Coronavirus - 6th January 2022

Summary for Thursday, 6th January 2022

Good morning and welcome

Welcome to our live coverage of the Covid pandemic.
Wednesday saw a series of Covid rule changes in the UK - including to testing and self-isolation in England and Scotland, as well as confirmation that England will stick with Plan B measures. We expect further reaction to the announcements today.
Meanwhile, tennis star Novak Djokovic, is facing deportation from Australia following a backlash over a vaccine exemption he was reportedly given.

Today so far:

• World No 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated, has been denied entry to Australia
  
• Speaking about his rival's predicament, Rafael Nadal says the vaccine "is the only way to stop this pandemic".  "Everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences," he adds
  
• A court hearing on deporting the Serb star has been adjourned and he remains in a Melbourne detention hotel
  
• Elsewhere, Italy’s government announces compulsory vaccinations for people over the age of 50
  
• The UK reported 194,747 new cases on Wednesday, plus 334 deaths
  
• Covid testing for people travelling to England has "outlived its usefulness", Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says
  
• France’s Assemblée Nationale has passed a controversial “vaccine pass” act in the early hours of this morning after debate was held up by angry reaction to Emmanuel Macron’s warning towards unvaccinated people. The law now goes to the Sénat, which will examine it before any further approval. Polls are showing that about half of French people agree with what Macron said yesterday, but half did not like the way he said it.
  
• Prime Minister Jean Castex has said France is ready to deploy a fourth Covid vaccine dose or second booster shot as soon as health authorities gave their green light to such a move.
  
• The trial of two politicians and two hoteliers over their alleged breach of Covid restrictions in organising a golf society dinner is to begin later today in County Galway in Ireland.
  
• John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has told a news conference: “We are very encouraged with what we saw in South Africa in this period. The period where we are using severe lockdowns as a tool is over, we should actually be looking at how we use public health and social measures more carefully and in a balanced way as the vaccination increases.”
  
• Pfizer has said it expects the latest results from its Covid vaccine clinical trial for children under the age of five – which will include booster shots – by April. Dr Alejandra Gurtman, a Pfizer vaccine researcher, said the company could even have data for the age group by the end of March.
  
• Italy has made it obligatory for people aged 50 or above to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as the country scrambles to ease pressure on hospitals and reduce deaths amid a dramatic surge in infections.
  
• Thailand has reported its biggest rise in coronavirus cases in weeks, after a holiday season in which people travelled and gathered in large numbers. The Ministry of Public Health raised the official warning level to 4 on a scale of 5.
  
• More than 85% of Indonesia’s population has antibodies against Covid, a government-commissioned survey showed, but epidemiologists warned it was not clear whether this immunity could help contain a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
  
• US troops in Okinawa prefecture have been ordered to wear masks off base amid criticism that military authorities failed to tackle a fresh Covid-19 outbreak among service personnel that has taken hold among the local civilian population in Japan.
  
• Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata in India are experiencing a surge in Covid cases, although without a corresponding rise in hospitalisations, but fears are growing about a spread to rural areas in coming days, where health service provision is weaker.
  
• Chinese hospital officials have been fired after a pregnant woman lost her baby after she was denied entry at a Xi’an hospital due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
  
• Australia is reporting another record day for case numbers, with more than 72,000 logged so far on Thursday. The country’s most populous state, New South Wales, recorded around half of those with 31% of those tested given a positive result.
  
• Tennis player Novak Djokovic remains unable to enter Australia, with his visa cancellation over his vaccination status now the subject of a court challenge.
  
  

Here’s what else has been happening over the past 24 hours:

• Record rises in daily Covid cases were reported in at least seven countries on Wednesday as the Omicron variant continues to spread. They were: France - 332,252; Portugal - 39,570; Turkey - 66,467; Italy - 189,109; Sweden - 17,320; the Netherlands - 24,000 and Israel - 11,978.
  
• The French parliament suspended debate on a new Covid law as opposition lawmakers demanded explanations from President Emmanuel Macron about comments in which he said he wanted to “piss off” unvaccinated people.
  
• This year’s Grammy awards, set to take place on 31 January, have been postponed as a result of the pandemic. In a statement, organisers said: “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority.”
  
• Germany is considering shortening self-isolation periods over fears that critical services could grind to a halt, according to health ministry plan. Workers in critical sectors, such as hospitals or electricity suppliers, would be able to end their isolation after five days, provided they get a negative PCR test, under the draft proposals.
  
• The Czech government has shortened the quarantine period for Covid positive people from seven days to five. The government also approved blanket testing in companies, effective from 17 January.
  
• The president of Poland has tested positive for coronavirus for a second time, after several people around him were infected. Andrzej Duda previously caught Covid in October 2020.
  
• Mozambique president Filipe Nyusi’s PCR results came back negative for Covid-19 after Nyusi and his wife Isaura tested positive via rapid tests days earlier, the president’s office said on Wednesday.
  
• Pre-departure tests for people travelling to England are to be scrapped. Boris Johnson announced[url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jan/05/uk-covid-live-pcr-lateral-flow-tests-scrapped-boris-johnson-coronavirus-latest-updates#:~:text=From 19m ago-,15%3A56,-Johnson confirms pre] [/url]that the requirement would be lifted from 4am on Friday, along with the need for travellers to self-isolate on arrival until they receive a negative PCR test result.
  
• The president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has become the first world leader to get a fourth Covid jab. On Monday Israel became the first country in the world to embark on a fourth Covid-19 vaccination campaign starting with those over 60.
  

Italy makes Covid vaccinations compulsory for over-50s
Angela Giuffrida - The Guardian
Italy has made it obligatory for people aged 50 or more to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as the country scrambles to ease pressure on hospitals and reduce deaths amid a dramatic surge in infections.
The measure is among the toughest vaccine mandates in Europe and takes effect immediately. The move was unanimously supported by ministers despite divisions between the parties that make up prime minister Mario Draghi’s broad coalition before the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

People queue outside a rapid Covid-19 testing site amid a rise in infections driven by the Omicron variant. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock

Italy also tightened its workplace vaccine rules and from 15 February, people aged over 50 who are in jobs, either in the public or private sector, will have to present a health pass proving immunisation or recovery from Covid-19.
Hospitals are under increasing pressure because of the Omicron variant. Italy registered 189,109 new infections on Wednesday and 231 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 138,276, the highest in Europe after the UK.

Australia revokes Djokovic entry visa

Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia revoked on his arrival in Melbourne and the tennis world number one was held in the city's airport for several hours on Wednesday before border officials announced he had not met entry rules and would be deported.
Djokovic was then taken to a government detention hotel and his lawyers have launched an urgent appeal in court.
This follows a massive backlash over a vaccine exemption Djokovic said he got to play in the Australian Open.
The Serbian player has not spoken about his vaccination status, but last year he said he was "opposed to vaccination".
Read more about this story here.

Analysis: Glaring questions remain over visa row

Shaimaa Khalil - BBC News, Sydney
"Rules are rules," Australia's prime minister says, about Novak Djokovic being deported. Scott Morrison is back to talking tough but so far he has not explained or answered the glaring questions at the heart of this story.
What is the issue with Djokovic's visa? What was the medical reason for his exemption?
And why had he been given the green light to fly and take part in the Australian Open if there are issues with his visa application? Big enough issues, it seems, for the player to get deported.
Remember, while his vaccine exemption has caused a great deal of anger among Australians - who for months now have been urged to get the jab - Djokovic is not the only player who was granted one.
Tennis Australia said that a handful of the 26 athletes who applied were given an exemption. Who are they? Why are their cases different from Djokovic's?
The decision about the Serb star has sparked anger overseas but the PM is hoping the decision will go down well among Australians.
Mr Morrison has been under immense political pressure over his government's handling of the Omicron variant, amid rocketing numbers of cases and chaos at testing clinics. All with a looming election in the next few months.

What do we know about the Djokovic row?

What was meant to be the start of a new year of tennis glory has turned into a diplomatic storm.
The world's number one male player has found himself sitting in Australian hotel detention awaiting possible deportation rather than preparing for a competition he has won many times.
How did this come to pass and what has the reaction been in Australia and in Novak Djokovic's home country of Serbia?
Read more here.

Djokovic court hearing adjourned

Australia will not immediately deport tennis player Novak Djokovic, a government lawyer has told a court hearing.
Lawyers for the Serbian tennis star had challenged the decision of the Australian authorities on Wednesday to deny him entry amid claims over a reported vaccination exemption.
The case has now been adjourned and the world number one tennis player has been moved to a quarantine hotel until a further legal hearing takes place on Monday.
Border officials said Djokovic failed to provide adequate proof he was medically exempt from the requirement for visitors to be double vaccinated against Covid.
An earlier decision by Tennis Australia to grant Djokovic an exemption to play in the Australian Open prompted strong public criticism.

Nadal: Djokovic aware of potential problems

Tennis star Rafa Nadal says he "feels sorry" for Novak Djokovic after his Serbian rival was denied entry into Australia - but said the player knew for months he could potentially face problems over his vaccination status.
Djokovic has refused publicly to reveal whether he has been jabbed, but has previously voiced opposition to being jabbed and suggested last week he had been granted a visa exemption to allow him to play in the Australian Open.
Nadal, who contracted Covid last month, was speaking in Melbourne, where he is playing in a tournament ahead of the Open.
He says "the only for me clear thing is if you are vaccinated, you can play in the Australian Open and everywhere, and the world in my opinion have been suffering enough to not follow the rules".
Djokovic, he adds, "made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences".

We need to get vaccinated, says Nadal

Rafa Nadal has also been speaking more widely about Covid and vaccination.
In his comments about Australia's decision to refuse Novak Djokovic entry to the country, Nadal said the pandemic has been "very challenging" for the whole world.
"A lot of families have been suffering a lot during the last two years," he adds.
Djokovic's claim he had been granted a vaccine exemption to play in the Australian Open infuriated many in a country that has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases, and where over 90% of those over 16 are fully vaccinated
Nadal told reporters: "It's normal that the people here in Australia get very frustrated with the case because they have been going through a lot of very hard lockdowns."
He adds "the only thing that I can say is I believe in what the people who knows about medicine say, and if the people say that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine".

No-one above the rules, Australia's PM says

Scott Morrison said no one was above the rules

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied that tennis star Novak Djokovic has been singled out by having his visa to enter the country revoked.
As we have been reporting, Djokovic has been taken to a government detention hotel, with a court set to decide on his deportation on Monday.
The row is around an exemption Djokovic said he had to play in the Australian Open.
Morrison says Djokovic's stance on vaccination had drawn attention.
"When you get people making public statements - of what they say they have, and what they are going to do, and what their claims are - well, they draw significant attention to themselves," Morrison told reporters.
Though Djokovic's reason for an exemption has not been disclosed, Morrison says contracting Covid-19 in the past six months was not among federal criteria for one, and that the ABF had previously advised Tennis Australia on visa expectations.

England's travel testing rules 'outlived their usefulness' - Shapps

The current system on Covid testing for travellers to England has "outlived its usefulness", Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says, as Omicron is now "widespread and worldwide".
Ahead of a rule-change for travellers arriving in England, Shapps told BBC Breakfast the current system had "done its part" and was always intended to be temporary.
The easing of travel rules mean from 04:00 GMT on Friday, fully vaccinated travellers coming to England will no longer have to take a test before they travel.
And from Sunday, rather than taking a PCR test on day two of arrival, they can take a cheaper lateral flow.
The rules for self-isolating on arrival will also change.
Find out the latest rules here.

NHS facing staffing crisis, health leaders say

In other coronavirus news, health leaders are warning the NHS is facing a "staffing crisis", with more than 20 trusts on the highest level of alert.
The NHS Confederation said a number of hospitals were reporting up to 10% of staff were either in self-isolation due to Covid or were off sick for other reasons.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, said hospitals were being hit with three issues at once - the rising numbers of hospitalisations, staffing, and non-Covid issues which existed before the pandemic.
He said the NHS was "stretched like never before".
Government figures showed a total of 17,276 people were in hospital in the UK with Covid-19 as of 4 January, up 58% week-on-week.
The figure is the highest number since 19 February last year, although far below the peak of almost 40,000 in January 2021.
It comes as MPs warned that a long-term plan was needed to fix the staffing crisis in the NHS and cut record waiting lists for treatment.

NHS staffing shortages go beyond problems of Omicron, Hunt says

There are "permanent staffing shortfalls" in every major specialism within the NHS that go beyond the problems caused by the Omicron variant, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.
Hunt, who is now chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, tells LBC radio that staffing shortages across the health service are not due to a lack of money but "finding the staff to spend the money on".
The Conservative MP for South West Surrey says about £6bn a year is spent on locum and agency medical staff because too few doctors are being trained.
He adds: "The issue is it costs about £250,000 to train a doctor... so it's that cost which means we limit the number of doctors we train.
"But I think we don't train enough, and I think, in the end, it costs us more because at the moment we spend about £6bn a year on locum doctors and agency nurses who are much more expensive, so that's why I think we need to really grip this problem."

What are the changes to the travel testing rules for England?

We told you earlier that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been defending the government's decision to change the Covid testing system for people travelling to England.
Under the current rules, all fully vaccinated travellers over the age of 12 must show proof of a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken in the two days before travelling to England from countries outside the UK and the Common Travel Area.
They must also pay for a PCR test within two days of arrival and self-isolate while waiting for the result.
Under the new rules:

• From 04:00 GMT on Friday people who are fully vaccinated and those aged under 18 will have to take a PCR test but they will no longer have to self-isolate while awaiting the result
  
• From 04:00 GMT on Sunday they will only have to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test on day two. But this test must be bought from a private test provider
  

Unvaccinated passengers will need to continue to take a pre-departure test, PCR tests on day two and day eight, and self-isolate for 10 days.
Read more about the rule changes here.

China has reported 189 confirmed coronavirus cases for 5 January, versus 91 a day earlier
Of the new infections, 132 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission on Thursday, up from 41 a day earlier.
Most of the new local cases were in Henan and Shaanxi provinces. Zhejiang also reported new cases.
China reported 45 new asymptomatic cases, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, compared with 71 a day earlier.
There were no new fatalities, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,636. Mainland China had 103,121 confirmed cases as of 5 January.

A day after Hong Kong announced a two-week ban on flights from eight countries with rising Omicron cases, neighbouring Macau has gone a step further and banned all civilian flights other than those coming from mainland China.
Helen Davidson - The Guardian
The ban is in place until 23 January.
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam announced the city’s ban on flights on Wednesday, over fears the region was on the verge of a fifth wave of Covid-19. Three community cases were recorded on Wednesday in Hong Kong, prompting a raft of new restrictions on dining and other leisure activities.
The eight countries banned from sending planes into Hong Kong are Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the US, including stopovers and transfers.

Australian Covid cases hit new highs

Tory Shepherd - The Guardian
More than 71,000 new cases have been recorded in Australia so far today, from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
NSW had 34,994 new cases and six deaths – and about 31% of those tested were positive, which is an alarming proportion. Six people died, and there are now 1,609 people in hospital, and 131 in intensive care units.

People queue in their cars for Covid tests at a drive-through clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

In Victoria there were also six deaths, and 21,997 new cases. Victoria also has a positivity rate from testing of about one in three. 631 people are in hospital with 51 in intensive care.
Queensland has recorded 10,332 new Covid cases, and one person has died.
There are 284 people in hospital, and 12 in intensive care, including two on ventilators.
Tasmania has reported 751 new Covid cases, which is a drop from the record 867 cases reported yesterday. One person has been admitted to hospital.
South Australia has recorded 3,070 cases, with 123 people currently in hospital and 12 in ICU.

As the Omicron variant makes its way through Southeast Asia, countries are introducing new restrictions after tentative attempts at reopening
Andrew Nachemson - The Guardian
Only two months after introducing quarantine-free entry for vaccinated tourists, Thailand has now suspended the scheme everywhere except in the island of Phuket. With nearly 4,000 cases reported on Wednesday, mostly local transmissions, health officials warned the country could soon be facing “tens of thousands” of new cases per day.
Authorities reportedly plan to meet tomorrow, with the Health Ministry recommending keeping the ban in place until at least the end of January. It’s a dramatic reversal for a country that had hoped to restart its tourism industry, which provided around 22% of its GDP in 2019.

Empty seats in front of bar on a quiet beach on Koh Phangan in Thailand. Photograph: Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images

In the Philippines, authorities cancelled one of the country’s most popular religious events, a Christian parade that typically draws millions of revellers. It’s the second year in a row the procession has been cancelled, and comes as the Philippines reported nearly 11,000 cases on Wednesday, its largest daily surge since 10 October.
Rather than closing borders, Singapore has declared that people won’t be considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster within nine months of their second dose. The policy comes into effect in February.
“Given the higher transmissibility of the Omicron variant, we are likely to experience an infection wave that is greater than that of Delta,” read a government press release, warning that even if the variant is milder it could still put a strain on the healthcare system.
According to government data, the city-state is one of the most vaccinated countries in the region, with 87% of the population fully vaccinated and over 40% already boosted.

India’s new Covid-19 cases have soared to 90,928 in the past 24 hours,
the health ministry said on Thursday, Reuters reports, from 58,097 a day earlier.
Daily deaths rose by 325, taking the total to 482,876. Total infections are at 35.11 million.

India’s Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are experiencing a surge in Covid cases, although without a corresponding rise in hospitalisations, but fears are growing about a spread to rural areas in coming days.
India reported 90,928 new daily Covid-19 cases on Thursday, up nearly four-fold since the start of the year, mostly from cities where health officials say the Omicron variant has overtaken Delta. The bulk of those infected have shown no or only mild symptoms and have recovered quickly at home, officials said.
The federal health ministry on Wednesday identified Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru as some of the main regions of concern, although state officials worry the disease will soon spread to the countryside where health facilities are weaker.
“We are watching the situation in the districts and rural belts where the numbers are also growing,” said Ajay Chakraborty, director of the West Bengal health services who has isolated himself at home after contracting the virus.
Reuters report that Many Covid beds in Kolkata were still empty. Chakraborty said that in the government-run Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital, only 75 admissions were recorded on Tuesday, despite more than 9,000 new cases, he added.

China fires hospital officials after pregnant woman loses baby due to Covid lockdown rules
Helen Davidson - The  Guardian
Chinese hospital officials have been fired after a pregnant woman lost her baby after she was denied entry at a Xi’an hospital due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
On the night of 1 January a woman in labour was denied entry to the Xi’an Gaoxin hospital because her negative test result was four hours too old. She began bleeding heavily while waiting outside, and was eventually admitted but the baby died.
The woman’s story and an accompanying video went viral on social media, and was reported by local Chinese media. On Wednesday, the Shaanxi Province and Xi’an Municipal Health Commission said it had launched an investigation and determined the baby’s death was an “accident caused by negligence”. Two hospital officials were fired and a manager suspended.
Read more here.

Over the last seven days there have been 1.28m new coronavirus cases recorded in the UK.
Martin Bellam - The Guardian
Cases have increased by 40% week-on-week.
There have been 1,195 deaths recorded in the last week. That would mean that deaths have increased by 131% week-on-week. However, there is a caveat around that figure, as the dashboard says there is a lag on recording some deaths, which would increase the number, but the holiday period is likely to have made week-by-week comparisons unreliable.
Hospital admissions have increased by 58% week-on-week. At the latest count, there were 17,276 people in hospital in total, of whom 911 are in ventilation beds. According to the government’s figures, the peak of hospitalisations during the pandemic was in January 2021, with 39,254 patients in hospital.

If you’ve been struggling to follow the rule changes recently introduced in Scotland, here’s a quick recap of the main changes:

• Self-isolation after a positive Covid test is reduced to seven days if you have no fever and can produce a negative lateral flow test on the sixth and seventh days.
  
• You no longer need to confirm a positive lateral flow test by taking an additional PCR test if you have no symptoms.
  
• Household contacts of people testing positive do not need to self-isolate, instead they can take daily lateral flow tests for a week to check if they become positive.
  
• If you are a close contact of a positive case, and are not vaccinated, you are required to self-isolate for ten days and take a PCR test.
  
• Secondary school children are being asked to take a lateral flow test twice a week, but whole classes will no longer have to self-isolate if there is a positive result among them – only close contacts will be affected.
  

Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has urged his US counterpart to consider restricting American troop movement in the country after a surge in Covid cases on bases and surrounding communities.
AFP reports:
The request to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes as virus cases surge in Okinawa, which hosts most of the US forces in Japan and is now seeing a rise in community infections.
The region’s governor has blamed the rise in local cases on the clusters first seen among US troops.
Okinawa will request that the central government authorise new virus restrictions, its governor said, after the southern island region reported 623 cases on Wednesday – nearly triple the previous day’s figure.

US Marines wait in an observation area after receiving the Moderna Covid vaccine at Camp Foster in Okinawa, Japan. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

In a call with Blinken, Hayashi “strongly requested the strengthening of measures to prevent an expansion in infections”, Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Hayashi called on Blinken to “consider restricting outings (by US troops) to ease worries among local residents, given the situation of coronavirus infections among US forces in Japan”, the statement added.
There were more than 400 Covid cases reported on US bases in Okinawa on 4 January, Japan’s government said Wednesday.
Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki has criticised the US military for failing to adhere to Japan’s strict measures for overseas arrivals, and last month Hayashi expressed “strong regret” to the commander of US forces in Japan over the growing number of virus cases.

More than 85% of Indonesia’s population has antibodies against Covid, a government-commissioned survey showed, but epidemiologists warned it was not clear whether this immunity could help contain a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
Stanley Widianto reports for Reuters from Jakarta that the survey, conducted between October and December by researchers at the University of Indonesia, found Indonesians had developed antibodies from a combination of Covid infections and vaccinations.
Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist involved in the survey that covered some 22,000 respondents, said the level of immunity could explain why there had not been a significant jump in infections since the middle of 2021.
The antibodies may provide some protection against new variants, including the highly contagious Omicron, Pandu said, though adding it would take months for this to become clear.
Omicron has infected more than 250 people in Indonesia, but most cases have been imported and a handful of local cases have not so far brought the type of surge recorded in many countries.
Pandu said the survey did not negate a need for more people to be vaccinated, even those that had already been infected.
“The point is to have the majority of people develop a hybrid immunity to control the pandemic.”

The trial of two politicians and two hoteliers over their alleged breach of Covid restrictions in organising a golf society dinner is to begin later today in County Galway in Ireland.
The four men face a single charge that on 19 August 2020 they organised an event that contravened the Health Act 1947, as amended, to prevent, limit, minimise or slow the spread of Covid-19.
The dinner was attended by 81 people, and the public backlash over the event led to the resignation of then agriculture minister Dara Calleary, while a number of other Fianna Fail and Fine Gael senators lost the party whip.
PA Media report that the Oireachtas Golf Society has since been disbanded. The trial is expected to take up to five days with more than 50 prosecution witnesses set to be called.

US troops in Okinawa ordered to wear masks as Covid cases rise

Justin McCurry - The Guardian
US troops in Okinawa prefecture have been ordered to wear masks off base amid criticism that military authorities failed to tackle a fresh Covid-19 outbreak among service personnel that has taken hold among the local civilian population in Japan.
Okinawa is at the centre of the country’s latest outbreak, with cases surging in recent days from 51 on Saturday to at least 980 on Thursday – a record daily caseload for the southern island.
Those figures omit infections among American troops but include those among Japanese citizens who work at US bases.
The mask requirement came after the foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, called for US personnel to be confined to their bases in a telephone call with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken

Italy makes vaccine compulsory for over-50s

The Italian government has announced compulsory Covid jabs for those aged over 50.
Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi says the rule is needed to ease pressure on hospitals and slow infections - which rose to a record high of almost 190,000 on Wednesday.
Italy is one of the first European countries to introduce such a mandate on a certain age group - and the move has already sparked a fierce backlash.
Under the new rules:

• Over-50s must be jabbed or face fines
  

• The measure is in place immediately and will run until 15 June
  
• And from 15 February, those over 50 who work must show a health pass - proving they're vaccinated or recently recovered - or be suspended from work
  

Anger in Italy over 'unscientific' vaccine mandate

Italy has already seen angry protests against Covid vaccine passes

The announcement by Italy's government that over-50s will have to be vaccinated or face sanctions - which has been prompting angry reaction.
The measure was only agreed after a two-and-a-half-hour cabinet meeting which saw frictions emerge within the coalition government.
Ministers from the right-wing League have issued a statement distancing themselves from the over-50 vaccine rule, calling it “without scientific foundation, considering that the absolute majority of those hospitalised with Covid are well over 60”.

Maskless Tube passengers fined

Hundreds of passengers have been issued fines for not wearing face coverings on London's transport network since it was made mandatory in November.
Compulsory face coverings were reinstated amid rising concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Penalty notices up to £200 were issued to 536 people between 30 November and 21 December, the Mayor of London said.
Figures showed a further 287 passengers have penalties being processed by Transport for London.
The data also revealed 21,602 people were stopped on London's transport network for not wearing a mask - but most then complied with the rule.
Read more here.

Man City's Guardiola and Burnley's Dyche test positive

Sean Dyche and Pep Guardiola will miss their teams' FA Cup matches

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Burnley boss Sean Dyche will miss their clubs' FA Cup third-round ties after testing positive for Covid-19.
City's 50-year-old Spanish boss and his assistant Juanma Lillo were both found to have the virus on Tuesday.
The pair are among 21 people at City isolating before the cup tie at Swindon Town on Friday.
Dyche will miss Saturday's home tie against Huddersfield as he isolates.
Read more from BBC Sport here.

Worst case scenario' for Omicron cases in Scotland

Covid levels are really high in the UK, and in Scotland it looks like rates are in line with the worst-case scenario, the country's health secretary says.
Humza Yousaf says infections are at the highest level predicted in a paper published last month.
"I don't think there's any way of sugar-coating the fact these next two weeks will probably be amongst the most difficult our NHS has faced in its 73 year existence," Yousaf says.
Scotland registered more than 16,000 new cases on Wednesday.
About one in 20 people in Scotland had Covid last week, according to official statistics – up from one in 40 the previous week.
However, Yousaf also says evidence Omicron is less severe suggests there may be a "more optimistic picture in terms of hospitalisations".

Northern Ireland Assembly to be recalled over school safety concerns

The Northern Ireland Assembly is to be recalled early from its Christmas break amid concerns about safety in schools following a rise in Omicron cases.
Members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) will meet on Monday after Sinn Fein issued the recall notice and 30 signatures were received.
MLAs will debate a motion expressing support for keeping schools open, but that raises "serious concern at the lack of planning by the Minister of Education (Michelle McIlveen) to ensure the safe reopening of schools" amid the growth of Omicron.
The motion calls on the minister to "urgently develop a plan that puts the safety of pupils and staff first, through the installation of air monitoring and air filtration devices in all classrooms".
It also calls for McIlveen to address the staffing pressures facing the education system by "utilising and deploying additional teaching capacity to keep schools open and safe".

China hospital officials sacked over woman's miscarriage

Stephen McDonell - China correspondent, Beijing
Health officials in the locked-down city of Xi'an have been sacked following public outrage that a woman suffered a miscarriage after being denied access to a hospital due to Covid rules.
Photos and video of the woman outside a hospital in Xi'an have received hundreds of millions of views on social media.
She was sitting on a plastic stool, surrounded by a pool of blood.
Her niece, who posted the images, said her aunt, who was eight months pregnant, had been denied entry to the hospital after her most recent Covid health test had expired just hours earlier.
Strict virus measures have required Covid tests to enter buildings.
Now the general manager of the Gaoxin Hospital has been suspended and those directly responsible for not letting her in have been removed from their positions.
The director of Xian's health department appeared on television today to apologise.
Read more about the lockdown in Xi'an here.

More than 100 test positive for Covid on Italy-India flight

A total of 125 passengers who arrived in the northern Indian city of Amritsar on a chartered flight from Italy have tested positive for Covid.
They will be placed in isolation, health officials said.
They were among 179 passengers on the flight from Milan which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon.
TV pictures showed ambulances lined up outside the airport to take away the infected passengers and crowds outside the entrance gates.
The news comes as Italy has announced mandatory Covid vaccination for people aged over 50 in a move to curb record high infections and ease pressure on hospitals there.
Meanwhile, India reported more than 90,000 cases on Thursday - a nearly six-fold rise over the past week that experts say is fuelled by the Omicron variant.
The country recorded 325 deaths in the 24 hours but only one has been linked to Omicron, officials said.

Protests in Belgrade for Djokovic

Dozens of people have gathered in front of the Serbian parliament in central Belgrade to show their support for Novak Djokovic.
It came after the tennis star's father urged his fans to respond to Australia's decision to refuse the world number one entry to the country. Border officials said he had failed to provide adequate proof that he was medically exempt from coronavirus vaccination rules.
The player, who arrived in Melbourne for the Australian Open after being granted an exemption by local officials, is being held in a government detention hotel in the city pending a court appeal.
His father, Srdjan told a press conference the hotel conditions were "terrible", adding: "Shame on you to do this to Novak, the best tennis player and athlete and the best man in the world. You will not bring him to his knees, he will fight against it.
"They could have told him not to come, and all would be fine. No, they wanted to humiliate him."

The sign carried by this supporter of Novak Djokovic in Belgrade reads: "They are afraid of the best one. Stop Corona fascism"

World facing tsunami of cases, WHO warns

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the world was facing a "tsunami" of cases

The Omicron coronavirus variant appears to be less severe than the previously-dominant strain, Delta, but should not be categorised as "mild", the head of the World Health Organization has said.
Speaking at a WHO briefing, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that as with previous variants Omicron was hospitalising and killing people.
He said the world was seeing a "tsunami" of cases "so huge and quick that it is overwhelming health systems around the world", with hospitals becoming overcrowded and understaffed.
His colleague Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 technical lead at the WHO, said the number of global cases has increased by 71% in the last week and by 100% in the Americas.
Dr Tedros renewed the WHO's call for richer nations to share vaccines with the developing world.
"I hope global leaders who have shown such resolve in protecting their own populations will extend that resolve to make sure that the whole world is safe and protected," he said.
Where are cases the highest around the world? Find out here.

 

UK cases rise by 179,756

A further 179,756 cases have been reported in the UK, according to the government's daily figures.
There were 231 deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
On Wednesday 194,747 cases and 334 deaths were reported.

Hospital admissions up by 2,078

The daily figures also show that 2,078 people were admitted into hospital across the UK.
Looking at the seven-day averages behind the figures, cases are up 29.3%, deaths up 56.1% and hospital admissions up 64.7%.
Elsewhere in the data, 247,478 booster vaccines were administered, along with 29,030 first jabs and 41,664 second jabs.

Austria to impose new Covid rules

A fresh raft of Covid restrictions will be introduced in Austria from Saturday, including new rules on wearing masks in crowds outdoors.
But it is also cutting the isolation time for those infected with Covid to five days if they test negative.
Under the new restrictions, people will have to wear masks outside when they can't keep at least 2m (6.5ft) away from others.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer says Austrians need to do everything they "can possibly do together to prevent another lockdown".
He says existing rules banning the unvaccinated from many public places would be more strictly enforced.
Austria went into a lockdown for several weeks at the end of last year to fight a surge in cases. Infections then went down, but have been rising again recently.

Portugal reopening schools and nightclubs

Portugal is relaxing restrictions, with children going back to school from next week and night clubs reopening from 14 January – despite a record Covid surge.
PM Antonio Costa says it's "evident" Omicron is less severe and vaccination has been "effective". That's why the country has seen a "lower number of hospitalisations, fewer people in ICU and deaths", he says.
The country hit a daily record of nearly 40,000 infections on Wednesday.
It registered 25 deaths on Thursday, but that's far fewer than the 300 daily deaths during the previous peak in January.
A work from home order is also being ditched from 14 January.
However, people flying into Portugal will still need to provide a negative Covid test.

Italy hits record daily cases

Italy has recorded 219,440 new Covid cases - its highest-ever daily number since the start of the pandemic.
That's up on 189,109 infections recorded on Wednesday.
And 177 more people have been admitted to intensive care units, up from 132 on Wednesday.
As it tries to battle the surge, Italy's government has made it compulsory for over-50s to be vaccinated against Covid.

Thailand raises Covid warning level after sharp rise in cases

Thailand reported its biggest rise in coronavirus cases in weeks on Thursday after a holiday season in which people travelled and gathered in large numbers amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
Officials recorded 5,775 new cases, prompting the Ministry of Public Health to raise the official warning level to 4 on a scale of 5, permanent secretary Kiatiphume Wongrajit said. The warning level had been at 3 since the end of December.
Under level 4, the ministry recommends closing high-risk venues, including those with poor ventilation, increasing restrictions on interprovincial travel, limiting group sizes in public places and lengthening quarantine requirements for travellers entering Thailand.
Associated Press report that the ministry has submitted a proposal to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, to ramp up virus restrictions due to the jump in cases. The CCSA is to meet on Friday and is expected to make a decision on the new measures.

Malaysia has granted conditional approval for the use of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for children aged between five and 11, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The country’s drugs regulator has also cleared a vaccine made by Chinese firm CanSino Biologics to be used as a booster shot for adults over the age of 18, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a statement.
Malaysia, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in south-east Asia, last week cut waiting times to encourage more people to take a booster jab, in a bid to stem the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant.
Most of the country’s population has received two doses of the vaccine, including nearly 98% of adults and 88% of those aged between 12 and 17, government statistics show.
Malaysia has reported 245 Omicron cases, the majority of which were Muslim pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia, Khairy said.
The country will temporarily suspend all religious trips to Saudi Arabia for a month from Saturday, he added.

UK number of people with long Covid for more than a year has passed 500,000

An estimated 1.3 million people in the UK – one in 50 – had long Covid in early December, the highest number since estimates began, PA Media reports.
This includes more than half a million people who first had Covid-19, or suspected they had the virus, at least one year ago.
The figures, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), are based on self-reported long Covid from a representative sample of people in private households.
Responses were collected in the four weeks to 6 December – before the recent surge in infections driven by the Omicron variant.
The estimate of 1.3 million people is up from 1.2 million at the end of October and 945,000 at the start of July.
Of the 1.3 million, 892,000 people (70%) first had – or suspected they had – Covid at least 12 weeks previously, while 506,000 (40%) first had the virus at least a year earlier.
Long Covid is estimated to be adversely affecting the day-to-day activities of 809,000 people – nearly two-thirds of those with self-reported long Covid – with 247,000 saying their ability to undertake day-to-day activities has been “limited a lot”, the ONS found.
Fatigue continues to be the most common symptom (experienced by 51% of those with self-reported long Covid), followed by loss of smell (37%), shortness of breath (36%) and difficulty concentrating (28%).
People working in teaching and education showed a greater prevalence of self-reported long Covid than other professions, and also saw the biggest month-on-month increase, from 2.7% to 3.1%.
For people working in healthcare, the figure dropped from 3.3% to 3.0%, and for people in social care it fell from 3.6% to 3.4%.
Among different age groups, the biggest jumps were for children aged 12 to 16, where prevalence rose month-on-month from 1.4% to 1.9%, and for 35- to 49-year-olds, up from 2.6% to 2.8%.
Self-reported long Covid is defined as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after the first suspected coronavirus infection which could not be explained by something else.

Scottish MP to stand trial over alleged Covid breach

Libby Brooks - The Guardian
The former Scottish National party MP Margaret Ferrier will stand trial in August accused of travelling from Glasgow to London in September 2020 knowing she had symptoms of coronavirus and wilfully exposing others to the risk of infection.
Ferrier pleaded not guilty to the single charge on Thursday morning at Glasgow sheriff court.
The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP, who referred herself to the police and the parliamentary commissioner for standards , was immediately suspended from her party after the alleged rule-breaking came to light.
She has clung to her position despite vociferous and ongoing calls for her to quit, including from the first minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon.
Prosecutors allege Ferrier “culpably and recklessly” put people at risk, making several journeys after having been told to self-isolate between 26 and 29 September 2020.
The charge claims she wilfully exposed people to “the risk of infection, illness and death”, travelling throughout Glasgow and the surrounding areas as well as making journeys to and from London.
Over three days, the 61-year-old is alleged to have visited a variety of local businesses and other locations within her constituency and beyond, including Lifestyle Leisure Centre, Vanilla Salon and Sweet P Boutique in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, St Mungo’s church in Glasgow and Vic’s bar in Prestwick, Ayrshire.
The trial date was set for 15 August, with the case expected to last for four or five days, and a pre-trial hearing set for June.

A Hong Kong cabinet minister was sent to a quarantine camp on Thursday after he was deemed a close contact of a preliminary coronavirus case at a large party attended by other government officials and lawmakers
AFP reports:
The home affairs minister Caspar Tsui was among more than 100 guests at a birthday celebration on Monday evening that was also attended by city police chief Raymond Siu and head of immigration Au Ka-wang.
Tsui was classified as a close contact because he was there after 9.30pm, when a person suspected to have been carrying the virus attended.
Siu had left beforehand and officials said they were still trying to work out when Au left.
City leader Carrie Lam told reporters she was “very disappointed” senior officials attended the party just three days after health officials had advised the public to avoid large gatherings.
“My colleagues apparently have not taken the advice of the secretary for food and health, so how could they set a good example for the people of Hong Kong?” Lam asked.
Tsui issued an apology on Facebook.
Like China, Hong Kong has maintained some of the world’s strictest quarantine measures and travel curbs, which have kept the city mostly coronavirus-free but internationally isolated for some 22 months.
A small local outbreak of the Omicron variant which began with airline crew from Cathay Pacific has been detected in recent days sparking warnings, new social distancing measures and flight bans on eight countries.
At the time of Monday night’s party, banquets of up to 240 were still permitted but Lam said government officials should have “led by example” and heeded calls to avoid such gatherings.
She said an investigation by her office discovered 10 government officials attended the party - eight of whom could prove they had left before 9.30pm and therefore did not need to be sent to quarantine.
Local media reported three city legislators also attended the party, held for a member of China’s top lawmaking body.
Lam did not comment on those reports but confirmed the city’s legislature and main government offices were being disinfected.
Twenty lawmakers met Xia Baolong, Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau affairs chief in Shenzhen, on Wednesday but it was unclear if the three who attended the party were among that group.
A day earlier Lam had lambasted the leadership of Cathay Pacific, saying they should take responsibility for attendants who had breached home-quarantine rules.
She said society was “paying a huge price” for the Omicron outbreak and even hinted that the city might look at legal options against the carrier.
Last year immigration head Au was among three government officials who were fined after they broke social distancing rules to eat at a luxury clubhouse.

Austria’s government has said it was making medical grade masks compulsory outside to ward off a new lockdown as Omicron cases rise, AFP reports.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer revealed the decision on Thursday, telling reporters the situation was “very serious” with Omicron’s degree of contagion posing “a new challenge”.
Austrian reported 8,853 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, nearly three times above the daily average number of infections last week.
Medical grade FFP2 face coverings had already been compulsory on Austrian public transport and in enclosed spaces since last January.
FFP2 masks offer better filtration than their surgical equivalent and cover the face more effectively.
Austria is also tightening its health pass controls but loosening restrictions including on self-isolation of those who test positive and those with whom they have been in contact to avoid economic paralysis. [see 3.25pm.].
Nehammer said Vienna was not ruling out a new lockdown should hospitalisations surge, the most recent one having ended on 12 December for those vaccinated.
Those yet to be jabbed must stay at home except for reasons including work and buying food in a country where about one third of residents have not been jabbed – one of the highest rates in western Europe.

Philippines' Duterte threatens unvaccinated people who break lockdown with arrest

Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has ordered the arrest of unvaccinated people who violate stay-at-home orders aimed at curbing “galloping” infections driven by the Omicron variant, AFP reports.
The government tightened restrictions in Manila and several provinces and cities this week. Unvaccinated people among the capital’s 13 million people were ordered to stay home, after infection numbers trebled in the last two days.
Health officials said infections were projected to increase further in the coming days and would peak by the end of the month.
“Because it’s a national emergency, it is my position that we can restrain” people who have not got their shots, Duterte said in a pre-recorded message.
“I am now giving orders to the [village chiefs] to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just request them or order them, if you may, to stay put.”
He added: “And if he refuses and goes out of the house and goes around in the community or maybe everywhere, he can be restrained. If he refuses then the [official] is empowered to arrest the recalcitrant persons.”
Covid vaccinations are voluntary in the nation of more than 100 million people, and less than half the population have so far been jabbed.
Duterte said he was “appalled” at the large numbers of Filipinos yet to be vaccinated.
“If you don’t get a jab you put everybody in jeopardy,” he said, with the virus “galloping in our community, in our country and in the world.”
New infections surged to more than 17,000 on Thursday, rising more than threefold from Tuesday’s toll, according to health department data.
The disease has infected 2.9 million people in the country, nearly 52,000 of whom have died.
The government loosened lockdowns in October last year, after infections driven by the Delta variant peaked, in order to revive the hard-hit economy.
New infections dwindled to a few hundred daily just before Christmas, but ramped up again as families and friends got together for the holidays.
Health experts say the new cases are driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Under the tighter restrictions, in place until mid-January, unvaccinated residents have to stay at home unless buying essentials or exercising.
Restaurants, parks, churches and beauty salons will operate at lower capacity, while in-person classes and contact sports are suspended.

Peru raises Covid alert and tightens restrictions amid Omicron wave

Peru, which has one of the world’s highest Covid mortality rates per number of inhabitants, has raised its pandemic alert level in various cities and tightened some restrictions due to a third wave of infections caused by the spread of the Omicron variant, Reuters reports.
The health minister, Hernando Cevallos, said that 24 provinces, including Lima, went from “moderate” to “high” alert as the average number of daily cases has increased 25% from the previous week.
Among the restrictions were an extended curfew of 11pm to 5am, three hours longer than the previous curfew, and tightened capacity limits in shopping centres, banks and restaurants, Cevallos said.
The heightened restrictions come amid signs that countries across Latin America are entering another wave of Covid infections, despite South America being the world’s most-vaccinated region.
“We’re at a level of infections that’s rising more and more quickly,” Cevallos said in a press conference. The minister said that in Lima, where close to a third of the country lives, “Omicron is the prominent [variant]”, accounting for half of all new cases.
Cevallos also said that despite the rise in infections, the number of deaths in the country had only increased moderately, and that the majority of the deaths were among the unvaccinated.
About 80% of Peru’s eligible population has received two doses of the Covid vaccine. As of Tuesday, according to the health ministry’s most recent update, the country has recorded a total number of 2.3 million infections and 202,904 deaths.

What's been happening today?

Here is a recap of the main stories.

• World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked upon his arrival in Melbourne, amid a backlash against his vaccine exemption. Djokovic had been granted the exemption to play in the Australian Open, but border officials said he did not meet entry rules. He is now in a government detention hotel, with a court set to decide on Monday whether he should be deported
  
• Djokovic's parents held a press conference in which they said he was being held prisoner by the authorities
  
• Boris Johnson has described people opposed to Covid vaccines as speaking "mumbo jumbo". The prime minister said those spreading false information on social media about the jabs were "totally wrong" and it was time for him "to call them out"
  
• About 1.3 million people in the UK have "long Covid" - symptoms lasting more than four weeks after an initial infection - an Office for National Statistics survey suggests. Of those people, 892,000 first caught the virus at least 12 weeks ago, while 506,000 were infected at least a year ago
  
• Health leaders have warned the NHS is facing a "staffing crisis", with more than 20 trusts on the highest level of alert. The NHS Confederation said a number of hospitals were reporting up to 10% of staff as being either in self-isolation due to Covid or as off sick for other reasons
  
• The world is facing a "tsunami" of coronavirus, the World Health Organization has declared, as it called for richer countries to better share vaccines with the developing world. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, said that although the Omicron variant appeared to be milder than the previously-dominant strain Delta, it was still killing people and overwhelming health systems 
  
• Peru raised its pandemic alert level in numerous cities and tightened some restrictions amid a third wave of infections caused by the spread of the Omicron variant. The health minister, Hernando Cevallos, said that 24 provinces, including Lima, went from “moderate” to “high” alert as the average number of daily cases has increased 25% from the previous week. Among the restrictions were an extended curfew of 11pm to 5am, three hours longer than the previous curfew, and tightened capacity limits in shopping centres, banks and restaurants, Cevallos said. [see 5.51pm.].
  
• The Stormont assembly is set to be recalled early from its Christmas recess to discuss the Omicron surge in Northern Ireland. A sitting of the assembly’s plenary is due to take place at noon on Monday so MLAs can debate a motion around the opening of schools amid the recent record-breaking wave of Covid cases.
  
• The Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has ordered the arrest of unvaccinated people who violate stay-at-home orders aimed at curbing “galloping” infections driven by the Omicron variant. When the government tightened restrictions in Manila and several provinces and cities this week, unvaccinated people among the capital’s 13 million people were ordered to stay home, after infection numbers tripled in the last two days. “Because it’s a national emergency, it is my position that we can restrain” people who have not got their shots, Duterte said in a pre-recorded message. “I am now giving orders to the [village chiefs] to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just request them or order them, if you may, to stay put.” He added: “And if he refuses and goes out of the house and goes around in the community or maybe everywhere, he can be restrained. If he refuses then the [official] is empowered to arrest the recalcitrant persons.” [see 5.12pm.].
  
• Pre-departure testing for travellers entering Scotland has been scrapped in line with the rest of the UK. The change will take effect from Friday at 4am, while those coming into the country will also be able to use a lateral flow test instead of a PCR as their post-arrival test, taken on or before the second day of their stay, from Sunday at 4am. The requirement to self-isolate until a negative PCR is returned will also come to an end. Only travellers above the age of 18 and who are fully vaccinated with two doses are impacted by the change – a booster is not required, according to Scottish government guidance.
  
• The UK recorded another 179,756 Covid casesand a further 231 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest figures from the government’s coronavirus dashboard. Story here.
  
• The more infectious Omicron variant appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta, but should not be categorised as “mild”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Speaking at a media briefing, the director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also repeated his call for greater equity globally in the distribution of and access to vaccines. Based on the current rate of vaccine rollout, 109 countries will miss the WHO’s target for 70% of the world’s population to be fully vaccinated by July, Tedros added. That aim is seen as helping end the acute phase of the pandemic.
  
• Austria’s government is to roll out tighter Covid-19 rules from Saturday as the country fights a wave of infections from the Omicron variant. The new measures include shortening quarantine times to five days, requiring people to wear masks outdoors when in crowds, and limiting to six months the validity of vaccine certificates, officials said. Previously, people who tested positive had to quarantine for 14 days. From next week, stricter inspections will be in place to make sure only vaccinated or recovered people are going into shops and cultural venues. The government has also told Austrians to keep working from home if possible.
  
• Portugal will allow students to return to school from next week and nightclubs to reopen on 14 January despite a record surge in Covid cases, with hospital admissions still well below levels seen earlier in the pandemic. From Monday, only coronavirus-infected people and those who live with them need to isolate, while those who have received a booster shot – a total of about 3 million people – no longer need to do so. Students can return to school on Monday but a work-from-home order, imposed around Christmas, will stay in place until 14 January, António Costa, the prime minister, said. Nightclubs and bars can reopen on 14 January, but a negative test will be required to enter. A negative test will also continue to be requested from all air passengers travelling to Portugal.
  
• Boris Johnson criticised anti-Covid vaccine activists for spreading “nonsense” on social media, while stressing that he does not support moves to overtly pressure people into getting vaccinated. “I want to say to the anti-vax campaigners, the people who are putting this mumbo jumbo on social media: they are completely wrong,” Johnson told broadcasters on a visit to a vaccination centre. “You haven’t heard me say that before, because I think it’s important we have a voluntary approach in this country and we’re going to keep a voluntary approach.” Story here.
  
• Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier will stand trial in August accused of travelling from Glasgow to London in September 2020 knowing she had symptoms of coronavirus and wilfully exposing others to the risk of infection. Ferrier pleaded not guilty to the single charge on Thursday morning at Glasgow sheriff court. Story here.
  
• An estimated 1.3 million people in the UK – one in 50 – had long Covid in early December, the highest number since estimates began, according to figures from the ONS. That includes more than half a million people who first had Covid, or suspected they had the virus, at least one year ago.