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    Coronavirus - 11th December 2021

    Kitkat
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    • Post n°1

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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 11:08

    Summary for Saturday, 11th December

    Here is a recap of the main developments over the past 24 hours:

    • The Swiss medicines agency Swissmedic has approved the vaccination of children aged between five and 11 with Pfizer-Biontech’s Comirnaty vaccine. The government has also asked regional authorities to consider expanding the requirement for proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus for access to many indoor venues.

    • The UK government has been “presented with some very challenging new information” about the Omicron variant and will keep restrictions “under review”, Michael Gove said after he chaired a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee.

    • Two doses of a Covid vaccine offer less protection against symptomatic infection with Omicron than with Delta, with a lower level of protection seen against the new variant even after a booster jab. According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Omicron is projected to become the dominant variant in the UK by mid-December, based on current trends, while there could be more than a million infections by the end of the month – a tally that will be dominated by Omicron.

    • Singapore will start vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 years with Pfizer’s jab before the end of this year, its health ministry said late on Friday.

    • The UK reported its highest number of Covid cases recorded in a 24-hour period since 9 January. A total of 58,194 new cases and a further 120 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.

    • Omicron already makes up 30 per cent of all new Covid cases in London as figures show capital has country's fastest growing outbreak with infections up in all of city's 32 boroughs and hospitalisation rates now starting to creep up[/b][/size]

    • New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said that starting next week, face coverings must be worn inside all businesses and venues unless they have implemented a vaccine requirement, as Covid cases rise in the state.

    • The University and College Union called for universities in England to move the term’s final week of teaching online to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, after outbreaks have been reported at several institutions.

    • Workers at German hospitals, doctor’s offices and nursing homes must prove that they are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid by mid-March as part of new legislation passed by the parliament.

    • Nicola Sturgeon backed the advice put out on Thursday by Public Health Scotland saying that people should think about deferring work Christmas parties and avoid crowded places.

    • Downing Street cancelled its Christmas party, Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson confirmed. Because, well, it would be awkward not to.

    • The Czech Republic made Covid vaccination mandatory for people aged 60 and over from 1 March, the government said. The obligation will also apply to health workers, police officers, firefighters and the military.

    • Ghana will vaccinate returning citizens and residents against Covid upon arrival at the airport from next Monday if they have not already received shots, its health service said, amid concerns over low take-up of vaccinations.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 11:27

    Omicron could overwhelm NHS if it is as virulent as Delta
    Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, whose data was instrumental to the UK going into lockdown in March 2020, told the Guardian that projections suggested Omicron could “very substantially overwhelm the NHS, getting up to peak levels of admissions of 10,000 people per day”.
    He said such a figure could be reached “sometime in January” but added that it was based on assumptions around the variant’s ability to get around existing protection, and the premise that it is similar to Delta in terms of the severity of disease it causes – something that is not yet known.
    Read more here.

    Javid advised to take ‘stringent’ Covid measures within a week, leak reveals
    Michael Gove warned of a “deeply concerning situation” after holding a Cobra meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the latest data and the co-ordinated response across the four nations.
    Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, said while their early data should be treated with caution, it indicated that “a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain”.
    She added:
    The data suggest this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible.
    Speaking to broadcasters, Gove said the Omicron variant is doubling every two to three days in England “and possibly even faster in Scotland”.
    He added that 30% of reported cases in London were the new variant, and warned that evidence suggested Omicron was “more likely” than past Covid variants to “potentially” lead to hospital admissions among the fully vaccinated.
    Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, earlier warned of the possibility of a “tsunami of infections” from the new variant – and said she could not rule out more restrictions north of the border as a result.
    But No 10 maintained that there were “no plans” to go further with measures in England, amid reports that proposals are being drawn up for a “Plan C” featuring even tougher rules.
    Gove said the current approach being taken was “proportionate”, but acknowledged that “we absolutely do need to keep everything under review”.
    He said:
    Action is absolutely required and, as new data comes in, we will consider what action we do require to take in the face of that data.
    The Guardian reported that the health secretary, Sajid Javid, had been given a presentation from the UKHSA earlier this week warning that even if Omicron leads to less serious disease than Delta, it still risks overwhelming the NHS with 5,000 people admitted to hospital a day.
    It said the leaked advice said “stringent action” would be needed on or before December 18 if the variant’s doubling time stays at 2.5 days, although what such restrictions might entail were not set out other than to say measures that would bring the R number – representing the average number of people each Covid-positive person goes on to infect – below 1.

    Boosters urged in face of Omicron spread as Gove warns of 'concerning situation'
    A booster dose means the risk of symptomatic infection with the Omicron variant is “significantly reduced”, according to health officials who have urged all those eligible to make sure they get their third jab.
    It comes as the experts warned Omicron could become the dominant variant in the UK by mid-December, with the communities secretary, Michael Gove, saying everything is being kept “under review” in terms of measures to tackle the spread.
    Analysis by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines provided “much lower” levels of protection against symptomatic infection with Omicron compared to Delta.
    But the preliminary data, which looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron, suggested effectiveness seemed to “increase considerably” in the early period after a booster dose, giving about 70-75% protection against symptomatic infection.
    The findings come as daily Covid cases reached their highest level in almost a year and the UKHSA predicted that, if current trends continue, the UK will exceed 1 million infections by the end of the month.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 11:36

    Omicron is spreading so fast in the UK that people are “very likely” to meet someone infected with the variant unless they are “living the life of a hermit”, Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease, said this morning.
    The University of Edinburgh academic also warned “a lot of people” could still end up in hospital even if the coronavirus mutation proves to provoke milder symptoms than the Delta variant.
    Prof Riley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
    Omicron is spreading so quickly that, I think, unless you are living the life of a hermit, you are very likely to come across it in the next few weeks.
    I don’t think anyone should be going around thinking they are not going to catch it, I think that situation has changed.
    She added:
    There is a huge ‘if’ about this, ‘is it milder?’. I think it is very dangerous to compare data from South Africa, say, to the UK.
    Even if it is milder and, therefore, a smaller proportion of infected people end up in hospital, given that so many people are going to come across this virus, even a small proportion of a lot of people is a lot of people in hospital.

    Treasury staff had office drinks party during lockdown, reports say
    Some Treasury staff who worked on the autumn spending review last year had office drinks while England was in lockdown, The Times reports (paywall).
    It comes after more than a week of controversy over allegations of rule-breaking festivities in Downing Street in the run-up to last Christmas.
    The Times reports that about two dozen civil servants were present for the drinks on 25 November 2020.
    A Treasury spokesman said:
    A number of HMT staff came into the office to work on the spending review 2020. We have been made aware that a small number of staff had impromptu drinks around their desks after the event.
    The Treasury did not organise an in-person departmental party last Christmas.
    At the time non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues were closed as well as pubs, bars and restaurants, and people were urged to stay at home except for limited reasons including work if it could not be done from home.
    The Times said the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was not at the event and that it is understood he was not aware of it at the time.
    On Friday, Downing Street said it has cancelled any plans to hold a Christmas party this year.
    It came as Boris Johnson’s ex-aide Dominic Cummings said there were “lots” of photos of parties in No 10 that would “inevitably get out”.
    Cummings dismissed defences from the prime minister’s allies that he would not have known about celebrations going on under his roof amid signs Johnson’s popularity is slumping.
    The government chief whip, Mark Spencer, insisted Downing Street staff “were not drinking alcohol” and partying during Covid restrictions after it emerged the prime minister’s press chief addressed staff at one event last Christmas.
    No 10 said Johnson retained full confidence in Jack Doyle to serve as communications director despite ITV reporting he addressed up to 50 people and made a speech at one party on 18 December.
    Read more here.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 11:45

    Taiwan’s government said on Saturday that it had detected the island’s first cases of the Omicron variant, found in three people who had arrived from abroad.
    The Central Epidemic Command Centre said the infections were detected in travellers from the UK, Eswatini and the US.
    Like all entrants, they were tested on arrival and already subject to two weeks of quarantine.

    Mauritius has recorded its first two infections of the Omicron variant, with a dozen more contact cases feared
    AFP reports:
    The health minister, Kailesh Jagutpal, told a press conference on Friday the pair were asymptomatic and had tested negative the day before.
    “They have already gone home,” he said.
    He added that contact tracing for the two people had been carried out, revealing 12 positive cases with a missing S gene - a tell-tale sign of Omicron.
    Health authorities were currently analysing the samples to determine if they are in fact Omicron.
    One of the two Omicron cases was detected in a man who flew home to the island from South Africa on 27 November 27.
    The second case was recorded in a woman in the island’s south whose husband had returned from South Africa on 18 November.
    Mauritius fully opened its doors to international visitors at the start of October, hoping to rebuild its vital tourism industry after long months of isolation because of the pandemic.
    But it was forced to reimpose restrictions last month as Delta variant cases surged.
    According to latest figures reported to the World Health Organization, Mauritius has had 62,652 Covid cases and 680 deaths.
    More than 900,000 people have been fully vaccinated, representing 73.5% of the population, government figures show.

    Where did Omicron come from?
    By all accounts it is a weird variant. Though highly mutated, it descended not from one of the other variants of concern, such as Alpha, Beta or Delta, but from coronavirus that was circulating maybe 18 months ago. So where has it been all this time? And why is it only wreaking havoc now?
    Researchers are exploring a number of hunches:

    • One is that Omicron arose in a remote region of southern Africa but failed to spread until now.
    • Another is that it evolved in infected animals, such as rats, and then crossed back into humans.
    • But a third explanation is gaining ground as more data come to light, that Omicron arose in a person with a weakened immune system: someone having cancer treatment perhaps, an organ transplant patient or someone with uncontrolled HIV.

    The latter possibility has sparked global concern. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two-thirds of the global population living with HIV. For a whole series of reasons, ranging from lack of access to clinics to fear of stigmatisation and disrupted healthcare, 8 million people in the region are not on effective HIV therapy.
    Beyond the direct problems this causes with disease progression and vulnerability to Covid – people with advanced or uncontrolled HIV are far more likely to die from coronavirus – is the risk that uncontrolled HIV is driving the emergence of Covid variants.
    “For me there are two key things,” says Dr Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, who was part of the team that first reported Omicron.
    “First there is the science that needs to go on to get a better understanding of this. But more importantly, on a public health level, we don’t need to wait for the science. It is a reminder that while addressing the immediate challenge of Covid-19, we also need to intensify efforts to end HIV as a public health problem.”
    Read the full analysis here.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 11:55

    UK Covid: London is Omicron 'hotspot' as variant makes up almost a third of all new cases in the city
    London is quickly becoming a disease-hub after it emerged that Omicron accounts for 30% of new Coronavirus cases in the capital.
    It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged us into Plan B measures, which includes working from home where necessary, as well as wearing masks in indoor venues such as theatres and cinemas.
    A Cobra meeting was held on Friday, where ministers allegedly discussed what steps to slow the spread of the latest variant, reports The Mirror.
    READ MORE: UK Covid: Cases in London today as figures rise in every borough and Omicron variant spreads
    Communities Secretary Michael Grove, said that the capital’s situation was “deeply concerning”.
    The new data suggests that Omicron will now become dominant by as early as next week.
    Last Christmas, London was badly hit by the Alpha variant and now a year on there is talk over whether similar restrictions to those in place then could be reimposed with all 32 boroughs having rising cases of Omicron.
    Data from the Department of Health shows that infections in London rose by 25.3% in the week up to December 4 which was the quickest of England’s nine regions.
    There were 474.7 infections among 100,000 people tested which was the highest since last January.
    So far it has not been reflected in hospitalisations and deaths but the data typically lags behind by several weeks as it takes time for people to become seriously ill.
    Mr Gove, reported the Daily Mail, said: "The meeting I've just chaired with first ministers of all the devolved administrations was presented with some very challenging new information.
    "We know that we have the highest number of Covid infections across the UK recorded today since January 9. We know the Omicron variant is doubling every two to three days in England, and possibly even faster in Scotland.
    "We know that 30% of reported cases in London are the Omicron variant and of course we only identified Omicron in this country a fortnight ago."
    On Friday, 58,194 new Covid infections and 120 deaths were reported in the UK within 28 days of a positive test.
    A further 488 Omicron infections were reported bringing the total to 1,265, according to the latest figures.
    In England, 443 additional Omicron cases were reported totalling 1,139 overall.
    One additional case of Omicron has been reported across Scotland which has 110 confirmed cases of the variant.
    In Wales, four further cases have been reported with the total number now standing at 13.
    No new cases have been reported across Northern Ireland where the number of infections currently remains at three.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 16:24

    From hippos to hamsters: how Covid is affecting creatures great and small
    Linda Geddes - The Guardian
    Coronavirus - 11th December 2021 2000
    These two hippos at Antwerp zoo recently tested positive for Covid-19. Photograph: Reuters

    A year ago humanity embarked on a project to vaccinate every person against Covid-19. But in recent months a shadow vaccination campaign has also been taking place. From giraffes to snow leopards, gorillas to sea lions, zoos around the world have been inoculating their animals with an experimental Covid vaccine as an insurance policy against what they fear could be a similarly fatal illness for certain mammals.
    Meanwhile, veterinary scientists have been scrambling to understand the scale of Covid-19 infection in our furry household companions, and what the consequences could be for their health – and our own.
    Last week two hippos at Antwerp zoo in Belgium became the latest in a coterie of creatures to contract Covid from humans. Fortunately, Imani and Hermien had no symptoms apart from runny noses, but other animals haven’t been so fortunate. In November three snow leopards died from Covid-related complications at a children’s zoo in Nebraska. Other zoos have reported infections in gorillas, lions, tigers and cougars.
    Although Sars-CoV-2 is thought to have originated in an animal, most likely a bat, until recently most of the scientific focus has, understandably, been on human cases of disease. Yet ever since the early days of the pandemic, scientists have worried about the possibility of other animal infections.
    “We’ve always recognised that coronaviruses have this tremendous capacity to jump species. So it was always predicted that there would be a variety of domestic animals, livestock and potentially wildlife that could be infected,” said Margaret Hosie, a professor of comparative virology at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Virus Research.
    If other animals can become infected and transmit the virus, this could put pressure on it to adapt and acquire new mutations, raising the prospect of new variants that could be transmitted back to people. “You could be concentrating on eradicating the virus in humans, but meanwhile the virus could be mutating away quietly in an animal species, and getting hotter and hotter,” Hosie said.
    Read the full story here.

    Omicron could cause 75,000 deaths in England by end of April without extra restrictions, scientists say
    The Omicron variant could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months if no additional measures are taken beyond Plan B, according to scientists advising the government.
    New modelling from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who also sit on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) or the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), used experimental data to look at how Omicron may transmit as the country heads into 2022.
    Even under the most optimistic scenario (low immune escape of Omicron from vaccines and high effectiveness of booster jabs), a wave of infection is projected which could lead to a peak of more than 2,000 daily hospital admissions, with 175,000 hospital admissions and 24,700 deaths between 1 December this year and 30 April 2022.
    This is if no additional control measures are implemented over and above the current Plan B introduced by the government in England.
    The team said mask-wearing, working from home and booster jabs may not be enough, and predict a peak of daily hospital admissions of 2,400 in January.
    In this scenario, bringing in control measures early in 2022 – such as restrictions on indoor hospitality, the closure of some entertainment venues and restrictions on how many people can gather in one place – would be sufficient to substantially control the wave, reducing hospital admissions by 53,000 and deaths by 7,600.
    The most pessimistic scenario looked at by the modellers (high immune escape from vaccines and lower effectiveness of boosters) projects a wave of infection that is likely to lead to a peak in hospital admissions about twice as high as the peak seen in January 2021, if no additional control measures are taken.
    This could cause 492,000 hospital admissions and 74,800 deaths, according to the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
    In this scenario, the team estimates that stronger measures may be required to keep the peak number of hospital admissions below the January 2021 peak.
    The scientists assumed Omicron causes the same severity of illness as Delta but did not look at the impact of measures such as mass population testing to control its spread.
    The paper reads:
    These results suggest that Omicron has the potential to cause substantial surges in cases, hospital admissions and deaths in populations with high levels of immunity, including England.
    The reintroduction of additional non-pharmaceutical interventions may be required to prevent hospital admissions exceeding the levels seen in England during the previous peak in winter 2020-2021.
    Dr Rosanna Barnard, who co-led the research, said that while there remained a lot of uncertainty over Omicron, “these early projections help guide our understanding about potential futures in a rapidly evolving situation”.
    She said:
    In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of Omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home.
    However, our most pessimistic scenario suggests that we may have to endure more stringent restrictions to ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed
    Mask-wearing, social distancing and booster jabs are vital, but may not be enough.
    Nobody wants to endure another lockdown but last-resort measures may be required to protect health services if Omicron has a significant level of immune escape or otherwise increased transmissibility compared to Delta.
    It is crucial for decision-makers to consider the wider societal impact of these measures, not just the epidemiology.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 16:40

    Care home residents in England to be allowed only three visitors at Christmas
    Care home residents in England will be allowed only three visitors and one essential care worker under updated UK government guidance announced as part of new measures to protect the sector from the spread of the Omicron variant.
    The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the move was “in order to balance the current Covid-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice”.
    It is understood the guidance will come into force from Wednesday.
    Fully vaccinated residents visiting family and friends outside the care home will be asked to take a lateral flow test on alternate days for two weeks after each outing, while those not vaccinated will have to isolate after an outside visit.
    Staff testing will be increased from two lateral flow tests a week to three, alongside a weekly PCR test.
    The chair of the National Care Association has said new rules on care homes have “almost” taken people back to the restrictions that were in place a year ago.
    Nadra Ahmed said she was hoping to get clarity on several details on the new guidance, including if people could change the nominated three people to visit someone in a care home.
    The full story is here.

    Authorities in France want to accelerate vaccinations against the coronavirus before Christmas as infections surge and more people with Covid seek medical attention, AP reports.
    “People can celebrate Christmas normally, but we must respect the rules ... and get vaccinated,” the French prime minister, Jean Castex, told public radio outlet France Blue during an interview on Friday.
    France has registered a daily average of more than 44,000 new cases over the past week, a 36% increase from the previous week, according to the latest government figures. Weekly hospitalisations of people with Covid went up 1,120, a 41% rise.
    The government on Monday closed nightclubs until 6 January and tightened social distancing measures in closed spaces and outdoors. Castex said the government is not considering another lockdown that would limit or prohibit public events and social gatherings.
    With over 48 million of France’s 67 million people fully vaccinated and tens of thousands signing up for either their first shots or booster doses, the country could make it through the holiday season without additional restrictions on public life, the prime minister said.
    Health workers in France were administering 700,000 vaccine doses a day, Castex said, adding that 90% of French residents had had at least one vaccine dose. “It’s an excellent figure,” he said.
    The government is discussing whether to have France join other countries that have authorised vaccines for all children aged 5-11. Children under the age of 12 who are considered at risk of complications from Covid will be eligible starting 15 December.
    Castex, 56, tested positive for the coronavirus on 22 November. His office said at the time that he had contracted the virus from his 11-year-old daughter. He was fully vaccinated, but his daughter was too young to get jabbed.
    Pointing to himself as an example, the prime minister said: “So yes, vaccinating children is necessary.”
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 16:46

    New coronavirus restrictions could be introduced in Scotland next week, the deputy first minster, John Swinney, has said.
    PA reports that Swinney said ministers are spending the weekend “wrestling with the challenge of what are the right rules to have in place”.
    But he said he does not think that Scots will face a restricted Christmas.
    Asked on BBC Breakfast if new Covid measures would be put in place next week, Swinney said:
    I can’t say definitively that will be the case, but that’s certainly been looked at over this weekend.
    And we have to judge what’s the best set of measures that we can take to try to interrupt the circulation of the virus. We can’t have it moving at the pace its moving at just now because the danger is that will overwhelm our public and private services.
    Nicola Sturgeon is due to give a statement in the Scottish parliament on Tuesday.
    On Friday, she told a televised press conference that Scotland faced a “tsunami” of Omicron cases.
    Swinney’s comments come as the latest statistics show 11 more Omicron cases have been confirmed in Scotland, taking the total to 121.
    There were 4,087 coronavirus cases in total reported in the last 24 hours, with 12 deaths.
    Asked if Scotland faced a restricted Christmas due to new Covid measures, Swinney said:
    I don’t think so and I hope not. And we’re working very hard just now to make sure that does not become the case.
    Meanwhile, a hospital ward in Inverness has been closed to new admissions due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
    NHS Highland said that Ward 7a at Raigmore Hospital is closed to new admissions and visiting following the detection of a small number of cases of coronavirus.
    Tests are establishing whether any of the cases are of the Omicron variant and the results are expected next week.

    633 new Omicron cases detected in the UK

    Another 633 Omicron cases have been found in the UK, the biggest daily increase since the Covid-19 variant was detected last month.
    The latest figure, a 50% day-on-day increase, brings the total number of confirmed Omicron cases to 1,898 across the country, the UK health security agency said.
    In England, another 618 confirmed cases of the variant were reported, with 1,757 in total.
    Scotland reported 11 more cases, with 121 now confirmed.
    In Wales, two additional cases were reported, bringing the total to 15.
    A further two were confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to five.

    Italy reported 96 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, the health ministry said.
    The daily tally of new infections rose by 21,042, Reuters reports.
    Patients in hospital with Covid-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 6,539 on Saturday, up from 6,483 a day earlier.
    There were 76 new admissions to intensive care units, the same as the previous day, Reuters reports. The total number of intensive care patients edged up to 818 from 816 on Friday, which compares with 708 a week earlier. Some 565,077 tests were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 716,287, the health ministry said.
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    Post by Kitkat Sat 11 Dec 2021, 17:42

    Tens of thousands protest Austria compulsory Covid jabs
    Vaccination is to be obligatory from February for all residents older than 14.
    thejournal.ie

    Tens of thousands of people gathered in Austria’s capital Vienna today to protest mandatory Covid-19 vaccines and home confinement orders for those who have not yet received the jabs.
    Police said an estimated 44,000 people attended the demonstration, the latest in a string of huge weekend protests since Austria last month became the first EU country to say it would make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory.
    A partial confinement since last month ends on Sunday for the vaccinated, but those who have not received the required doses will have to remain at home.
    “No to vaccine fascism,” read one protest sign.
    “I’m not a neo-Nazi or a hooligan,” said another, “I’m fighting for freedom and against the vaccine.”
    Vaccination is to be obligatory from February for all residents older than 14, except in the case of a dispensation for health reasons.
    Nobody will be vaccinated by force, the government has said, but those who refuse the shot will have to pay a initial fine of €600, which can then increase to €3,600 if not settled.
    Manuela, 47, said she had travelled in from out of town for the protest.
    Why “exclude those who aren’t vaccinated, especially children?” asked the working mother who said she was vaccinated, but did not want to give her surname.
    “It’s incredible discrimination not to be able to send a kid to dancing, tennis or swimming lessons.”
    Analea, a 44-year-old violin teacher who also refused to give her family name, said this was “not the direction a democracy should be taking”.
    “We can have different opinions and values, but still live together freely,” she said.
    A flurry of groups called for rallies on Saturday, including the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), led by leader Herbert Kickl.

    633 new Omicron cases detected in the UK

    Another 633 Omicron cases have been found in the UK, the biggest daily increase since the Covid-19 variant was detected last month.
    The latest figure, a 50% day-on-day increase, brings the total number of confirmed Omicron cases to 1,898 across the country, the UK health security agency said.
    In England, another 618 confirmed cases of the variant were reported, with 1,757 in total.
    Scotland reported 11 more cases, with 121 now confirmed.
    In Wales, two additional cases were reported, bringing the total to 15.
    A further two were confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to five.

    UK Covid death toll increases by 132
    The UK recorded 54,703 cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total to 10,771,444.
    There were also 132 deaths recorded, bringing the total to 146,387.

    New Mexico is suffering one of the highest levels of new coronavirus infections in the country
    Dozens of U.S. Navy medics have deployed to New Mexico to treat a Delta variant-fueled surge in Covid-19 patients as part of a military operation to treat virus hotspots across Western and Midwest states.
    New Mexico is suffering one of the highest levels of new coronavirus infections in the country, its hospitals reaching record capacity levels. Nearly 50 Navy medics are treating Covid patients at the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, northwest New Mexico, where critical care patient numbers have been over 200% of capacity for weeks, Reuters reports.


    A summary of today's developments


    • Australia has said it will shorten the wait time for people to receive Covid-19 booster vaccines. Health minister, Greg Hunt, said the time interval will be shortened to five months after the second dose.
    • Another 633 Omicron cases have been found in the UK, the biggest daily increase since the Covid-19 variant was detected last month. The latest figure, a 50% day-on-day increase, brings the total number of confirmed Omicron cases to 1,898 across the country, the UK health security agency said.
    • Brazil’s supreme court justice, Luis Roberto Barroso, has ruled the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country.
    • The Omicron variant could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months if no additional measures are taken beyond Plan B, according to scientists advising the government.
    • A booster dose means the risk of symptomatic infection with the Omicron variant is “significantly reduced”, according to health officials who have urged all those eligible to make sure they get their third jab.
    • Tens of thousands gathered in Austria’s capital Vienna to protest mandatory Covid vaccines and home confinement orders for those who have not yet received the jabs.
    • Taiwan’s government said on Saturday that it had detected the island’s first cases of the Omicron variant, found in three people who had arrived from abroad.
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      Current date/time is Thu 02 May 2024, 11:15