Coronavirus - 22nd January 2022

Summary for Saturday, 22nd January 2022

Good morning

Welcome to today's live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Starting with a quick-glance recap of the main headline stories over the past 24 hours:

• The average daily US Covid-19 cases from the Omicron variant fell about 5% in the past week, but some areas of the country may still see a spike in infections, the head of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention director said on Friday. Daily Covid hospitalisations were down about 1% on average in the past seven days.
  
• Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it is “time to be ourselves again” as he announced the lifting of almost all Covid restrictions.
  
• There were 95,787 new cases of Covid-19 reported in the UK on Friday, the government said. The figure is based on positive lab-confirmed PCR tests, but also includes most positive lateral flow tests reported in England and all lateral flow tests reported in Northern Ireland.
  
• European Union health ministers were told on Friday to prepare to deploy a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccines as soon as data showed it was needed, as the bloc faces a surge in cases of the Omicron variant  of the coronavirus.
  
• The estimated range of England’s Covid-19 reproduction “R” number has fallen to between 0.8 and 1.1, the UK Health Security Agency said, adding that cases are likely to be shrinking as prime minister Boris Johnson reopens the economy.
  
• The Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, urged Poles to work from home as daily Covid-19 infections reached their highest ever level.
  
• Australia on Friday reported its deadliest day of the pandemic with 80 coronavirus fatalities, as an outbreak of the omicron variant continued to take a toll.
  
• The World Health Organization notes that cases of Covid have sharply declined in Africa and deaths are declining for the first time since the emergence of the Omicron variant.
  
• There were 107,364 new Covid cases recorded in the UK yesterday. Over the last seven days there have been 650,700 new coronavirus cases recorded in the UK. Cases have decreased by 32.8% week-on-week.
  
• The government in Wales has confirmed that nearly all Covid restrictions will be dropped in the country in the next eight days.
  
• Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford has said Boris Johnson has been permanently damaged by the Downing Street lockdown party scandal. He said “Even if he were to survive, he will just limp on because he’s never going to escape the damage that this week has done to his reputation.”
  
• European Union health ministers will meet today to try to find a common line over potential fourth doses of Covid-19 vaccines. EU members Hungary and Denmark have already decided to roll out a second booster jab.
  
• Germany reported yet another new record of 140,160 new coronavirus cases on Friday as the country’s health minister warned the country could see at least 400,000 per day by mid-February.
  
• Russia has seen an extremely sharp rise in Covid cases over the last three days, and has today set a brand new daily case record of 49,513.
  
• Poland has set a record for new cases – 36,665 – and deputy health minister Waldemar Kraska has told broadcasters “In the coming days we will also have very high results, it worries us.”
  
• Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz said on Friday he was isolating after testing positive for Covid but was in good health.
  
• Pakistan reported over 7,000 Covid cases in a single day, its highest daily number of infections since the pandemic began. A ban on indoor dinning in cities or districts with test positivity rate above 10% has been imposed with effect from 21 January.
  
• By contrast, India’s capital New Delhi is set to lift a weekend curfew and allow private offices to be partially staffed after a fall in new infections. Meanwhile, a zoo in India is planning on rolling out a Covid vaccine trial on its resident lions and leopards, the Times of India is reporting.
  
• China has reported its lowest daily tally of local confirmed Covid-19 cases in nearly two months. However the Beijing Winter Olympics torch relay will be cordoned off from the public because of concern about the spread of the coronavirus, organisers said.
  
• Authorities and pet-lovers in Hong Kong are locked in a game of cat and mouse, with citizens mounting a clandestine rescue operation for hamsters condemned to be euthanised over fears they could transmit Covid-19.
  

Tokyo logs record daily cases for fourth consecutive day

Jedidajah Otte - The Guardian
Tokyo on Saturday recorded 11,227 new daily Covid-19 infections, the highest daily tally for the fourth consecutive day amid a continued rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The local government has reinstated restrictions that are due to run until 13 February.
On Friday, the number of severely ill Covid-19 patients in Japan reached 404, up by 117 from a day before, the health ministry said, as it issued fast-track approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, with the government preparing to kick-start the rollout in March, the Japan Times reported.

Ireland lifts majority of Covid restrictions

Ireland has taken a significant stride back to normality after the majority of pandemic-related curbs on society were lifted as of 6am Saturday – sooner than some had expected.
The government announced the sweeping relaxations on Friday evening, with an 8pm hospitality curfew lifted, as well as the scrapping of Covid passes that previously had to be shown in order to enter hospitality, entertainment and leisure venues.
Live events and sporting events can return to full-capacity audiences and guidance advising limits on household visits has been removed, while workers will return to offices on a staggered basis from Monday, Reuters reports.
Only a small number of restrictions remain in place: Masks still have to be worn in public places such as shops, schools and on public transport, and self-isolation rules and the use of Covid passes for international travel continue to apply.
Protective measures will remain in place in schools until at least the end of February, when they will be reviewed.
The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, stressed the pandemic was not over but that the “emergency” phase had passed.
“I want to be clear that the pandemic isn’t over – it will still require all of us to be vigilant,” he said on Friday.
But he added:

:Left Quotes:   Spring is coming. I don’t know if I’ve ever looked forward to one as much as I’m looking forward to this one.
Humans are social beings and we Irish are more social than most.
As we look forward to this spring, we need to see each other again. We need to see each other smile. We need to sing again.
As we navigate this new phase of Covid, it is time to be ourselves again.

Civil servants ordered back to office after Covid restrictions lifted in England
UK government civil servants have been ordered to return to the office, with government departments told to rapidly get back to “full occupancy” after the lifting of plan B Covid-19 restrictions in England.
The announcement on Friday night sets up a clash between the government and unions, who have warned against a “headlong rush” back to workplaces with coronavirus cases still high. Across the UK, 95,787 positive tests were reported on Friday.

Taiwan's restrictions to be tightened

Taiwan’s government said on Saturday restrictions would be tightened after a rare surge in domestic transmission of the Omicron variant, saying it needed to act now to prevent being overwhelmed, even though overall numbers remain quite low.
After months of no or few community infections, Taiwan has seen a small rise in local Covid-19 cases since the beginning of January, mainly linked to workers at the main international airport in the northern city of Taoyuan who were infected by arriving passengers, Reuters reports.
On Friday evening the government announced 60 new cases at a factory near the airport after testing 1,000 workers.
There have been no deaths and most of the cases have had only mild or no symptoms.
In a statement, premier Su Tseng-chang said that, even though this outbreak has brought no serious illness, steps needed to be taken. “If the pandemic cannot be contained, it will still cause a burden on the medical system,” he said.
New restrictions will include a ban on eating and drinking on public transport and limits on the number of people visiting temples, ahead of the week-long lunar new year holiday, which starts at the end of this month.
Testing will be expanded to reach the largest number of possible contacts, said the health minister, Chen Shih-chung.
“Of course we think this pandemic is threatening, so we must raise our vigilance,” he said.
Taiwan has been highly successful at controlling the pandemic due to early and strict border checks and an effective tracing system.
More than 70% of people in Taiwan have received two vaccine doses and booster shots are currently being rolled out, with about 15% of residents having received a third shot so far.

Ministers 'out of touch with how the world of work has changed since Covid'

Ben Quinn - The Guardian
An order for UK civil servants to return to work as soon as possible has more to do with deflecting attention from prime minister Boris Johnson’s own political troubles, the head of a trade union representing senior civil servants has claimed.
Dave Penman, the FDA’s general secretary, said:

All the evidence shows that across the economy, hybrid working is being embraced, delivering efficiencies for employers and flexibility for employees.
Despite this, ministers are clinging to an ideology of presenteeism that demonstrates they are out of touch with how the world of work has changed since the pandemic began.

The Cabinet Office said measures had been put in place in government buildings to reassure staff and allow the transition back to office working, including increased ventilation and improved cleaning routines.
It added that there was no government requirement or recommendation for employers to limit capacity in the workplace.

Russia reports daily record of coronavirus infections

Russia reported a new record number of confirmed daily Covid-19 infections on Saturday, the government coronavirus taskforce said.
Daily new cases jumped to 57,212, from the previous record of 49,513 a day earlier, as the Omicron variant continues to spread.
The taskforce also reported 681 deaths.
Russia’s infections are now at about 85% of the country’s peak and rising, according to the Reuters Covid-19 tracker, with 34,378 new infections reported on average each day.

Poland reports record number of new infections

Poland reported a record 40,876 new daily infections on Saturday, the health ministry said, as the country’s fifth wave gathers pace.
On Friday Poland logged a record high of 36,665 new infections, with at least 1,390 cases of the Omicron variant.
Authorities have said the latest wave of the pandemic will drive case numbers to levels not yet seen in Poland, with estimates of the peak ranging from 60,000 to as many as 140,000 daily infections.
Officials are expecting the number of cases to reach more than 50,000 a day next week, a number that could begin to put unsustainable strain on the health system.
Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned on Friday that the healthcare system will find itself under “unprecedented” pressure.
“The fifth wave of the pandemic has become a fact,” Morawiecki said. “In recent days we’ve been seeing over 30,000 new [daily] infections. These numbers must be making an impression even on those who disregarded the pandemic.”
About 57% of the 38 million strong population have been vaccinated, and circa 9 million people have received booster shots.

Warning of a 'significantly worsening Covid-19 outbreak' in Hong Kong

Hong Kong health officials warned on Saturday of a significantly worsening Covid-19 outbreak as suspected infection numbers rose in a congested residential area.
Health authorities said on Saturday they had detected at least 130 preliminary-positive Covid-19 cases and 26 confirmed cases at a public housing estate in the Kwai Chung district north of the Kowloon peninsula.
On Friday, authorities ordered 2,700 residents of the housing block into an unprecedented 5-day lockdown.
“It’s not easy for us to control the spread because we cannot trace all their whereabouts,” senior health department official Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said, referring to the 2,700 residents as well as workers and visitors linked to the building at the centre of the outbreak.
She urged people across the city to limit their social engagements and avoid large gatherings.

Health workers in protective gear walk at the lockdown area in Kwai Chung Estate, in Hong Kong, Saturday, on 22 January, 2022. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP

Local media reports on Saturday said that officials were considering tighter city-wide restrictions but none have yet been confirmed.
Earlier this week, officials announced traces of the virus had been found on 11 hamsters, and ordered the killing of more than 2,000 of the imported animals, including any pets bought since 22 December, causing a backlash in the population.
Thousands of people have offered to hide or adopt unwanted hamsters, as local media was flooded with footage and images of crying children saying goodbye to their pets.
Unlike many other cities, Hong Kong has maintained a “zero Covid” strategy focused on eliminating the disease, with schools and gyms shut, restaurants closing at 6 pm and air travel with many major hubs severed or severely disrupted.

The Philippines reports 30,552 new infections on Saturday

The Philippines recorded 30,552 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, as well as 97 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 53,406.
The department of health said it was still too early to say whether Metro Manila could lower its Covid alert level from 3 to 2 next month, CNN Philippines reports.
“I think it’s too early to declare and to say to people that we will shift or deescalate to alert level 2,” health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a briefing on Saturday.
Vergeire said she was still working with earlier projections that cases might peak by the end of the month or by the middle of February.

People wearing face masks present their vaccination cards as the Philippine capital region limits the use of public transport to only fully vaccinated individuals, at a train station in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on 17 January, 2022. Photograph: Lisa Marie David/Reuters

Germany reports record seven-day incidence rate

Germany’s seven-day incidence rate has risen to a high of 772.7 infections per 100,000 people, up from 706.3.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 135,461 new infections on Saturday, an increase of 57,439 on the same day a week ago, when 78,022 positive tests were reported.
It also reported a further 179 deaths, bringing the country’s total to 116,664.
At least half of the population, or about 41.7 million people, had received a Covid booster shot and at least 75.4% had received at least one vaccine dose, the RKI said. At least 73.3% have been fully vaccinated, and 24.6% remain unvaccinated.
The federal government has set a target for 80% of the population to received at least one vaccine dose by the end of January.

France is at its peak with reported high daily infection numbers

The daily average of reported Covid-19 infections in France is at its peak, with 320,068 new cases reported each day, according to Reuters.
The country’s constitutional council approved strict new restrictions for unvaccinated people on Friday.
The new law will exclude them from large parts of public life via a “vaccine pass” that will be introduced from Monday.
People in France have to show proof of vaccination or recovery if they want to gain entry to hospitality venues, cultural sites and sporting events or use long-distance public transport.
Other measures are to be gradually relaxed from February, however, because the French prime minister, Jean Castex, believes the country’s high vaccination rate will protect hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

Jean Castex meets firefighters at a Covid vaccination centre in Nantes. Photograph: Loïc Venance/AFP/Getty Images

England's public health body investigating offshoot of Omricon - BA.2

England’s public health body is investigating an offshoot of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 amid concerns that it may be even more contagious than the original.
The Financial Times reported:

The UK Health Security Agency said it was designating the Omicron offshoot a ‘variant under investigation’ because of “increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally”.
Early analysis suggests the BA.2 sub-variant may have an “increased growth rate” over the earlier form of Omicron, officially designated as BA.1, according to UKHSA, which stressed that there is a “low level of certainty early in the emergence of a variant”.
Moreover, BA.2 has not been named a ‘variant of concern’ — the highest risk ranking for new strains.
About 426 cases of the Omicron offshoot have been sequenced in the UK, with the first found in early December.

Greece has dected two cases of Omicron offshoot, BA.2

Greece has detected two cases of an offshoot of the Omicron variant in passengers arriving at Athens International Airport.
The travellers, who have the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, are now in isolation.
It comes as the country reported 20,507 new cases and 108 deaths on Friday. A total of 467 Covid patients were hospitalised.
The BA.2 subvariant, of which 426 cases have been sequenced in the UK, may have an “increased growth rate” over the earlier form of Omicron, officially designated as BA.1, according to UKHSA. However, the UKHSA stressed that there is a “low level of certainty early in the emergence of a variant”.

Health care professionals "have a duty" to ensure they are protected

The deputy lead for England’s NHS Covid vaccination programme Dr Nikki Kanani, said on Saturday health care professionals “have a duty” to make sure they are protected against Covid-19.
All NHS staff in England who have direct contact with patients must have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine by 3 February, and have had two jabs by 1 April, or risk losing their job at the end of March - a government policy unions fear will worsen the health service’s staffing crisis.
Dr Kanani was asked if the NHS can cope with the possibility of losing thousands of staff due to mandatory vaccination.
She told reporters:

Mandatory vaccination is a government policy but as healthcare professionals we all have a duty to make sure that we are protected, to make sure that our colleagues and our patients are protected.
I know that our teams will be doing everything they can to continue to have vaccine confidence building conversations and offering that all important vaccination to staff who are yet to have their first, second or their booster dose.
Our NHS staff have been utterly incredible. The last 24 months have been the most difficult that any of us have ever experienced and they have worked through the pandemic, they’ve delivered the most incredible vaccination programme.
I know some people are still trying to make that really important decision.

Pressed on whether patients will suffer if the NHS loses staff due to the vaccine mandate, Dr Kanani said:[/h2]

As we’ve seen through the pandemic, and of course those days before the pandemic that we don’t even think of very often, our NHS continues to deliver.
What I want to say is to our patients who are listening - we will keep looking after you.
That’s what we do in the NHS. Our general practice teams, our pharmacy teams, our healthcare services.
We’re here for you, so don’t ever worry. The NHS is open. The NHS is there for you.

‘More people will die’: fears for clinically vulnerable as England axes plan B

In the week that UK health secretary Sajid Javid told the nation that “we must learn to live with Covid in the same way we have to live with flu”, science correspondent Hannah Devlin reports on the fears felt by clinically vulnerable people.
In England, 3.7 million people fall in the clinically extremely vulnerable bracket – many of whom feel like a “forgotten minority” as the country axes plan B restrictions.

Romania reporting an average of 13,985 new cases each day

Infections are on an overall upward trend in Romania, with 13,985 new cases reported on average each day. That’s 93% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on 20 October, according to the Reuters Covid-19 tracker.
On Saturday, 19,371 new Covid cases were registered, 278 less than the previous day. On Friday, the country reported a record 19,649 new daily cases.
Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged between 5 and 11 years are scheduled to start on 26 January, according to Valeriu Gheorghita, the coordinator of the national vaccination campaign.
The government is trying to combat vaccine hesitancy in the population by posting personal accounts of people who have taken up the vaccine offer on social media.
As of Friday, 7.9 million people out of a population of around 19 million have been fully vaccinated, according to the government’s vaccine task force.

Five more positive covid deaths in Northern Ireland

A further five people who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, the department of health has said.
Another 3,476 confirmed cases of the virus have also been logged in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Risk related to Omicron remains "very high", WHO says

The overall risk posed by the Omicron variant remains “very high”, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned on Saturday.
In an updated press briefing containing further data and results of relevant studies, the WHO said:

Based on the currently available evidence, the overall risk related to Omicron remains very high.
Omicron has a significant growth advantage over Delta, leading to rapid spread in the community with higher levels of incidence than previously seen in this pandemic.
Despite a lower risk of severe disease and death following infection than previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, the very high levels of transmission nevertheless have resulted in significant increases in hospitalisation, continue to pose overwhelming demands on health care systems in most countries, and may lead to significant morbidity, particularly in vulnerable populations.

The brief added that epidemiological trends continue to show “a decoupling” between recorded case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths, compared to previous waves driven by other variants, which, the WHO said, is likely due to a combination of Omicron being milder, and the fact the vaccines are more effective at protecting against serious illness than they are against infection.
But the brief added:

However, high levels of hospital and ICU admission are nevertheless being reported in most countries, given that levels of transmission are higher than ever seen before during the pandemic.
Moreover, more data are needed to better understand how clinical markers of severity – such as the use of oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and number of deaths are associated with Omicron.
This is particularly important given that current evidence about severity and hospitalisation has largely been shared from countries with high levels of population immunity, and there remains uncertainty about the severity of Omicron in populations with both lower vaccination coverage and lower prior exposure to other variants.

Everything we know about new ‘under investigation’ Covid-19 strain BA.2

Colin Drury - The Independent

It’s harder to detect than original Omicron and may be even faster at spreading but, say scientists, is probably no more dangerous

Health chiefs have revealed they are officially monitoring a new version of Covid-19 – which has been nicknamed “stealth Omicron”.

The UK Health Security Agency has marked BA.2 a “variant under investigation” – one level below a “variant of concern” – after early data suggested it may be both more transmissible and better able to evade vaccines than previous strains of the killer virus.
It is a sub-lineage of the original Omicron – BA.1 – but appears to have certain differences that may make it both faster at spreading and harder to detect.

According to the World Health Organisation , it is now probably outpacing the earlier strain with some 8,000 cases identified in more than 40 countries, including the US , India , Germany and Australia .

In the UK, some 426 cases have been detected since the new lineage was first designated in December. Although that number may seem small in comparison with the tens of thousand of daily cases of Covid-19 over the last two months, it is thought the real figure of BA.2 will be many times higher because only a fraction of infections are checked for variations.

Its stealth nickname comes from one of its key differences with the original Omicron.

That variant was relatively easy to track because of a specific quirk – the deletion of a spike gene – made it stand out on the widely-used PCR tests without the need for extra genome sequencing.

But the new strain does not appear to have this feature making it more difficult to monitor.

It means that while PCR tests will still spot if someone has this version of Covid-19, the samples would need to be sent for further lab analysis to determine if someone had ‘stealth’.

Even so, while health chiefs will now work round the clock analysing BA.2, there appears little fear that it will cause another wave of infections.

Dr Tom Peacock, one of the first virologists to raise the alarm over Omicron, said “Even with slightly higher transmissibility this absolutely is not a Delta to Omicron change, and instead is likely to be slower and more subtle.

“That said, I would not be surprised if BA.2 slowly replaces [Omicron] over the coming months with a slightly more "optimised" mutations.'

The scientist, from Imperial College London, told the Daily Mail : “Very early observations from India and Denmark suggest there is no dramatic difference in severity.”

Dr Meera Chand, the UKHSA's Covid incident director, said an altered form of Omicron was not unexpected because, by their very nature, viruses are constantly evolving.

Remote Pacific Ocean island nation goes into lockdown after first Covid case

Carly Roberts - National World

A Covid-free nation has recorded its first case of the virus after keeping safe for the whole pandemic.

Kiribati opened its borders to the first internationl flight in ten months only for two-thirds of passengers to test positive.
So, where is Kiribati and when is the country imposing lockdown restrictions?

Where is Kiribati?

Kiribati, pronounced Kiribas, is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, located near Samoa and Fiji.
The 33 islands of Kiribati, of which only 21 are inhabited, are scattered over a vast area of ocean and grouped into three: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands.
The country is an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations and is home to about 120,000 people.
Kiribati was used for US and British nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s and now has a large coconut plantation and fish farms as well as several satellite telemetry stations.
The vast majority of people speak Gilbertese (or I-Kiribati) but English, which is the official language, is also widely spoken, especially in the capital of Tarawa.

Why is the country being forced to follow lockdown rules?

Before the flight from Fiji landed on 14 January, the country had never faced the threat of Covid before.
On board the flight to Kiribati were 54 passengers, the majority of whom tested positive for Covid upon arrival.
Reports say that 36 people were diagnosed with the virus - though they are now in quarantine and are recovering well, according to authorities.
But the virus is now in the community at a time when Fiji is battling it’s third wave of Covid.

When is the country going into lockdown?

From 31 January the country will be plunged into lockdown for four days with local lockdown already in place in one area.
Schools will be shut and people will only be able to leave their homes for essential items.
It comes as one security guard from the quarantine centre also tested positive on 18 January.
His case has prompted officials to introduce a two week curfew.
Health chiefs have brought in additional restrictions including mask wearing and social distancing.
If nationals travel outside the capital of Tarawa they also must show their vaccine passports.
Two people the security guard was in contact with were also told to quarantine - as his village is now placed into a two week lockdown.

Portugal Update, 22 January

TPN/Lusa - The Portugal News
Today Portugal has registered 58,131 new cases of infection and a further 43 deaths from Covid-19 in the country according to the daily report from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
Of the total number of infected people in the country, the overwhelming majority are undergoing treatment at home, with 2,027 (-17) people being hospitalised in hospital units, of which 154 (-8) are in intensive care.
There are more than 452,000 under surveillance by the health authorities, as they have been in contact with other people who have meanwhile been diagnosed with the disease.
The number of recovered people is currently at 1,701,896, some 26,160 more people compared to the previous balance. Portugal still registers 454,821 active cases.

Delhi Records 45 Covid-19 Deaths, Highest Since June 5

News18

The number of tests conducted a day ago stood at 70,226, according to the latest health bulletin.(REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)

Delhi on Saturday recorded 45 deaths due to COVID-19, the highest since June 5, and 11,486 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 16.36 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. The number of tests conducted a day ago stood at 70,226, according to the latest health bulletin.
With the fresh coronavirus cases, the total infection tally in the national capital rose to 17,82,514. The death toll increased to 25,586. On June 5, the city had registered 60 deaths and 414 coronavirus cases.
Delhi had logged 10,756 fresh Covid cases and 38 fatalities due to the infection on Friday, while the positivity rate had declined to 18.04 per cent. On Thursday, the infection tally was 12,306 while 43 fatalities were also reported.
On Saturday, the number of cases reported stood at 11,486 with a lower positivity rate of 16.36 per cent, the bulletin said. On January 13, the national capital had reported 28,867 COVID-19 cases, the sharpest single-day spike here since the beginning of the pandemic.
Delhi’s previous biggest daily jump of 28,395 cases was recorded on April 20 last year.

Unvaccinated barred from mosques in Pakistan

Zubair Qureshi - Asia News
Islamabad: Despite vaccination of Pakistan’s 35 per cent total population and 52 per cent eligible population, the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing steadily forcing the National Command and Operation Centre
(NCOC) to announce a number of restrictions, including banning unvaccinated individuals’ entry into mosques, enforcing smart lockdown and staggered attendance at schools.
According to the decision taken by the NCOC on Saturday, only vaccinated individuals will be allowed entry into mosques and other places of worship.
The notification issued by the NCOC said those wishing to enter places of worship were required to wear masks and maintain a social distance of 6 feet along with frequent hand sanitisation.
The NCOC undertook a detailed review of the coronavirus’s current situation in the country and agreed to implement a series of health protocols to stem its spread.
It has also directed that carpets at places of worship be removed and attendance for prayers should be minimal.

Brief sermons in Friday prayers

The  notification decided that Friday sermons should be brief, and doors and windows should remain open to ensure ventilation, though it would be preferable to hold prayers in open spaces.
It also advised the elderly people with co-morbidities to “preferably offer prayers at home” and also recommended that ablutions should be performed at home.
A day earlier (Friday) Pakistan recorded highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic (7,678 cases in 24 hours).
Pakistan on Saturday recorded 6,540 new cases of COVID-19 after 58,902 tests conducted in 24 hours.
The country’s positivity rate came down to 11.10 per cent on Saturday from 12.93 per cent on Friday.
The NCOC data shows 12 lives were lost to COVID-19 in last one day while 1,119 recovered from the coronavirus in this period.
The number of active cases has also jumped to 63,344, the NCOC stats reveal.

Over 1,000 patients shifted to critical care units

More than 1,000 patients infected with coronavirus have been shifted to critical care across Pakistan, according to official figures, as the COVID situation worsens due to the Omicron variant.
The NCOC has also announced that all schools in areas with a high COVID-19 positivity ratio would remain closed for one week across the country and after that the students in such areas would attend schools only two days a week.
Earlier this week, the forum had banned indoor gatherings, weddings and dining in districts and cities with a positivity rate exceeding 10 per cent as part of the new curbs to deal with the 5th wave.
With a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Islamabad, smart lockdown has been enforced in 25 localities in several residential sectors of the capital besides closure of a dozen educational institutions.
According to District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia, 892 people tested positive after 7,078 tests conducted in 24 hours.
The coronavirus positivity in the federal capital remained 12.6 per cent.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said 25 streets were sealed where citizens had tested positive in the last couple of days, however, exemptions to the order include essential services and supplies like pharmacy and medicine shops, grocery stores and bakeries, patients in need of medical aid/medical consultation, drinking water supplies, utilities, and emergency.

Anti-vaccine protests in London today

Jason Rodrigues

UK reports 78,807 new Covid cases and 297 deaths

According to the UK government’s daily dashboard, between 16 January and 22 January, 641,929 people had a confirmed positive test result for Covid-19. This represents a decrease of -22.2% compared to the previous 7 days.
During that same time period, there have been 1,888 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test – marking an increase of 2.4% compared to the previous 7 days.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show there have been 177,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Protest marches today in Sweden

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Sweden’s two biggest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, against the use of vaccine passes. Police had warned of possible clashes between neo-Nazi groups and opponents but the marches unfolded calmly, Agence-France-Presse reports.
Vaccine passes have been mandatory in Sweden since 12 January for indoor events of more than 50 people. More than 83% of Swedes over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, in France, hundreds took part in small-scale demonstrations two days before tighter restrictions come into force against unvaccinated people. Although the size of protests has dropped off in recent weeks, a hard core remain angry at President Emmanuel Macron, who has warned he will continue to extend restrictions for the unjabbed.
From Monday, a new vaccine health passport will require those aged 16 and above to show they have been jabbed in order to access restaurants or bars, leisure activities or use inter-regional public transport. A negative Covid test will no longer be sufficient except to access health services.

Samoa placed under 48-hour nationwide lockdown

The small Pacific nation of Samoa has been placed under a 48-hour nationwide lockdown after 15 passengers on a flight from Australia tested positive for Covid-19.
The passengers were on a flight from Brisbane carrying 73 people, all of whom were fully vaccinated and had tested negative for Covid-19 before departure.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa warned the government may cancel further flights from Australia. In neighbouring American Samoa, the local governor announced the cancellation of flights between the territory and Samoa for one week.
Another Pacific island, Kiribati, went into lockdown yesterday after two-thirds of passengers on the first commercial flight in almost two years tested positive for Covid-19.

Italy reports a further 171,263 new cases today

Italy reported 171,263 new cases today, down from the 179,106 cases recorded the day before, the health ministry said.
A further 333 deaths were also recorded, against 373 the previous day. The country’s total Covid-19 death toll stands at 143,296, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world.

NHS staff join anti-vaxxers on 'freedom' rallies through London, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester in protest against mandatory Covid jabs
Chris Matthews - MailOnline
NHS workers protested across the country today at the move to ensure all staff are fully vaccinated against Covid.
Although the UK's mortality rate has dropped massively as more of the population has been vaccinated, some anti-vaxx nurses maintain the life-saving vaccine is an 'experimental drug'.  
Tens of thousands of NHS staff who have not had the Covid vaccine face the sack. 
More than 80,000 – 6 per cent of the workforce – remain unvaccinated despite repeated efforts to boost take-up. 
All frontline workers who have not received a jab will be called into formal meetings from February 4 and given a warning that they face dismissal.

A woman holds a placard promoting NHS 100k, a group of anti-vaxx ambulance workers who 'stand united in favour of freedom of choice, bodily autonomy and informed consent'. More than 150,000 people have died from Covid in Britain but the death rate plummeted after people started taking vaccines


A man smiles as he holds a flare and a drum during a march in London for NHS staff against vaccine mandates for workers in the organisation


The infamous anti-vaxxer Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy, gathered with other protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House, London, to demonstrate against vaccine mandates


A person wearing a Squid Game mask and a biohazard suit holds a blow-up syringe and they protest against the vaccine


A woman jokes as a person in a mask with a blow-up syringe injects her rear. More than 5.5 million people have died from Covid worldwide


Many NHS workers who have worked decades for the organisation face being sacked if they cannot prove their vaccination status

NHS England guidance states notices will then be issued from that day, with March 31 marking the end of the notice period. 
All frontline staff are required to have both doses of the Covid jab by April 1, meaning that by February 3 the first must have been given.
Managers have been advised they can move unvaccinated medics from the frontline into roles which do not involve direct patient contact. Bosses won't have to help staff find 'suitable alternative employment' and redundancy payments will not be made to those who are dismissed. 
A protest is being held in Piccadilly Gardens against the Government's decision to enforce compulsory Covid vaccinations for NHS staff.
The demonstration is part of a national campaign calling on healthcare staff to be given 'freedom of choice'.
A Yorkshire NHS nurse has said she has chosen to walk away from the job she has been in for 30 years rather than have the Covid vaccine. 
Cara Barnes, from West Yorkshire, has worked as a specialist nurse for three decades. 
But she is set to lose her job as she is refusing to have the Covid-19 jab, which she claims is an 'experimental drug'. 
From April 1, all NHS staff will be required by law to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. It means those who are yet to be jabbed will have to have had their first by the start of February.

Trafalgar Square saw a large protest as well, as hundreds gathered to demonstrate against vaccine mandates in the UK


Demonstrators descended on the BBC's London offices as NHS nurses and key workers joined forces with anti-vaxxers


Many of the signs suggested NHS staff who are not vaccinated shouldn't be sacked because they were clapped during the pandemic

More pics and vids here.

Mr Javid has stuck by the move, saying it was the 'duty' of NHS workers to get the jab in order to protect patients, and insisted that he does 'not want to see anyone have to walk away from their job'.
'This is all about patient safety, we know vaccines work, we know that they reduce the risk of you being infected, so it reduces the spread of an infection,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 
'People whether they are in care homes or a hospital bed, they are particularly vulnerable to this virus, it could be fatal. It is our duty to everything we can to protect them.' 
Mr Javid said the public would have questioned why they did not introduce the policy, when other countries around he world have. 'I think you’d have me on the show saying "why didn’t you do anything about it?",' he said.  
Covid cases were down 6 per cent from 81,713 to 76,807 this week, while deaths stayed at a fairly similar level, up from 287 to 297.
More than 52.2 million people in the UK have had their first dose, with 48.1 million having their second and 36.8 million having their third.

Some NHS chiefs have hit out at the rule to ensure all NHS workers are vaccinated as they say it may fuel a staffing shortage. 
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) called for the policy for NHS staff to be 'delayed with immediate effect' to avoid similar shortages among key workers.
It said the NHS 'cannot afford to lose experienced and skilled staff'. 
And medical trade unions said the policy should be pushed back to give hospitals more time to persuade staff to come forward for an injection.
The Royal College of Nursing said the move 'looks set to backfire' and is 'an act of self-sabotage', while the Royal College Midwives warned compulsory vaccines will 'only see staffing levels fall further' and have a 'catastrophic impact'.
And the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts in England, said hospitals' frontline staff will be pushed out of their roles, leading to 'more gaps in capacity at a time of intense pressure and patient demand'.
But Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said vaccines are 'the best protection against the virus' and the 'overwhelming majority' of medics have already been double-jabbed. 
'NHS employers will continue to support and encourage staff who have not yet been vaccinated to take up the offer of the first and second doses ahead of the April 1, when regulations come into effect,' he said.

New variant BA.2 spreading like wildfire across UK and Scandinavia

Michiel Willems - City A.M.
Various media across Scandinavia and the UK are reporting the emergence of a new Covid variant that is so infectious and spreading so fast that nearly half of all cases in Denmark are now the new mutation, named BA.2, with more than 400 confirmed infections across the UK.
The new mutation has reportedly also popped up in Norway, Sweden, Singapore and India.
Reuters reports that UK health authorities are investigating 426 confirmed cases of BA.2 in Britain, while officials in Denmark said that just over 45 per cent of all new infections in the country are now the new variant.
WHO representatives have rushed to Copenhagen to investigate BA.2, nicknamed ‘stealth Omicron’ in Danish media as the mutation seems to be pushing the Omicron variant aside fairly quickly.
Various media across Scandinavia and the UK are reporting the emergence of a new Covid variant that is so infectious and spreading so fast that nearly half of all cases in Denmark are now the new mutation, named BA.2, with more than 400 confirmed infections across the UK.

Ireland celebrates as most Covid restrictions are lifted: ‘It’s time to be ourselves again’

Ryan Dinsdale - i News
Most Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland were lifted including social distancing and shortened opening hours for pubs and restaurants.

Customers at Grogan’s pub in Dublin, on the day coronavirus restrictions were eased across Ireland (Photo: Damien Storan/PA Wire)

Ireland took a step towards normality on Saturday as the government lifted most of its Covid-19 restrictions.
An 8pm curfew on the hospitality sector has gone, with pubs and restaurants able to trade restriction-free and without the need for social distancing or vaccine passports.
The announcement came as Ireland’s Covid-19 cases continue to decline, with 6,597 recorded on Friday compared to 21,926 two weeks earlier.
Spirits were high in Dublin city centre on Saturday afternoon, with pubs and bars starting to get busy from lunchtime.
Daniel Smith, a barman at Grogans pub, said the atmosphere was “brilliant”.
He added: “Obviously it’s a great day. It’s been a long time coming – this is 22 months in the making now.
“To finally get back feels a bit surreal. Plenty of times during the last two years we didn’t think we’d ever make this day, so to finally get back there is special.”
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin declared that “today is a good day” in an address to the nation, thanking the people of Ireland for their efforts in reducing the spread of the virus.
He said: “When your government asked extraordinary things of you, introduced previously unimaged restrictions on your lives, you responded. You did what you were asked to do.
“No one should be in any doubt that your collective efforts have saved many thousands of lives.”
Under the eased rules, pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues are able to return to unrestricted business hours and customers no longer require a digital Covid-19 pass to enter.
Social distancing rules have also been lifted alongside caps on the number of people allowed to attend indoor and outdoor events.
Mr Martin also said that work from home rulings would also be lifted alongside restrictions on household gatherings, adding: “It’s time to be ourselves again.”
Not every rule was lifted as masks must still be worn on public transport and in most public places, and a Covid-19 pass will still be required before travelling internationally.
Alongside these remaining rules, Mr Martin made clear that the pandemic isn’t over for Ireland and he urged his citizens to remain vigilant.
He said: “It is important also to say that I can’t promise you there won’t be further twists in this pandemic requiring different decisions in the future.
“But I do know this: solidarity with each other and trust in science has got us to where we are today and will get us through whatever else this virus may throw at us.”
Over 80 per cent of Ireland’s population has received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccination and 77 per cent have received a second dose. More than half of its population has also received the booster jab.
Additional reporting by Press Association

Banners reading “Boot him out! - Stop Boris.com” were flown over Premier League matches held at Old Trafford in Manchester and Elland Road in Leeds.
Campaign group Open Britain told the PA news agency it had “booked the aircraft”, adding it was taking its “campaign fighting to have Boris Johnson removed from power...to the skies”.
The group said it had decided to “increase public pressure after the Prime Minister failed to step down this week” after he claimed “nobody warned me it was against the rules” for a drinks party to be hosted in Downing Street during the first lockdown.

A light aircraft with a banner against Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Manchester United v West Ham United match Old Trafford, Manchester Photograph: Paul Currie/REX/Shutterstock


A sign protesting against British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is flown over the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

France reported 389,320 new coronavirus cases today, after seeing four consecutive days with more than 400,000 new cases.
The health ministry also reported 3,746 Covid patients in intensive care units, 46 fewer than on Friday and marking the fifth day in a row that the number of patients has fallen.

Daily Covid infections in UK less than half recorded two weeks ago
Jem Bartholomew - The Guardian
The UK detected 76,807 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, a 54% drop on the 176,191 cases detected two weeks ago as the record-breaking Omicron wave appears to have spiked.
The UK reported a further 297 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test on Saturday, 3% up on the 287 deaths reported last Saturday. Over 177,000 people in the UK have Covid on their death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics, the seventh highest tally in the world.
It comes after the health secretary, Sajid Javid, reiterated his message the UK is “learning to live with” Covid. Javid confirmed steps on Wednesday to axe virtually all Covid restrictions in England despite warnings from senior NHS figures it could provoke a resurgent wave.
Ahead of the deadline for England’s NHS workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs on 1 April, Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy lead for the NHS Covid vaccination programme, said it’s the “duty” of staff to protect patients. Kanani’s comments were made amid protests against mandatory vaccines in London on Saturday.