Coronavirus - 18th December 2021

Summary for Saturday, 18th December

A summary reminder of developments over the past 24 hours

• Half of adults in the UK have now had a Covid-19 booster dose, Boris Johnson has said, after the programme was accelerated this week in the face of Omicron.A total of 26.3 million people aged 18 and over have received a vaccine top-up. The government said the milestone makes the UK’s booster rollout one of the fastest in the world.
  
• Health experts have advised the Dutch government to adopt a “strict” lockdown to stem the spread of the Omicron variant, RTL Nieuws reported on Friday.
  
• Germany has designated France and Denmark as high-risk zones for the transmission of coronavirus and will impose quarantine on unvaccinated travellers from the two countries, a public health agency said.The requirement will be imposed from Sunday and will also apply to travellers from Norway, Lebanon and Andorra, with those unvaccinated or who have not recovered from the virus subject to quarantine with the possibility of testing on day five, AFP reports.
  
• Ireland has announced an 8pm curfew for hospitality venues and a 50% limit on capacity for events in a bid to slow the spread of Omicron. The new measures will come into force on Sunday (19 December) and remain in place until 30 January.
  
• England had 65 patients in hospital with Omicron today, the UK Health Security Agency said. The total number of deaths from the new variant in England remains unchanged at one.
  
• The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, said there needs to be “swift engagement with the treasury” on Covid-19 support funds during a phone call with Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
  
• The risk of reinfection from Omicron is more than five times higher than Delta and shows no sign of being milder than the previous coronavirus variant, according to a study by Imperial College London. The results, based on data from the UK Health Security Agency and Britain’s National Health Service, analysed people who tested positive for Covid-19 in a PCR test in England between 29 November and 11 December.
  
• The UK reported 93,045 new Covid cases today, breaking the daily record for the third consecutive day. There were also 111 new Covid deaths reported and 7,611 patients in hospital, 875 of whom were on beds with ventilators.
  
• There were an additional 3,201 confirmed Omicron cases in the UK today, reports the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), nearly twice the number of infections announced yesterday (yesterday it was 1,691).
  
• Thousands of British tourists rushed to travel to France today in an attempt to beat the country’s ban on UK travellers, due to start at 11pm tonight. There were long queues at the port of Dover, reports PA Media, as people brought their Christmas travel plans forward in a bid to avoid the new restrictions.
  
• Switzerland has announced plans to tighten Covid measures - including working from home and entry restrictions for venues. From Monday, the government said it will expand proof of vaccination or recovery to many indoor venues, including restaurants, reports Reuters. For venues such as discos and bars, where masks are less likely to be worn, visitors will have to show a negative test result.
  
• Omicron could account for 80% of all new Covid cases in Portugal by the end of the month, the country’s health minister said today.
  
• England’s R value has risen to 1.0-1.2, the UK government said. An R value of between 1.0 and 1.2 means that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 10 and 12 people.
  
• The Danish prime minister today said her government would introduce new Covid restrictions, including closing theatres and cinemas, to try to control its spread. Mette Frederiksen said Omicron now accounts for a fifth of all coronavirus cases in Denmark.
  
• Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that Omicron is now the dominant Covid variant in Scotland, making up 51.4% of cases. She said that Omicron has “now replaced Delta” as the dominant Covid strain circulating in Scotland.
  

A summary of today's developments

• Germany is tightening restrictions on travel from the UK in an attempt to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. From midnight on Sunday – or 11pm UK time – there will be a ban on carriage from the UK to Germany, except for German nationals, residents and transit passengers.
  
• The Netherlands will go into a new lockdown from Sunday morning to try to limit Covid-19 infections because of the Omicron variant, prime minister Mark Rutte said. All non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums and theatres must shut from Sunday until January 14, while schools must close until at least January 9.
  
• More than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported across the UK and 125 more people have died from Covid-19, according to the latest official figures.
  
• The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant has risen to seven, the UK Health Security Agency said, from the previous figure of one.
  
• Brazil on Saturday recorded 153 new Covid-19 deaths and 3,323 new coronavirus cases, the country’s health ministry said. However, the data is still not up to date, as the ministry is still struggling to reconcile its figures after a cyber attack on its systems over a week ago, Reuters reports.
  
• The UK’s Brexit minister Lord Frost has resigned from the cabinet. In his resignation letter to prime minister Boris Johnson, he wrote he was sad the unlocking from Covid restrictions had not proved “irreversible” as promised, and added: “I hope we can get back on track soon and not be tempted by the kind of coercive measures we have seen elsewhere.”
  
• The mayor of London has declared a “major incident” over rapidly rising numbers of coronavirus infection in the capital that threaten to place strain on public services. Sadiq Khan took the decision, which allows for closer coordination between different public agencies, after consulting with leaders from NHS London, local authorities and emergency and other essential services.
  
• A leading UK government adviser has said that a “circuit breaker” lockdown after Christmas would be “probably too late” and “we need to act now” to head of a huge surge of infections. Stephen Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was clear that plan B measures alone would not be enough to stop the spiralling numbers of cases.
  
• The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading significantly faster than the Delta strain in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time of 1.5- to 3 days, the World Health Organization said.
  

Experts call for stricter restrictions in England very soon

Damien Gayle - The Guardian
Stricter Covid restrictions must be introduced “very soon” in England to prevent hospital admissions rising to 3,000 a day, according to leaked minutes from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, seen by BBC News.
The leaked minutes, from a meeting of government scientific experts held on Thursday, warn that any delay in imposing new restrictions “would greatly reduce the effectiveness”.
So far the government has taken a relatively light touch despite fears of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, with the UK setting new records for lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 for two days in a row this week.
The Sage minutes say: “If the aim is to reduce the levels of infection in the population and prevent hospitalisations reaching these levels, more stringent measures would need to be implemented very soon.”
“The timing of such measures is crucial,” say the Sage minutes. “Delaying until 2022 would greatly reduce the effectiveness of such interventions and make it less likely that these would prevent considerable pressure on health and care settings.”

Seven to ten per-cent of new cases in France are of Omicron variant

Seven to 10% of new confirmed coronavirus cases in France are suspected to be of the Omicron variant, the country’s health minister, Olivier Veran, said on Saturday, as a ban on travellers from the UK comes into force.
From Saturday morning, travellers will only be allowed to enter France from the UK if they are travelling for “compelling reasons”, unless they are French nationals, residents or hauliers.
Even then, those wanting to travel will have to show a negative Covid test and self-isolate for two days after arriving in the country.
On Saturday, Veran said the rapid spread of the new variant was the main reason for the planned introduction of a new vaccination pass early next year, which will require that people show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants and long-distance public transport.
Under the current health pass regulation, a recent negative Covid test is sufficient for entering public places.

Almost 3,000 sports sites in England taken over by vaccination centres this weekend

The football grounds Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Wembley and the racecourses, Sandown Park, Bath and Chelmsford are among the almost 3,000 sites taken over by vaccination centres in England this weekend.
Other venues open this weekend include the Christmas Market at Chester Cathedral, the Liverpool Christmas Ice Festival, Bluewater shopping centre in Kent and London’s Oxford Street, where there will be a vaccine bus.
More than 21 million booster jabs have been delivered by the NHS in England so far, NHS England said. On Monday Boris Johnson announced that the government would aim to offer a booster to every single adult in the UK by the end of December.

Wembley Stadium will be among almost three thousand sites used as vaccination centres this weekend. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Many vaccination sites across the country are working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the NHS told the PA Media news agency, adding that in every community there should be slots available at least 16 hours a day.
NHS national medical director, Prof Stephen Powis, said: “From stadiums to racecourses and mobile buses to Christmas markets, NHS Covid vaccination programme, the biggest and most successful in our history, is pulling out all the stops to make it easier than ever.
“Thanks to the hard work of our health service staff and brilliant volunteers we have already delivered record boosters so far this week but we want to keep up the momentum so if you haven’t taken up the offer yet get boosted now.”

A two-week "circuit breaker" lockdown plan for England after Christmas

Plans are being formulated for a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown in England after Christmas, although a final decision on new restrictions is yet to be taken, the Times reports.
The draft regulations would return England to similar restrictions as those seen in spring, with indoor mixing banned except for work purposes and pubs and restaurants limited to table service outdoors.
Schools and shops would remain open, but the “rule of six” would be reimposed for meetings with friends and family, weddings and funerals would be limited to 15 to 30 people, and the most-vulnerable would once again be advised to “shield”.
According to the Times, some sources said planning was under way to recall parliament next week to debate the restrictions. They could prove politically difficult for the prime minister, after a rebellion by 100 of his MPs against the plan B restrictions, including Covid passes for public events, earlier this week.

An announcement on a strict Christmas lockdown is expected in the Netherlands, with the government expected to close everything but essential shops.
The government is meeting on Saturday with its health experts who have recommended the closure of all non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues.
The Dutch national broadcaster, NOS, and the news agency ANP cited government sources saying a press conference announcing the new measures would be held at 7pm. However, a spokesman for the health ministry, Axel Dees, declined to comment on any proposed measures or the timing of any press conference.
It is only days since the government ordered that the 5pm to 5am closure of bars, restaurants and most stores, introduced in late November, would continue until 14 January.

Portugal became the latest country to widen distribution of Covid vaccines to children over five on Saturday.
More than 60,000 children aged between five and 11 were set to receive their first jab of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine this weekend in the country, which already has 88.9% vaccine coverage in older groups.
France is set to follow suit next week.
The EU’s medicines watchdog last month approved a lower-dosage Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for five to 11-year-olds, an age group experiencing high coronavirus infection rates across the continent.
Denmark, where there has been a surge in cases attributed to the new Omicron variant, and some Austrian regions began offering vaccines to younger children in November.
The US was the first large country to widen access to young children and has so far vaccinated more than 5m in the five-to-11 age bracket.

Omicron spreads significantly faster than Delta, says WHO

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading significantly faster than the Delta strain in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time of 1.5- to 3 days, the World Health Organization has said.
The Omicron variant, which was designated as a variant of concern on 26 November, has been identified in 89 countries across all six WHO regions as of 16 December, Reuters quoted the WHO as saying.
Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus’ ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the World Health Organization has said.
In its latest technical update on the coronavirus pandemic, the UN health agency said data on the clinical severity of Omicron remains limited.
“More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity,” the WHO said.
It added, “There are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron”.
With cases rising so rapidly, hospitals could be overwhelmed in some places. “Hospitalisations in the UK and South Africa continue to rise, and given rapidly increasing case counts, it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed.”

Japan's tight entry rules over omicron variant to last into next year

The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday Japan will extend its tight entry rules until at least early next year to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The government initially said the rules, banning new entries by foreigners worldwide and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities, would be in place for about a month to year-end.
Kishida told reporters that the government will continue with the rules until more details of the Omicron variant are known. "We will study the situation after the year-end and New Year (holiday)."
On Friday, Kishida announced the plan to expedite third doses of coronavirus vaccines by shortening the current eight-month interval between the second jab and a booster.

Omicron knocking on China’s ‘zero Covid’ door

Jeff Pao - Asia Times
HONG KONG – A trickle of Omicron cases is penetrating Hong Kong’s “zero Covid” defenses, worrying residents of a next viral wave and imperiling highly anticipated plans to reopen the border with the mainland later this month. As of Saturday, the city had identified 14 cases of the highly contagious variant.
At the same time, China reported 125 new Covid-19 cases for Friday, of which 89 were local, according to the National Health Commission. Reports noted that marked the biggest daily tally for local infections since November 30 when the country had 91 domestic cases. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the cases recorded on Friday, if any, were Omicron.
The outbreak forced more than a dozen factories in China’s eastern manufacturing hub of Zhejiang province to close, according to reports.
The cracks in China’s “zero Covid” come as the new highly contagious variant first discovered in South Africa surges in the West, with particularly rapid upticks in cases seen in the United Kingdom and the United States. New York state broke a record in new daily cases on Friday with 21,027 new infections reported.
Australia’s populous New South Wales state reported a record 2,482 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, a day after easing international arrival rules for vaccinated travelers, indicating Omicron is likely taking hold Down Under. 
Hong Kong threatens to be an Omicron gateway into mainland China if the border is reopened. On Thursday, a 36-year-old Cathay Pacific cargo flight pilot was identified as infected with the highly contagious variant in Hong Kong. He arrived in the city from the United States on Monday and tested negative at the Hong Kong International Airport.
Read more here.

Post-Xmas lockdown "too late", says Sage member

A leading Government adviser has said that a “circuit breaker” lockdown after Christmas would be “probably too late” and “we need to act now” to head of a huge surge of infections.
Stephen Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was clear that Plan B measures alone would not be enough to stop the spiralling numbers of cases.
Prof Reicher, who was speaking to Times Radio in a personal capacity, said the time to act was now, adding “all the science suggests that (Plan B is) not going to be enough”.
He said: “The only way really, or at least the most effective way, we can have an immediate effect is to decrease the number of contacts we have.
“In many ways, the most effective way of diminishing contact is to have a circuit-breaker.
“Now, you could have it after Christmas, the problem is after Christmas it’s probably too late, it’s probably by then we will have had a huge surge of infections with all the impact upon society.
“When people say ‘look, we don’t want to close down’, of course, we don’t want to close down. But the problem is at the moment, things are closing down anyway, because of the spread of infection.
“So I think we need to act now.”
It comes amid reports officials have been drawing up draft plans for a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown after Christmas.

Egypt says it has identified its first cases of Omicron variant

AP reports:
Egyptian health authorities said they have identified the country’s first cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Three people were found to have the variant among 26 travelers who tested positive for coronavirus at Cairo International Airport, the Health Ministry said in a statement late Friday. It didn’t say where the three came from.
The local Masrawy news outlet reported the three were among travelers from South Africa.
The ministry said two of the people infected showed no symptoms, while the third suffered from mild symptoms. The three have been isolated in a Cairo hospital, it said.
Authorities on Friday reported more than 900 confirmed new cases of coronavirus and 43 deaths over the previous 24 hours.
Egypt has reported a total 373,500 cases, including 21,277 fatalities, since the pandemic began.

Omicron cases fast spreading in India: Are we prepared for a surge?

Priyanka Sharma - NewsX
India on December 18 reported 7, 145 new cases of Covid-19, making the total tally of active caseload reach 84,565, which is the lowest in 569 days. Even though the number seems considerably low, concerns are growing over the new variant of concern- Omicron. With more than 100 confirmed cases of Omicron in India, the Union health ministry has issued advisories to avoid unnecessary travel and mass gatherings.
Alarm bells have rung in India as UK reports over 93,000 Covid cases a day, with Omicron fuelling the surge of infections. With a third consecutive daily record of over 90K cases a day, Britain is now rushing to inoculate as many people as possible to avert the damage.
Under pressure to control the surge, UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said that the aim of the mass vaccination drive is to make sure that UK does not only have the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe but also manages to avert some of the more damaging consequences of Omicron.
Back home in India, Niti Aayog member Dr VK Paul, speaking at a press conference on Friday, expressed concern over the surge of Covid-19 infection in UK and said, “If we look at the scale of spread in the UK and if there is a similar outbreak in India, then given our population, there will be 14 lakh cases every day.” He also said that sequencing of every sample is not possible as genome sequencing is a surveillance and pandemic assessment and tracking tool, not a diagnostic tool as of now.
Considering all the facets, should India also be rushing to inoculate as many persons as possible before the situation gets out of control? What should be India’s strategy to avoid a surge like UK in India? And Are we prepared to deal with a surge like that?

The 'surprising' Omicron variant symptom that can appear when eating

Helen Johnson - The Scotsman
As the Omicron variant of Covid continues to spread across the UK, you may be wondering if the symptoms differ from other strains of the virus.
But what are the symptoms of Omicron and is lack of appetite a sign?
Here’s what you need to know.

Is lack of appetite a sign of Omicron?

Using the most recent data from London, where Omicron prevalence is higher than other regions of the UK, data scientists from the ZOE Covid Symptom Study analyzed symptom data from positive cases recorded in the ZOE Covid Study and compared with data from early October, when Delta was dominant.
This analysis found no clear difference in the symptom profile of Delta and Omicron, with only 50% of people experiencing the classic three symptoms of fever, cough, or loss of sense of smell or taste.
The top 5 symptoms in both periods were:

• Runny nose
  
• Headache
  
• Fatigue (mild or severe)
  
• Sneezing
  
• Sore throat
  

However, contributor reports also identified loss of appetite and brain fog as common symptoms.
These findings line up with a small batch of data from contributors who reported that their positive PCR results were suspected or confirmed Omicron infections.
The ZOE study said: “This may come as a surprise to some, as the UK government never updated guidance on Covid symptoms beyond the classic three symptoms. Many months ago, the ZOE Covid Study helped to identify over 20, mostly mild, cold-like symptoms.”
“Every report in the app builds on this data and we will be conducting more research into the symptom profile of Omicron in the coming weeks,” the study added.
The UK’s coronavirus dashboard shows that 93,045 people tested positive for Covid on 17 December, with 477,229 over the last seven days. This is an increase of 132,836 (38.6%) from the previous seven days.

What do I need to do if I have been in close contact with someone who has Covid?

Rules for people who have been in close contact with those with Covid vary depending on where you live in the UK.
Double-jabbed people in England who are close contacts of those who have tested positive for Covid are now being asked to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days - or 10 days since their last contact with the person who tested positive for Covid-19 if this is earlier - regardless of the strain.
However, unvaccinated adults must self-isolate for 10 days if they are a contact of someone who tests positive for Covid, regardless of strain, unless they are eligible for an existing workplace daily contact testing.
In Scotland, people who have come into contact with Omicron cases have to go into self-isolation for 10 days, regardless of their age or vaccination status.
Household contacts of all Covid cases now have to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status and even if they initially get a negative PCR test.
As a close contact of someone who is not in your household, you can end self-isolation if you:

• are fully vaccinated - this means you’ve received two doses from the NHS and have had your second dose more than 14 days ago,
  
• receive a negative PCR test result, and
  
• do not have, or develop symptoms
  

In Wales, you have to self-isolate if you are identified as a close contact of a suspected Omicron Covid case.
Contact tracers will tell you if this is the case and you'll be asked to take a PCR test on days two and eight of isolation.
You'll also be asked to self-isolate and get PCR-tested if someone from your household shows Covid symptoms or tests positive.
If it's not an Omicron case and you test negative, you can then end self-isolation but are advised to avoid contact with vulnerable people in the short term.
Other contacts of non-Omicron cases are asked to take PCR tests on days two and eight.
In Northern Ireland, if you are fully vaccinated or you have taken part in an approved Covid-19 vaccine trial, you should self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test as soon as possible.
If the PCR test is negative, isolation can stop but you should take a daily lateral flow test every day after the negative PCR result until the tenth day after your last date of contact with the positive case. The lateral flow should ideally be taken before you leave the house for the first time each day.
If you develop symptoms, you should isolate immediately and book a PCR even if the lateral flow test is negative.
If any lateral flow test is positive you should isolate immediately and book a PCR test.

The New Year’s celebration fireworks display on the Champs Elysees in Paris has been cancelled, after scientific advisors warned of risks associated the festive season.
“The fireworks will not take place, nor unfortunately will there be any DJ sets,” the mayor’s office told AFP. In an announcement, the Paris municipal authorities said that “with regret that we will have to cancel all the festivities planned on the Champs Elysees on 31 December.”
The announcement was in line with new recommendations laid out by government scientific advisors to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
“With regard to the acceleration of the pandemic, and the risks related to the end-of-year festivities, authorities should impose significant restrictions,” France’s scientific panel said.

UK Cabinet ministers to be briefed on Covid data

Michael Savage - The Guardian
UK cabinet ministers are meeting for a briefing on the latest Covid data this afternoon, which is expected to reflect concerning predictions of hospital admissions as Omicron cases continue to rise, writes Michael Savage, policy editor on the Observer.
A Cobra meeting is also due with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A Dutch minister has confirmed reports that the government will be holding a press conference to announce new stricter measures this evening.
Health ministry spokesperson Axel Dees told Reuters there would be a government press conference to announce new measures at 7 pm (1800 GMT). He did not comment on the types of measures that would be announced.
The Dutch government is expected to announce a “strict” Christmas lockdown that would see everything but essential stores close amid fears over the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, Dutch media reported.
The government is meeting on Saturday with its health experts who have recommended the closure of all non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues.
In the city centre of Leiden, around twenty kilometers outside of The Hague, people flocked to the main shopping street to get last minute gift shopping done.
Some stores, like toy stores and luxury skin care and cosmetics shops, had lines outside, with the manager of a cosmetics shop telling Reuters it was “much busier than usual”.
Prime minister Mark Rutte said earlier this week that Omicron could be the dominant coronavirus variant in the Netherlands by January.
On Friday the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) reported 15,433 new Covid-19 cases, down around 25% from a week earlier, but higher than the peak of any previous wave.

A rush of passengers travelling to France to beat the country’s ban on UK tourists that came into force at 11pm on Friday has led to a knock-on effect on freight traffic, resulting in long queues of lorries.
There were lengthy tailbacks on the M20 motorway in Kent heading to Dover and at the entrance to the Channel tunnel on Saturday, PA reports.
A day earlier there were queues at the Port of Dover after many people brought their Christmas travel plans forward to avoid new restrictions imposed by France.
It was hoped freight traffic queues would clear by Saturday afternoon.

Freight lorries queuing on the M20 motorway in Kent heading to Dover on 18 December, 2021. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

A spokeswoman for Eurotunnel said:

Congestion in Dover overnight and on the A20 into Dover this morning has led to a transfer of freight traffic to Eurotunnel.
There is currently slow-moving traffic on the approach to J11A (Eurotunnel exit) on M20, but freight is flowing through the tunnel at normal rates and so this will disappear in the coming hours.

She said all passengers who wanted to get to France through the Channel tunnel before the deadline had been able to do so.
Under the new rules brought in due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, UK citizens now need a “compelling reason” to enter France, with trips for tourism or business banned.
Hauliers, transport workers and French nationals and their UK spouses and children are exempt from the new rules.

Omicron is spreading rapidly in Italy, with new cases identified in both the north and south of the country, according to the national health institute (ISS).
The health agency reported that regional laboratories had so far identified 84 cases of the new coronavirus variant on Saturday, “a strong acceleration” from 55 early on Friday, according to Reuters.
Thirty-three cases were found in Lombardy, around Milan, in the north of Italy; 20 more were identified in Campania, the southern region centred on Naples.
Silvio Brusaferro, the president of the ISS, said the spread of Omicron was “widely expected, in line with what we have seen in other countries, and we will probably see an increase in cases in coming days”.
Italy reported 120 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 123 the day before, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 28,632 from 26,109.

Scotland has recorded nine new coronavirus deaths and 5,917 positive cases in the past 24 hours, according to the PA Media news agency.
The daily figures from the Scottish government show 494 people are in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, of which 34 are in intensive care.
The Covid-19 death toll in Scotland under the daily measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - now stands at 9,780.
The test positivity rate stands at 12.2%.
A total of 4,369,398 people have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine while 3,988,961 have received their second dose and 2,436,952 have received a third dose or booster.

More than 10,000 new Omicron cases confirmed in UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported 10,059 new confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 across the UK.
This brings the total confirmed cases of the variant in the country to 24,968.
According to the latest figures released on Saturday, the number of confirmed Omicron cases in England stood at 23,168 - up 9,427 on the previous day’s total.
Cases in Northern Ireland rose to 827, a rise of 514.
Scotland’s cases have reached 792, an increase of 96.
In Wales there are 181, up 22 on the previous day.

Thousands join anti-Covid passport protest in London

Thousands of people are marching through London in a protest against vaccine passports, with the hashtag #londonprotest trending on Twitter.
Online posters advertising the event asked people taking part to gather from 12pm at Parliament Square in Westminster, from where they have since began a march through the capital.
Among those marching with protesters were Gillian McKeith, former host of Channel 4’s You Are What You Eat, and Maajid Nawaz, the LBC radio host.
In a video posted to Twitter, Nawaz pointed to a stream of people marching through the city, and said: “This is endless, it goes on as far as the eye can see. When I say we are coming, this is what I mean; you see how many people are coming.”
According to a report in the Express, the demonstration was organised by a coalition of groups including Take a Stand London, Save Our Rights UK, and The Great Reopening.
Many of those marching held placards that had been printed by a group called Together, which hosts an online petition against vaccine passports, mandatory vaccinations and the government’s summary introduction of Covid powers that has been signed by more than 167,000 people.
The protest had its critics online, however, with some observers suggesting that by gathering together those taking part would make lockdowns more likely by increasing transmission of the virus.

Sadiq Khan declares "major incident" over Covid surge in London

The mayor of London has declared a “major incident” over rapidly rising numbers of coronavirus infection in the capital that threaten to place strain on public services.
Sadiq Khan took the decision, which allows for closer coordination between different public agencies, after consulting with leaders from NHS London, local authorities and emergency and other essential services, according to a statement.
It comes after the UK on Friday reported the largest 24-hour increase in the number of new cases since the pandemic began.
A major incident is defined as an event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency, the mayor’s office said.
Khan said: “The surge in cases of the Omicron variant across our capital is hugely concerning, so we are once again declaring a major incident because of the threat of Covid-19 to our city.
“The Omicron variant has quickly become dominant with cases increasing rapidly and the number of patients in our hospitals with Covid-19 on the rise again. We are already feeling the impact across the capital and while we are still learning about this variant, it’s right that London’s key agencies work closely together to minimise the impact on our city, including helping to protect the vital vaccination programme.
“We know that the vaccine offer our best defence against the virus. There are now more clinics in London delivering vaccines than at any point during the pandemic. I urge all Londoners to book their appointment or to go to one of the many walk-in centres across the capital as soon as you can.”
Khan, from the opposition Labour party, also declared a major incident in January when rising Covid-19 cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals.
The Omicron variant is estimated to account for more than 80% of new Covid-19 cases in London.

Omicron deaths in England rise to seven

The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant has risen to seven, the UK Health Security Agency said, from the previous figure of one.
Hospital admissions in England for people with confirmed or suspected Omicron rose to 85, from 65.

UK reports over 90,000 new cases of coronavirus

More than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported across the UK and 125 more people have died from Covid-19, according to the latest official figures.
The increase in cases comes amid the suspected rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, which is believed to be more transmissible than previous iterations of the virus.
The figure for the number of deaths includes all individuals who have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 172,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Summary headlines from today’s coronavirus coverage in the UK and around the world:

• More than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported across the UK and 125 more people died from Covid-19, according to the latest figures. The increase in cases comes amid the suspected rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, which is believed to be more transmissible than previous iterations of the virus.
  
• They included 10,059 new confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 across the UK, bringing the total confirmed cases of the variant in the country to 24,968. The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant rose to seven, while there were 85 people in hospital with it.
  
• The mayor of London declared a “major incident” over rapidly rising numbers of coronavirus infection in the capital that threatened to place strain on public services. Sadiq Khan took the decision after consulting with leaders from NHS London, local authorities and emergency and other essential services.
  
• UK cabinet ministers have received a briefing on the latest situation regarding the Omicron variant. There was no meeting of the cabinet or further discussion, according to a report by the PA Media news agency, but ministers were given an update on the data surrounding the variant.
  
• A government adviser said a “circuit breaker” lockdown after Christmas would be “probably too late” and “we need to act now” to head off a huge surge of infections. Stephen Reicher, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said plan B measures alone would not be enough.
  
• The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading significantly faster than Delta, the World Health Organization has said. The new variant had a doubling time of 1.5 to three days, said the UN health agency, which reported it had been detected in 89 countries across all six WHO regions as of 16 December.
  
• Almost 3,000 locations in England were being taken over by vaccination centres on Saturday. The football grounds Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Wembley were among them, as were the Christmas market at Chester Cathedral, the Liverpool Christmas Ice festival and Bluewater shopping centre in Kent.
  

Indoor mixing the "biggest risk factor" for the spread of Omicron variant

Indoor mixing is the “biggest risk factor” for the spread of the Omicron variant, UK experts have warned, as documents revealed advisers cautioned that large gatherings risked creating “multiple spreading events”.
Documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on Saturday revealed the advice which had been given to ministers by the body. And at a meeting Thursday, the experts said that stricter measures may be needed for Omicron, because of its transmissibility.
Minutes from the meeting said that this could include “reducing group sizes, increasing physical distancing, reducing duration of contacts and closing high-risk premises”.
They said that lateral flow tests should also be used on a group basis - so if one person in a group tests positive before going to an event, their whole group should also not attend, even if they did not test positive. The experts warned that “hospitalisations in UK will reach high levels in about two weeks even if transmission is reduced soon”, and predicted between 1,000 and 2,000 hospital admissions per day in England by the end of the year, PA reports.

Italy reported 123 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections was 28,064.
Italy has registered 135,544 deaths linked to Covid-19, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth-highest in the world. The country has reported 5.365 million cases to date, Reuters reports.

Date two-week post-Christmas circuit breaker Covid lockdown would begin as 'timing crucial'
A two week circuit breaker lockdown could come into effect before the end of the year, according to reports.
Sage experts have warned the government stricter restrictions are needed very soon in England in order to stop hospital admissions reaching 3,000 a day.
As such, plans are reportedly being drawn up which would see a return to restrictions which were in place earlier this year for a two-week "circuit breaker".
It has now been reported that those measures are likely to start pre-New Year's Day - meaning December 27 to 30 are likely candidates, reports BirminghamLive.
The BBC reports that leaked minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies held on Thursday say "the timing of such measures is crucial".
It adds: "Delaying until 2022 would greatly reduce the effectiveness of such interventions and make it less likely that these would prevent considerable pressure on health and care settings."
The Welsh government has said it would close nightclubs from December 27 and impose a two-metre social distancing rule in offices - but it remains to be seen whether the circuit breaker begins the same day in England.
The plans reportedly being drawn up would see indoor meetings with people you don't live once again being banned after Christmas in a desperate bid to slow Omicron.
Sources told The Times that ministers will be shown the plan "imminently" and the newspaper reports that under a new "Step 2" set of rules people would only be allowed to meet indoors for work purposes.
Meanwhile pubs and restaurants would once again have to serve customers outdoors.
The "rule of six" rule would be reintroduced for outdoor meetings, while shielding would return to protect the most vulnerable.
However schools and shops would not be shut under the plans, The Times reports.
It comes as the UK recorded a record number of Covid cases for the third day in a row, with 93,045 confirmed infections in just 24 hours.
The total number of Omicron cases confirmed in the UK currently stands at 14,909, but experts believe up to 400,000 people could be catching it every day.
A government spokesperson said: "The Government will continue to look closely at all the emerging data and we’ll keep our measures under review as we learn more about this variant."

The Netherlands to begin new lockdown on Sunday

The Netherlands will go into a new lockdown from Sunday morning to try to limit Covid-19 infections because of the Omicron variant, prime minister Mark Rutte said on Saturday.
He said: “The Netherlands is again shutting down.
“That is unavoidable because of the fifth wave that is coming at us with the Omicron variant,” Reuters reports.

Restrictions “similar in scale to the national lockdown” are needed to keep hospital admissions from coronavirus below previous peaks, experts in the UK have warned.

Amid high numbers of cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) revealed the bleak picture painted by advisers throughout December as the threat from the strain rose.
Advice included that indoor mixing is the “biggest risk factor” for the spread of the variant of coronavirus, and that large gatherings risked creating “multiple spreading events”.

Two U.S. Air Force crew members supporting U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken’s travel last week to the UK and Southeast Asia have tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesperson for the airforce said.
It brings the total number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 traveling on Blinken’s plane last week to three, Reuters reports.
“Both aircrew members were fully vaccinated. Neither had come into close contact with the Secretary of State or senior staff,” an Air Force spokesperson told Reuters.
“One aircrew member is asymptomatic, while the other is experiencing mild symptoms.”

UK scientists: bring in curbs now or face up to 2m daily Covid infections as Omicron spreads
Here is more on UK government scientists’ stark warning there are now hundreds of thousands of infections every day.
That daily number could reach between 600,000 and 2 million by the end of the month if new restrictions are not brought in immediately.
The government’s SPI-M-O group of scientists, which reports to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), also warned that, based on their modelling, hospitalisations could peak between 3,000 and 10,000 a day and deaths at between 600 and 6,000 a day.
Read more.

France will compensate ski resorts hit by the ban on British tourists and will try to steer more French tourists to the mountains to make up for lost earnings
Under new rules taking effect on Saturday, meant to protect from importing the Omicron variant, holiday travel from Britain is not allowed and only French nationals and their partners, as well as foreigners with a permanent residence in France, can enter the country from the UK. Tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said on BFM TV that British tourists accounted for about 15% of French ski resort customers overall, but the percentage was much higher in some resorts such as Val d’Isere, Courchevel and Meribel. “Last year the government has provided 7 billion euros ($7.9 billion) of support for the sector and we will continue to stand by the industry,” Lemoyne said, without specifying what measures could be implemented. He added that because of a new lockdown in the Netherlands, Dutch tourists, who account for about 5% of the customers in French ski resorts, may also be more scarce this season, Reuters reports.

Iran is evacuating its envoy to Yemen’s rebel Houthi movement after he contracted Covid-19, Iran’s foreign ministry said.
“In order to transfer him (Irlu) to our country for treatment, the Foreign Ministry conducted consultations with some regional countries to prepare for his transfer, which is currently under way,” ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told state media. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Twitter: “Under an Iranian-Saudi agreement reached through contacts with Iraq, the Iranian ambassador in Sanaa was transferred on an Iraqi plane due to his health condition,” Reuters reports.

Brexit minister Lord Frost resigns over Covid plan B measures
The UK’s Brexit minister Lord Frost has resigned from the cabinet, the Mail on Sunday reported.
Lord Frost, who has led negotiations with the EU, is reported to have handed in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson last week. But the Mail on Sunday reported he had been persuaded to stay on until January. The newspaper reported it was the introduction of plan B coronavirus measures, including the implementation of Covid passes, that prompted Lord Frost’s decision.
Read more.

Germany tightens restrictions on travel from UK

Germany is tightening restrictions on travel from the UK in an attempt to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.
From midnight on Sunday - or 11pm UK time - there will be a ban on carriage from the UK to Germany, except for German nationals, residents and transit passengers.
Everyone entering Germany from Britain, whether vaccinated or not, will need a negative PCR test and is required to quarantine for 14 days.
The country’s public health authority, the Robert-Koch-Institut, announced the new rules on Saturday evening as it classified the UK as an area of variants of concern due to Omicron.
It said the restrictions could last until at least January 3, PA reports.

Police officers have suffered “minor injuries” during “scuffles” at an anti-vaccine protest in Parliament Square, London.
The officers were injured while attempting to escort a police motorcyclist through the area, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Video footage from the protest posted on social media shows shoving between police and protesters.
Later at around 3pm a group of protesters began “directing abuse” at people inside and egging the shop until police intervened. No injuries were reported.
A further incident occurred when beer cans a flare were thrown at officers on Whitehall.
The force said that their officers were also subjected to “abuse and physical violence” elsewhere on Whitehall, leading to several more officers sustaining minor injuries.
The Met added that no arrests have been made.

Brazil on Saturday recorded 153 new Covid-19 deaths and 3,323 new coronavirus cases, the country’s health ministry said.
However, the data is still not up to date, as the ministry is still struggling to reconcile its figures after a cyber attack on its systems over a week ago, Reuters reports. Nearly 618,000 Brazilians have died from Covid-19, the second highest total in the world after the U.S.

A summary of today's developments

• Germany is tightening restrictions on travel from the UK in an attempt to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. From midnight on Sunday – or 11pm UK time – there will be a ban on carriage from the UK to Germany, except for German nationals, residents and transit passengers.
  
• The Netherlands will go into a new lockdown from Sunday morning to try to limit Covid-19 infections because of the Omicron variant, prime minister Mark Rutte said. All non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums and theatres must shut from Sunday until January 14, while schools must close until at least January 9.
  
• More than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported across the UK and 125 more people have died from Covid-19, according to the latest official figures.
  
• The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant has risen to seven, the UK Health Security Agency said, from the previous figure of one.
  
• Brazil on Saturday recorded 153 new Covid-19 deaths and 3,323 new coronavirus cases, the country’s health ministry said. However, the data is still not up to date, as the ministry is still struggling to reconcile its figures after a cyber attack on its systems over a week ago, Reuters reports.
  
• The UK’s Brexit minister Lord Frost has resigned from the cabinet. In his resignation letter to prime minister Boris Johnson, he wrote he was sad the unlocking from Covid restrictions had not proved “irreversible” as promised, and added: “I hope we can get back on track soon and not be tempted by the kind of coercive measures we have seen elsewhere.”
  
• The mayor of London has declared a “major incident” over rapidly rising numbers of coronavirus infection in the capital that threaten to place strain on public services. Sadiq Khan took the decision, which allows for closer coordination between different public agencies, after consulting with leaders from NHS London, local authorities and emergency and other essential services.
  
• A leading UK government adviser has said that a “circuit breaker” lockdown after Christmas would be “probably too late” and “we need to act now” to head of a huge surge of infections. Stephen Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was clear that plan B measures alone would not be enough to stop the spiralling numbers of cases.
  
• The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading significantly faster than the Delta strain in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time of 1.5- to 3 days, the World Health Organization said.