

• Hairdressers, tattoo studios and nail bars
  
• Post offices and banks
  
• Estate agents
  
• Vet surgeries
  
• Takeaways
  
• Pharmacies
  
• Auction houses
  
• Taxis
  
• Driving lessons and tests
  

The rules don't apply to other indoor venues such as gyms, theatres or cinemas, although the previous guidance recommended wearing masks in all crowded settings.
Under-12s are exempt, as are those who can't wear face coverings for medical reasons.
Face coverings were already mandatory on public transport and many indoor areas in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Find out the rules in the rest of the UK here.

Reintroduce WFH to save Christmas - Lib Dems

Ahead of the PM's Downing Street Covid briefing later, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to reintroduce working from home guidance to keep Omicron cases down before Christmas.
Scientists on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have previously said advising people to work from home would likely have the most impact on stemming the spread of Covid this winter.
Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper says: "Everything we know about this virus suggests it's better to be cautious and act early."
Reintroducing working from home guidance could buy the UK "precious extra time while our scientists find out more about the potential impact of this new worrying variant", she adds.

Sharp rise in children off school with Covid

Hannah Richardson - BBC News education and social affairs reporter
With the sharp rise in children absent from school due to Covid, there has also been an angry response from teaching unions, who want more support in fighting infections in schools.
There is concern, too, about the new Omicron strain making its way into schools.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said it was better to act cautiously early on than to come anywhere close to a position where schools are forced to close again.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said in the space of just two weeks, the number of pupils out of school because of the virus had increased by nearly 80,000 to a total of 208,000.
“The emergence of the Omicron variant seems likely to make this situation worse,” he said.
It comes after Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi advised schools to reintroduce face masks in crowded places, such as corridors.

All nine Omicron cases in Scotland linked to one event - Sturgeon

All nine cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid in Scotland are linked to a single private event, the first minister says.
Speaking to MSPs, Nicola Sturgeon says all those affected were tested on or around 23 November and have been self-isolating since then.
She adds the cases all traced back to a "single private event" on 20 November - and that officials expect more cases linked to this event to be identified over the coming days.
It means the infections in Scotland pre-date when South Africa first alerted the world to the new variant on 24 November.
Five Omicron cases are in Lanarkshire and four are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.

Just one Omicron case confirmed in Nottingham (corrected)

We told you the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said that two cases had been detected in Nottingham.
However, it has since clarified that the city has only one case on record – a student, who has been self-isolating since they were infected.

Lockdown measures legal, top German court says

Lockdown measures and school closures imposed in Germany earlier this year in response to the Covid pandemic did not violate the country’s constitution, Germany’s highest court has ruled.
The measures, which included a nightly curfew, were introduced in areas with particularly high infection rates as part of a so called "emergency break" mechanism.
The ruling by Germany’s constitutional court comes after a series of complaints by politicians and members of the public who alleged the restrictions infringed their constitutional rights.
The ruling comes hours before Germany’s leaders are due to meet to discuss the possible introduction of new measures to combat an aggressive fourth wave of infection.
Coronavirus cases have been growing steadily over the past several weeks, with 45,753 new infections and 388 deaths recorded on Tuesday.
Uptake of vaccines has been low by European standards, with just 68.4% of the country fully vaccinated. To tackle this reluctance, people are being required to prove they are vaccinated, have recovered from Covid-19 or have recently tested negative before they can travel on public transport or enter workplaces.

UK records 8 more Omicron cases

Just before Boris Johnson began speaking we learned the UK has detected eight further cases of the Omicron Covid variant.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says the eight cases are in England, with UKHSA saying cases have now been identified in the East Midlands, the East of England, London and the North West.
They come in addition to the nine cases already identified in Scotland - five were found in Lanarkshire and four in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area - which takes the total number of UK cases of the Omicron variant to 22.
UKHSA says the people who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating, and work is being done to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa.
Targeted testing is being carried out at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious, it adds.
The breakdown of cases by local council is:

• London borough of Barnet – 2
  
• Brentwood, Essex – 1
  
• London borough of Camden – 2
  
• London borough of Haringey – 1
  
• Liverpool – 1
  
• North Norfolk – 1
  
• Nottingham – 1
  
• London borough of Sutton – 1
  
• London borough of Wandsworth – 1
  
• London borough of Westminster – 2
  

All adults to be offered booster jab by end of January - PM

Boris Johnson begins the Downing Street press conference by saying right now, our best single defence against Omicron is to be vaccinated and boosted.
Yesterday, the JCVI - which advises the government on vaccines - recommended boosters should be offered to everyone over 18 and the minimum gap between the second jab and booster be halved to three months, he says.
That means 14 million more adults have now become eligible for a booster in England alone, the PM says.
He says the aim is to offer booster jabs to all adults by the end of January.

Why aren't masks mandatory in cinemas?

One of the questions at the Downing Street briefing today:
Alex, from Surrey, asks - given that Omicron spreads more in crowded and indoor places why are you not introducing face coverings in cinemas and theatres as well as shops and public transport?
The PM says: "We are trying to take a balanced and proportionate approach of slowing down the spread of Omicron while we get to the bottom of the exact effect it has."
Javid says we still don't know enough about the variant to properly understand its spread against Delta but the government will share information as soon as it does.

• Where do you have to wear masks now?
  

What did we learn from the update?

He was joined by Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England.
In case you missed it, here's a quick round-up of what we learned:

• The PM revealed a target to offer all over-18s a booster jab by the end of January
  
• As with first vaccine doses, the NHS will administer boosters in priority order - starting with the medically vulnerable, over-40s and older people before getting to younger age groups
  
• While changes to booking system are put in place, the public are urged not to contact the NHS about their booster jab, and wait to be invited
  
• In England, booster jabs will be rolled out at 1,500 community pharmacies, extra hospital hubs and pop-up vaccination sites, with around 400 military personnel providing assistance alongside volunteer vaccinators
  
• Javid urged everyone to accept a booster when offered "to give ourselves the best chance of a Christmas with our loved ones"
  
• The PM disagreed with Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who suggested earlier that people should reduce social contacts in the run up to Christmas
  
• He said that people didn't need to cancel Christmas parties or school Nativity plays, and insisted that it was not yet necessary to advise people to work from home
  
• Javid accepted it was likely the new variant was spreading in the community (at present, 22 cases have been confirmed)
  

Where in the UK has Omicron been detected?

As we’ve been reporting, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is trying to establish where exactly in the UK the Omicron variant is.
It's confirmed 22 cases have been detected, but as we've been reporting, the variant is likely to be transmitting in the community, so that number will grow.
Earlier, we told you the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said that two cases had been detected in Nottingham. However, it has since clarified that the city has only one case on record – a student, who has been self-isolating since they were infected.
Here's a breakdown of cases in England confirmed by the UKHSA:

• London borough of Barnet – 2
  
• Brentwood, Essex – 1
  
• London borough of Camden – 2
  
• London borough of Haringey – 1
  
• Liverpool – 1
  
• North Norfolk – 1
  
• Nottingham – 1
  
• London borough of Sutton – 1
  
• London borough of Wandsworth – 1
  
• London borough of Westminster – 2
  

And as we’ve also reported, there are 9 cases in Scotland. Five are in Lanarkshire and four are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.

Another 39,716 Covid cases in UK

A further 39,716 confirmed Covid cases were announced in the UK on Tuesday.
The average number of daily confirmed cases has bounced around since mid-July and was rising again through November, but has dipped in recent days.
Another 159 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were also reported.
The number of daily deaths has been falling steadily through November.

Ireland to seek negative tests for international travellers

Minister Darragh O'Brien confirmed the new rules will initially last for two weeks

Turning to developments outside of the UK now, the Irish government will require all international travellers to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to their arrival in the country, regardless of their vaccination status.
The country's Housing Minister, Darragh O'Brien, told reporters passengers will be required to have taken a lab-conducted antigen test no more than 48 hours before travelling or a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival. O'Brien said restrictions will initially apply for a two-week period.
The rules will apply to travellers arriving from Great Britain, but not to those crossing the border with Northern Ireland.
Ireland's Department of Transport is in discussions with airlines and ferry companies to ensure the tests are checked before people board flights or ferries to the country.
The move follows the UK government's decision to exclude Ireland and other Common Travel Area countries from similar rules it implemented for international arrivals on Saturday.
Ireland is currently examining 11 suspected cases of the Omicron variant. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it is likely the new variant is already present in the country.

Covid booster jab clinics open across Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Covid-19 vaccination hubs have opened to help meet demand for booster doses, the health minister says.
Robin Swann says the aim is to "bring booster doses to all eligible age groups as quickly as possible".
Northern Ireland has had the lowest uptake of the booster shot in the UK.
Swann is urging the public not to "be put off getting their first, second or booster doses due to concerns or speculation about the Omicron variant".

Vaccination fines 'an act of justice' - Greek PM

As we reported earlier, Greece is making vaccines mandatory for anyone aged 60 and over from next year, and those who do not comply will face a €100 (£85) fine each month until they do so.
PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said it was predominantly those over 60 who died of Covid, and that only 60,000 of the more than 500,000 unvaccinated citizens in that age group had got their first jab this month.
"I have no doubt that this political decision will save human lives. Because vaccination becomes more than just compulsory. It saves lives. It is necessary for health. It is necessary for the whole society.
"The funds collected by the fines will be given to our hospitals. It is not a punishment. I would say it is a health fee. An incentive for precaution, a life boost.

And I think it is also an act of justice for the people who are vaccinated. It is not acceptable for some people to be deprived of the health services they need because others stubbornly refuse to do the obvious from Kyriakos Mitsotakis Greek Prime Minister
And I think it is also an act of justice for the people who are vaccinated. It is not acceptable for some people to be deprived of the health services they need because others stubbornly refuse to do the obvious

Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Greek Prime Minister

He also added he had been “tortured” by the decision, but that he felt “a heavy responsibility” towards the most vulnerable, “even if it might fleetingly displease them”.

Which supermarkets will not enforce masks?

Some supermarkets in England say they won't be enforcing new face mask rules, instead they'll use a lighter touch.
Iceland tells the BBC its staff will not ask customers to wear masks so they don't have to face abuse.
Tesco, the largest UK supermarket chain, will just be putting up signs to remind customers about face mask rules, the BBC understands.
Aldi and Lidl are also understood to have no plans to challenge customers.
Sainsbury's says it will have "greeters and security guards at the front of our supermarkets" to remind people to wear masks.
Morrisons is expected to have staff checking mask wearing at the front of the shops, and will hand out masks to customers that have forgotten them.
Asda also says it will hand out masks to shoppers who are without one.
You can read more here.

Dutch release Omicron isolation couple

A couple who were moved into forced isolation in a Dutch hospital after they walked out of a Covid-19 hotel have been told they can now leave.
Carolina Pimenta tested positive for Covid-19 after landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on a flight from South Africa on Friday.
She was arrested by military police on Sunday night on a plane about to take off for Spain. The couple have now been told prosecutors have decided not to pursue the case.
Read the full story of what happened to them here.

India’s daily Covid-19 deaths rose by 190 on Monday, bringing the nationwide total death toll to 468,980, according to health ministry data
There were 6,990 new Covid cases reported in the past 24 hours. The figure is the lowest seen in the nation in 551 days, according to a ministry of health press release.
India’s active caseload stands at 100,543 – the lowest in 546 days.
The nation has been steadily reporting lower daily rises over the past few weeks.

Japan confirms first case of Omicron variant
Japan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, Kyodo news agency reports, citing unnamed government sources.
A Namibian diplomat in his 30s is thought to have tested positive for the variant at Narita airport near Tokyo upon his arrival on Sunday, the publication said.
Japan on Tuesday banned new foreign entries for at least one month in an attempt to stave off the new Omicron Covid variant.
Prime minister Fumio Kishida said during a press conference:[quote]In order to avoid the worst situation, Japan will first prohibit the entry of foreigners from midnight on 30 November to the whole world as an emergency evacuation precautionary measure. For Japanese etc, in addition to nine countries such as South Africa, 14 countries where infection has been confirmed, and when returning from the region, we will implement strict quarantine measures at designated facilities according to the risk.

France’s minister for overseas territories left the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe on Monday night at an impasse over ways to end more than a week of violent protests sparked by Covid-19 restrictions.
Before departing for more talks in neighbouring Martinique, Sebastien Lecornu told reporters that the Guadeloupe negotiations had been deadlocked over the “obvious and indispensable” demand that the various unions condemn the violence.
Agence France-Presse reports that unrest in the former colonial outpost began with a protest over compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations for health workers, but quickly ballooned into a broader revolt over living conditions, and spread to next door Martinique. Both islands are now under curfew.
On his arrival in Guadeloupe on Sunday, Lecornu vowed to stand firm on the obligation for health workers and first responders to be vaccinated against Covid by 31 December or face suspension without pay. But he insisted he was open to dialogue on other issues.
The vaccine mandate for health workers, which was enforced in September on the mainland, has met with greater resistance in Guadeloupe and Martinique, where vaccine hesitancy is high.

Scotland identifies three more cases of Omicron variant, taking total to nine
Nine cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been identified in Scotland, the country’s health secretary, Humza Yousaf, has said.
Yousaf said there are five cases in the Lanarkshire area and four in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, up from the six identified across the two areas announced on Monday.
Asked on BBC Good Morning Scotland if there was any connection between Cop26 or a recent South Africa rugby match, PA Media reports he said: “There’s nothing that links these cases or indeed the variant back to Cop26 or indeed the rugby match.”
He added: “There’s nothing that indicates these cases or this new variant has come via the rugby or Cop26 but that work of course is still ongoing .”

Several Chinese border cities are halting some non-container commodity imports by rail to reduce the risk of Covid clusters brought in from other countries amid a resurgence of infections in northern areas of China
China’s efforts to keep the virus out face increasing pressure as infections grow globally with the new threat of the Omicron variant, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said on Tuesday.
The city of Manzhouli in the northern region of Inner Mongolia said from Wednesday it would suspend taking some non-containerised rail cargo arriving from abroad that requires manual loading and unloading, including coal and fertiliser.
The measure comes as Inner Mongolia reported a total of 41 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms on Sunday and Monday. More than half of the cases were found in Manzhouli.
The outbreak is much smaller than many outside China, but Beijing has taken a zero-tolerance approach to clusters, with cities quickly imposing travel restrictions and closing public venues.
Gene sequencing results on samples from a few Manzhouli infections indicated that the latest flare-up was caused by a virus source from overseas unrelated to previous outbreaks elsewhere in China, an official said on Tuesday.
Erenhot, a key transit hub in Inner Mongolia next to Mongolia itself, halted some non-containerised imports by rail that need to be handled by hand, according to a local government statement.
These included certain cargos for coal, oil, copper ore, zinc and iron ore. Erenhot did not report any new local infections over the weekend.
Suifenhe, in northeastern Heilongjiang province on the border with Russia, on Tuesday halted some non-containerised imports, such as coal and fertiliser.
Heilongjiang detected one domestically transmitted asymptomatic carrier on Sunday in a different city.
The three cities did not say when the restrictions might be lifted.
Authorities in China, where the virus was first identified in late 2019, vowed this month to step up virus control in border areas, demanding strict implementation of prevention measures on imported cargo.
The northeastern cities of Hunchun and Dongning, both along the border with Russia, in mid-November suspended some non-essential imports by highway, such as wine, milk and chocolate.

Two new cases of the Omicron variant has been detected in Sweden, the Public Health Agency said on Tuesday.
The cases were detected in tests taken less than a week ago from two persons who had travelled from South Africa, the agency said in a statement.
Sweden’s first confirmed case was detected on Monday.

Denmark has registered a total of four cases of the Omicron variant, its infectious disease authority said on Tuesday.
All of the cases were connected to “travel activity” in South Africa, authorities said.
Denmark said on Sunday it had registered its first two cases of the variant.

The Dutch healthcare system scrambled to add intensive care beds for patients with Covid as the country registered a record weekly number of new infections on Tuesday.
Although hospitals remain under extreme stress, scrapping routine procedures and planned care, the weekly infection figures reported by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) did show signs of stabilisation, rising just 1% from the week before to 155,152.
The impact of new lockdown measures ordered by the prime minister Mark Rutte’s government on Friday are not yet reflected in the weekly numbers, as they only went into effect on Sunday.
The new measures include the closure of bars, restaurants and most stores from 5pm to 5am, as well as work-from-home instructions and mask-wearing in secondary schools.
Overall, there were fewer than 100 unoccupied intensive care beds in the Netherlands on Tuesday, with 595 taken by patients with coronavirus and another 500 by patients with other illnesses.
With ICU admissions running at more than 40 per day over the past week, hospitals are trying to restore the peak capacity of 1,350 ICU beds achieved during the initial Covid wave in April 2020.
A third of hospitals in the country have stopped offering care that can be planned in advance and almost a third have said they cannot always perform even critical surgeries that can be planned in advance, the Netherlands’ Care Authority (NZa) said on Tuesday, including some cancer and heart surgeries.

France has registered about 47,000 new confirmed Covid cases over the past 24 hours, the health minister Olivier Veran told lawmakers on Tuesday, the highest one-day tally since 8 April at the height of the third wave of the pandemic.
The latest data will push the cumulative total of cases in France since the start of the pandemic to 7.67 million and the seven-day moving average of new infections well over 32,000, Reuters reports.
During the third wave in the spring, the seven-day average briefly rose above 42,000. On 8 April, France recorded nearly 85,000 infections.
Authorities say the vast majority of patients with coronavirus now in hospital have not been vaccinated. About 75% of the French population has now been fully vaccinated.
On Monday, France registered its biggest jump in Covid hospital admissions since the spring, with the number of patients in hospital with the virus up by 470 to 9,860 and the number of patients in intensive care up by 117 to 1,749 people.
Updated figures for Tuesday will be released after 6pm.

A further eight cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in England, taking the total number to 13, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency said on Tuesday.
“The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to southern Africa,” UKHSA said.
The cases in England are in addition to nine cases found in Scotland, UKHSA said.

The women’s World Cup qualifier between the Czech Republic and Belarus was postponed on Tuesday due to three positive Covid tests among the visiting team, a Czech FA spokesman said.
The Czechs, who sit in third place in Group C behind the Netherlands and Iceland, were supposed to play the Belarusians, fourth in the group, at 5pm.
“The visitors tested negative before they arrived, but then another round of tests was done, in line with the regulations, and three tests came back positive,” Michal Jurman said.
“We don’t know whether the game could be played on Wednesday, or we will have to wait for the next qualification window,” he said.

Spain detected a second case of the Omicron variant on Tuesday and expects to confirm another two by the end of the week, while Basque authorities said they planned to declare a health emergency amid a rapidly rising caseload, Reuters reports.
In Madrid, a 61-year-old woman who returned to Spain from South Africa via Amsterdam tested positive for the variant, which scientists fear may evade vaccines.
A regional health department spokesperson said she had received two shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine and had no symptoms.
Spain detected its first case of the variant on Monday in a 51-year-old man who also flew from South Africa via the Netherlands, but was on a different flight.
Health authorities in Catalonia said they were analysing two suspected cases and preliminary results suggested they would also be confirmed as Omicron but definitive confirmation was not expected until Friday.
With a nationwide vaccination rate of nearly 80%, Spain had until recently appeared to have escaped the wave of contagion sweeping Europe that has pushed governments to bring back highly restrictive measures, such as in Austria.
But infection accelerated through November, with the two-week incidence reaching 208.5 cases per 100,000 people on Tuesday, rising more than fourfold in a month.
With an infection rate of more than 480 cases per 100,000 people, the Basque region is among the worst affected.
The regional government said it would propose a health emergency, a legal tool that would allow for capacity limits in indoor spaces and the closure of nightlife.
Basque authorities also said they would ask the central government to bring back mandatory face masks outdoors, a requirement that Spain dropped in June.

Poland records highest Covid deaths since April

Poland reported the highest daily Covid death toll since April, with 526 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures reported by Polskie Radio.
That’s the highest since 540 people died on 29 April, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The country detected 19,074 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours, taking Poland’s seven-day average to 23,191 new daily infections.
Poland’s Covid cases have rocketed since the start of October. Health minister Adam Niedzielski said last week the country’s fourth wave is expected to peak in early December, with up to 35,000 daily cases.
The Polish government banned flights from seven African countries this week to prevent the spread of the infectious Omicron variant. Alongside, cultural institutions such as churches, sports centres, hotels and restaurants across the country will only be allowed half-capacity between 1 and 17 December.

Tuesday's round-up

As we near the end of our coverage, here's a quick reminder of today's main headlines:

• Booster jabs will be offered to everyone in England who is eligible by the end of January. Jabs will be prioritised according to age, with the NHS working down the list in five-year bands, and temporary vaccination centres will be "popping up like Christmas trees", says Boris Johnson
  
• 22 cases of Omicron have so far been confirmed in the UK - 13 in England and nine in Scotland, all of those linked to a single event 10 days ago
  
• Face masks are compulsory again in shops and on public transport in England. MPs overwhelmingly endorsed the new regulations, with 434 voting in favour and 23 against
  
• Stock markets around the world fell after the boss of Moderna cast doubts on the effectiveness of vaccines against Omicron
  
• Omicron was present in Europe earlier than previously thought with a case identified in the Netherlands on 19 November, officials say
  
• In its latest travel advisory, the WHO says people who are unwell or at risk of developing severe Covid-19 and dying - including people aged 60 or older or those with comorbidities (eg heart disease, cancer and diabetes) - should postpone travel
  
• Israel’s health minister has suggested that individuals fully vaccinated against Covid – and within six months of a booster – may also be protected against the Omicron variant. Without citing any data, Nitzan Horowitz told local reporters: “In the coming days we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron – but there is already room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with a vaccine still valid or with a booster, will also be protected from this variant.” The remarks come amid conflicting information about how effective various vaccines and therapies are likely to be against the new variant.
  
• Johnson also said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties or school nativity plays because of concerns about Omicron. His remarks were markedly at odds with cautionary advice from Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UKHSA, who urged everyone in the UK to cut down their social contact as fears grow that existing vaccines will prove less effective against Omicron. More here.
  
• All nine cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland trace back to a “single private event” held on 20 November, Nicola Sturgeon told the Holyrood parliament in her weekly Covid update. The first minister told MSPs that all nine were tested on or around 23 November and that none had so far required hospital care, nor had they any recent travel history to the countries in southern Africa where the variant was originally detected. Story here.
  
• The UK recorded another 39,716 cases of Covid on Tuesday and a further 159 deaths within 28 days of testing positive, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
  
• The US Food & Drug Administration said it was evaluating the effectiveness of authorised Covid vaccines against the Omicron variant and expects to have more information in the next few weeks. The agency is currently evaluating the vaccines to see if and how well they work against the variant, acting commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. She said if the review shows a modification to the current vaccines is needed, the agency and companies will work together to develop and test such a modification quickly.
  
• France registered about 47,000 new confirmed Covid cases over the past 24 hours, the highest one-day tally since 8 April at the height of the third wave of the pandemic. During the third wave in the spring, the seven-day average briefly rose above 42,000. On 8 April, France recorded nearly 85,000 infections. Authorities say the vast majority of patients now in hospital with coronavirus have not been vaccinated.
  
• All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, entering Ireland will have to show negative Covid tests, as part of efforts to slow the potential spread of the Omicron variant. Passengers will have to produce either a negative antigen test taken up to 48 hours before arrival or a PCR test taken up to 72 hours before entry. In either case, the test must be professionally administered. The new rules will apply to those who are double vaccinated or those recently recovered from Covid. Non-vaccinated travellers are already required to have a negative PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival into the country. The housing minister, Darragh O’Brien, said the new measures will initially apply for two weeks.