Coronavirus - 29 January 2022

Summary for Saturday, 29th January 2022

Good morning

Welcome to today's live coverage update of coronavirus around the world

First, here is a reminder of the key events over the past 24 hours:

 

• Germany said the Omicron surge is “under control”, despite record infections. On Thursday, new daily cases topped 200,000 for the first time. On Friday, the infection rate reached another record of 1,073 new cases per 100,000 residents in a week.
  
  
• The UK reported 89,176 new cases and 277 Covid-linked deaths. That compares with 96,871 cases and 338 deaths recorded a day earlier. Since early January, the number of confirmed Covid cases had been falling in the UK. But in recent days, the caseload has plateaued, with daily tallies hovering at about 90,000 cases.
  
  
• England’s R number has dipped to between 0.7 and 0.9. Last week, the figure was estimated to be between 0.8 and 1.1, while it was 1.1-1.5 in the week before that.
  
  
• Hong Kong’s government has offered to compensate pet shops after ordering a cull last week of more than 2,000 hamsters for Covid reasons. The city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would offer them a one-off payment of up to HK$30,000 (£2870).
  
  
• Italy has reported 143,898 Covid-related cases today, compared with 155,697 the day before, the health ministry said. The number of deaths fell to 378 from 389.
  
  
• Scientists have said Boris Johnson’s failure to take enough action to get jabs to the 3 billion unvaccinated people worldwide means new variants will put thousands of lives at risk in the UK.
  
  
• Sweden has decided against recommending Covid vaccines for children aged five to 11, the country’s health agency said, arguing that the benefits did not outweigh the risks.
  
  
• Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Friday six lab studies showed that their experimental oral Covid-19 drug, molnupiravir, was active against the Omicron variant. The UK became the first country to approve the antiviral molnupiravir in November last year.
  
  
• The NHS is set to prescribe the antiviral pill Paxlovid for high-risk Covid patients from next month. This is a valuable breakthrough for people with weakened immune systems, who may not get maximum protection from vaccines. High-risk patients include those who are immunocompromised, cancer patients and those with Down’s syndrome.
  
  
• Theresa May has broken her silence on “partygate” to express her anger and expectation of full accountability. In a letter to her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, she wrote: “It is vital that those who set the rules, follow the rules … This is important for ensuring the necessary degree of trust between the public and government.”
  
  
• Claims shared on social media, including by the former Brexit secretary David Davis, that the true number of deaths in England and Wales caused by Covid could be 17,000 have been debunked as “spurious” and factually incorrect by the Office for National Statistics.
  

China yesterday detects 36 new Covid-19 infections among Olympic Games-related personnel

The organising committee of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games reported on Saturday.
Nineteen were either athletes or team officials who tested positive after arriving at the airport on Friday. A notice on the Games’ official website said 29 were found among new airport arrivals, while seven were among those already in the “closed loop” bubble that separates event personnel from the public.

Long Covid study and lung abnormalities

Researchers have discovered abnormalities in the lungs of long Covid patients who have breathlessness that cannot be detected with routine tests.
The Explain study uses xenon, an odourless, colourless, tasteless and chemically non-reactive gas, to investigate possible lung damage in the patients who have not been admitted to hospital but continue to experience the symptom.
The initial results of the study suggest there is significantly impaired gas transfer from the lungs to the bloodstream in the long Covid patients despite other tests – including CT scans – coming back as normal.
The study’s chief investigator, Fergus Gleeson, a professor of radiology at the University of Oxford and consultant radiologist at Oxford university hospitals NHS foundation trust, said: “We knew from our post-hospital Covid study that xenon could detect abnormalities when the CT scan and other lung function tests are normal.”

Diego Verdaguer, popular Mexican-Argentinian singer, dies of Covid

The Argentinian singer-songwriter Diego Verdaguer, whose romantic hits such as Corazón de papel, Yo te amo and Volveré sold almost 50m copies, has died of complications from Covid-19, his family said. He was 70.

Diego Verdaguer, on stage in Mexico City in 2019. Photo: Joselin Mota/EPA

The naturalized Mexican-Argentinian musician, who was married to the singer Amanda Miguel, died on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles, his daughter Ana Victoria said in a statement released by Diam Music, Verdaguer’s record company.
“With absolute sadness, I regret to inform his fans and friends that today my father left his beautiful body to continue his path and creativity in another form of eternal life,” said his daughter. “My mother, I and the whole family are immersed in this pain, so we appreciate your understanding in these difficult times.”
The statement was also published on the Twitter account of Amanda Miguel, with the hashtag #restinpeace along with emojis of a pair of her hands palm to palm and a white heart.

Beijing Winter Olympics reports jump in daily Covid cases

Daily Covid-19 infections among athletes and team officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics athletes jumped to 19 on Friday from two a day earlier, as Games organisers warned of more cases in coming days.
Including the athletes and officials, 36 Games-related personnel were found to be infected – 29 when they arrived at the Beijing airport and seven already in the “closed loop” bubble that separates event personnel from the public, the organising committee said in a statement on Saturday.
“We are now just going through the peak period of people arriving in China and therefore we expect to see the highest numbers at this stage,” the Games’ medical chief, Brian McCloskey, told a news conference. Organisers were confident in their system of Covid prevention and infections were unlikely to leak out into the public, McCloskey said.
Cases among athletes and team officials exceeded those for “other stakeholders”, including media, sponsors and staff, for the first time since China started releasing daily numbers of Olympics-related coronavirus cases on 23 January, according to a Reuters tally of previous statements.
“It’s annoying that every morning you need to get up a little earlier specially to get a PCR test. I think that in a few days it will be like brushing your teeth,” the Russian hockey player Anton Slepyshev told RIA news agency. “Everyone is concerned that the test result will suddenly turn out to be positive. But the reality is such that we are living with Covid. We accept all the risks and fears,” he said.
The Games are to run from Friday to 20 February, its bubble sealed off from the rest of China, where the government’s zero-tolerance Covid policy has all but shut the country’s border to international arrivals.

Indonesia is bracing for a third wave of Covid-19 infections as the Omicron variant drives a surge in new cases
Health authorities and experts reported on Saturday:
The country reported 9,905 new infections and seven deaths on Friday in the latest 24-hour period. It was the highest daily caseload since August last year when the country was struggling to contain a Delta-driven wave.
Indonesia had recovered from last year’s spike in cases and deaths that was among the worst in the region, and daily infections had fallen to about 200 by December. But cases are rising again just weeks after the country reported its first local Omicron case.
The health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said the next few months would be critical because Omicron was spreading “rapidly and massively”.
“Its upsurge will be extremely fast ... We will see a sharp rise in the near future,” he told a news conference on Friday, adding that the current wave would probably peak at the end of February or in early March.

Russia’s daily coronavirus cases exceeded 100,000 on Saturday for the first time since the pandemic began
The country confirmed 113,122 new daily infections, setting a record high for a ninth consecutive day, which the authorities blame on the spread of the Omicron variant.
Russia’s coronavirus task force said 668 deaths had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, after Russia’s coronavirus death toll exceeded 700,000 on Friday.

Ukraine registered a record daily high of 37,351 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours
The health ministry reported on Saturday:
The previous high of 34,408 cases was a day earlier. Ministry data showed 149 new related deaths, putting the total above 100,000. Ukraine’s tally of infections in the pandemic stands at 4.02 million, with 100,031 deaths.

In the UK, a heavily redacted report by the senior civil servant Sue Gray on parties at Downing Street will be published imminently, the Guardian understands.
It comes after Scotland Yard provoked fury and confusion by revealing it had demanded key details of the worst offending be removed. MPs labelled the Metropolitan police a broken organisation after the force admitted it had asked Gray to make “minimal reference” in her inquiry report to matters its officers were now investigating.
The Met, battered by criticism, insisted it needed to protect the integrity of its investigation.

New Zealand prime minister is in isolation

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has gone into self-isolation until Tuesday after being deemed a close contact of a person who tested positive for Covid-19, the government said.
The exposure took place on 22 January during a flight to Auckland from the town of Kerikeri, the government said on Saturday, adding that the result of whole genome sequencing of a sample from the infected person was expected on Sunday. That would show if the infection was caused by the Omicron variant, it said.
Ardern was asymptomatic and feeling well, the statement added. She will be tested on Sunday and is in isolation in line with the health ministry’s directives. The governor-general and members of her staff who were also on the flight are following the same isolation procedure.

Russia reported more than 100,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time on Saturday as the country weathers a surge of infections driven by the Omicron variant.
A government Covid-19 portal registered 113,122 new cases over 24 hours, nearly double the number of daily infections just a week ago.
The number of cases across Russia continues to rise sharply, with Omicron accounting for the majority.
Since a brief, strict national lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, Russia has held back on curbs, hoping instead to protect its struggling economy. But with four vaccines widely available for months, Russians remain reluctant to take them up. Just under half of the population is fully vaccinated.
The Russian government has reported 330,111 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, the highest death toll in Europe. The figure is contradicted, however, by the statistics agency Rosstat, which counts Covid deaths under a broader definition and says the overall toll is close to double the official number.

Austria to begin easing Covid-related restrictions next week
Austria will begin easing Covid-19 related restrictions next week, the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, told a news conference on Saturday, allowing shops and restaurants to remain open longer and easing restriction on unvaccinated people.
The moves come as the Omicron variant leads to reduced hospital admissions despite high infection numbers.
Austria will extend the maximum permitted opening hours of restaurants and shops until midnight from 5 February, and will increase the number of people able to participate in events from 25 to 50, Nehammer said.
“The good thing in spite of everything in this difficult situation – the hospital numbers are at a good level, the intensive care beds, I think it’s fair to say, are at a very good level,” he said.

A backbench Tory MP who has been critical of the government’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal has become the first to announce he intends to stand for leader if Boris Johnson is voted out.
The news comes as the prime minister could finally get sight of the highly anticipated “partygate” inquiry report from the senior civil servant Sue Gray as early as this weekend, after police insisted they had not delayed its publication.
No 10 had still not received a copy of the report into possible lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall on Saturday morning. It is widely believed that either the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, or the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, are frontrunners to win the top job if Johnson is ousted.
But the Daily Mail reported on Friday that centrist Tories are backing the former soldier Tom Tugendhat. The newspaper said some Conservative MPs believed the chair of the foreign affairs committee ( represented the “best chance for a fresh start”.
The MP for Tonbridge and Malling told Times Radio on Saturday: “I think I’m making it pretty clear that I think that it’s up to all of us to put ourselves forward. And it’s up to the electorate, in the first case parliamentary colleagues, and in the second case the party, to choose.
“I think it’s a position of absolute integrity to say that of course you should offer yourself to the electorate if you think you can do it. Of course you should talk to colleagues and see if you can get a group together, and if you can get a group together you should go for it.
“Now I haven’t been canvassing support so I don’t know if I’d be able to get the first group together – you’ve got to get a group first. But if you could, of course you should have a go.”

Japan logged 84,936 daily coronavirus infections on Saturday, a new record for the fifth consecutive day, as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the country.
The number has more than tripled from two weeks ago, the Kyodo News agency reports.
The Osaka Prefecture counted a record 10,383 cases the same day, while Tokyo posted 17,433 infections, slightly down from Friday’s record of 17,631.

Hungary’s daily tally of new Covid-19 cases could reach 30,000 in the next one or two weeks, up from about 20,000 this week, a government minister said on Saturday.
Miklos Kasler, the minister for human resources, blamed the Omicron variant for the rise, Reuters reports.
In a Facebook video, he said the variant was causing less severe illness, but the third of Hungarians not vaccinated were at higher risk.
Just over 6 million of the country’s 10 million people have received at least two shots, and nearly 3.6 million have also received a booster, but the country’s vaccination rate lags western European levels.
Hungary is now offering shots to anyone, without people needing to register in advance, as well as booster shots to children aged 12-17.
The government announced in mid-January that a fourth Covid-19 booster shot was available should people want one, after they have had a consultation with a doctor.
Hungary has made booster shots mandatory for healthcare workers, and vaccinations mandatory for all teachers. Protective masks have been required in most indoor places since late November.

Scotland has recorded 18 coronavirus-linked deaths and 6,679 new cases in the past 24 hours

It means the death toll under this measurement, of people who tested positive for the virus in the previous 28 days, has risen to 10,309.
There were 1,291 people in hospital on Friday with recently confirmed Covid-19, down 11 on the day before, with 35 in intensive care, up three.
So far 4,410,290 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, while 4,122,152 have received their second dose, and 3,286,355 have received a third dose or booster, according to figures published by the Scottish Government on Friday.

Portuguese election organisers were taking extra safety precautions on Saturday after the government decided to allow voters who are infected with the coronavirus to leave isolation and cast ballots in person along with everyone else.
With around a tenth of Portugal’s 10 million-strong population thought to be isolating due to Covid-19, the government decided last week to lift restrictions for Sunday’s vote.
In a press conference on Saturday, the electoral commission said: “All conditions have been met for the vote to take place in absolute safety.”
Like many European countries, Portugal is experiencing record-setting infections, although widespread vaccination has kept deaths and hospitalisations lower than in earlier waves.
Authorities have asked people with Covid to vote between 6pm and 7pm, but the time recommendation is not mandatory. There will be no designated areas for infected voters.
Staff setting up a polling station at an vehicle repair shop in the Lisbon parish of Santo Antonio were placing stickers on the floor on Saturday to encourage social distancing. Voters will receive a face mask before they enter.

Trucks rolled into Canada’s capital, Ottawa, on Saturday to stage what police say will be a massive protest against the prime minister Justin Trudeau’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates in front of parliament on a frigid winter day.
The so-called “Freedom Convoy” – coming from east and west – started out as a rally against a vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers, but has turned into a demonstration against alleged government overreach during the pandemic, with a strong anti-vaccination streak.

Here is a roundup of all the latest Covid news from around the world so far today:

• Scotland has recorded 18 coronavirus-linked deaths and 6,679 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to recent figures. It means the death toll under this measurement, of people who tested positive for the virus in the previous 28 days, has risen to 10,309.
  
• Hungary’s daily tally of new Covid-19 cases could reach 30,000 in the next one or two weeks, up from about 20,000 this week, a government minister said on Saturday. Miklos Kasler, the minister for human resources, blamed the Omicron variant for the rise, Reuters reports.
  
• Japan logged 84,936 daily coronavirus infections on Saturday, a new record for a fifth consecutive day, as Omicron continues to spread across the country. The number has more than tripled from two weeks ago, according to the Kyodo News agency.
  
• Austria will begin easing Covid-19 related restrictions next week, the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, told a news conference on Saturday, allowing shops and restaurants to remain open longer and easing restriction on unvaccinated people.
  
• Russia reported more than 100,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time on Saturday as the country weathers a surge of infections driven by Omicron. A government Covid-19 portal registered 113,122 new cases over 24 hours, nearly double the number of daily infections just a week ago.
  
• New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has gone into self-isolation until Tuesday after being deemed a close contact of a person who tested positive for Covid-19, the government said.
  

UK reports lowest Covid case numbers since mid-December

Harry Taylor - The Guardian
Another 72,727 cases were reported in the UK on Saturday, the lowest figure for more than a month. The previous low was on 14 December, when only 59,610 positive tests were logged at the start of a spike caused by the Omicron variant.
The figures don’t include Scotland’s case numbers, as figures for new positive PCR cases are not available at the weekend.
It means 16,406,123 positive tests have been registered since the beginning of the pandemic.
Latest government data shows that a further 296 deaths were recorded of people who had a positive Covid test within 28 days of dying.

Chile breaks daily coronavirus case record for fourth day

Chile has broken its record for daily Covid cases, with more than 29,000 confirmed in the last 24 hours.
Its the fourth day in a row that the country has broken its highest one-day number of new cases. The government’s reporting dashboard showed that nearly 100,000 people are confirmed to have the virus, with 33 people dying in the last 24 hours.

Ukraine has marked the 100,000th person to die from Covid-19 in the country since the start of the pandemic
The country confirmed 149 more deaths on Saturday, meaning that 100,031 people have died with coronavirus.
The Kyiv Post – the country’s English language news website – said that while case numbers have remained high during a wave of infections caused by the Omicron variant, death numbers have tailed off due to vaccinations.
Four times in the last week, it has broken daily Covid case records, with 37,351 reported on Saturday. However the total number of deaths, 825, is lower than that of its highest number of deaths to take place on one day, 848, set in November 2021.

Turkey’s health minister said the worst of the pandemic was over, despite the country being another to break its daily Covid case record on Saturday.
Fahrettin Koca said that despite rising case figures, the illness caused by Covid is less severe and would reduce the impact of the virus. A total of 94,783 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours.
In comments reported by Reuters, he said “The rise we see in case numbers should not be seen as disheartening. The virus is not at its old strength. The worrying part of the pandemic is over.”
Its health ministry reported the death toll rose by 174.

Italy reported 137,147 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.

The figure represents a drop compared to Friday, where 143,898 were recorded by its health ministry.
Its death toll stands as the second worst in Europe after the UK, with 145,914 deaths during the pandemic. Another 377 new deaths were registered on Saturday, one less than a day before.

After Neil Young, Joni Mitchell pulls music from Spotify over Joe Rogan

The Week
Mitchell’s move came after #SpotifyDeleted started trending on Twitter.

Singer Joni Mitchell performs during the "Stormy Weather" concert in Los Angeles November 14, 2002 | Reuters

Spotify’s biggest podcaster is costing it more and more musicians who oppose the spread of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation. After Neil Young announced that the platform would have to choose between his music or Joe Rogan’s podcast, which he accused of spreading misinformation, the singer’s catalogue was pulled from the streaming service.

Now, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell has followed suit, removing her music from Spotify.
“I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify,” The Canadian singer-songwriter wrote on her website. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
Mitchell’s move came after #SpotifyDeleted started trending on Twitter, with legions of fans claiming to quit the streaming service over Young’s exit. Shares of Spotify also fell, amid a global dip in markets. Rogan did not respond to Young’s defiant stance, but Spotify did.
“We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon,” the platform said in a statement.
Spotify signed a $100 million deal in 2020 to have Joe Rogan’s popular podcast episodes hosted exclusively on its platform.
But over time, Rogan’s podcast began hosting episodes questioning conventional scientific advice on Covid-19 management: From advocating the use of ivermectin (which Rogan himself took after contracting Covid) to questioning the efficacy of vaccines and inviting guests who do the same.
Rogan’s approach has earned him brickbats from medical professionals, with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeting a link to a story about Young’s ultimatum to Spotify, commentnig, “@NeilYoungNYA, thanks for standing up against misinformation and inaccuracies around #COVID19 vaccination. Public and private sector, in particular #socialmedia platforms, media, individuals - we all have a role to play to end this pandemic and infodemic.”
Some musicians have taken a humourous stance on the situation. Rather than threatening to remove his music from the platform, singer James Blunt warned that he would add to it. “If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform. #youwerebeautiful”.

Ontario is reporting 597 people in ICU with COVID-19

Ashleigh-Rae Thomas - Toronto Star
Ontario is reporting 597 people in ICU with COVID-19 and 3,439 in hospital overall testing positive for COVID-19, according to its latest report released Saturday morning.
Of the people hospitalized, 55 per cent were admitted for COVID-19 and 45 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive. For the ICU numbers, 82 per cent were admitted for COVID-19 and 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive.
The numbers represent a one per cent decrease in the ICU COVID-19 count and a two per cent decrease in hospitalizations overall. Twenty-one per cent of the province’s 2,343 adult ICU beds remain available for new patients.
Given new provincial regulations around testing that took effect Dec. 31, 2021, case counts — reported at 4,855 on Saturday, down 9 per cent from the previous day — are not considered an accurate assessment of how widespread COVID-19 is right now. Fifty-six new deaths were reported in the latest numbers.
Here’s the latest update on a few other data points.
Hospitalizations by vaccine status
A Star analysis of data shows unvaccinated people have been admitted to the ICU at a rate four times higher and in the hospital overall 1.9 times higher than people who have been fully vaccinated.
Because of Ontario’s strong uptake in vaccines, fully vaccinated people account for a large percentage of the overall population, and thus would likely account for a higher percentage of people in hospital when looking at raw numbers.
Given the prevalence of the Omicron variant in Ontario, breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated people are common but early data from multiple studies around the world suggest symptoms are more mild and serious complications are rarer than in previous stages of the pandemic.
The province warns that due to the way data is collected its hospitalization by vaccination status, numbers may not match broader hospital data as reported on any given day.
Due to incomplete weekend and holiday reporting, vaccination status data for hospital and ICU admissions is not updated on Sundays, Mondays and the day after holidays.
Vaccines
The province says 11,696,545 people have completed their vaccinations, which means they’ve had two doses.
That works out to approximately 83.5 per cent of the eligible population five years and older, and the equivalent of 79.6 per cent of the total population, including those not yet eligible for the vaccine.
The province says 6,316,931 people have received three doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine.
According to the Star’s vaccine tracker, 12,454,154 people in Ontario have received at least one shot. That works out to about 88.8 per cent of the eligible population five years and older.
Covid in long-term care
Meanwhile, 15 more residents in long-term-care have died for a total of 4,050 since the pandemic began, in the latest report released by the province.
Ontario is reporting one fewer long-term-care home in outbreak, for a total of 350 or 55.9 per cent of LTC homes in the province.

This data is self-reported by the long-term-care homes to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Daily case and death figures may not immediately match the numbers posted by the local public health units due to lags in reporting time.

Fifth Covid-19 vaccine approved for use in Ireland

Eoghan Dalton - TheJournal.ie
A fifth Covid vaccine has been approved for use in Ireland. 
The Nuvaxovid vaccine, created by US-based Novavax, will now be included in Ireland’s booster vaccination programme for people aged 18 years and older.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the vaccine “has been shown to be highly effective in preventing symptomatic, moderate and severe disease” and he expects it to be available next month. 
The vaccine is given in two doses with an interval of three weeks between doses.  
It was recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) to the Chief Medical Officer, who has endorsed the plans.
The recommendations have been accepted by Donnelly this evening.
“I would urge the small number of people who have yet to come forward for a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine to do so,” Donnelly said.
The vaccine had already been granted conditional marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency. 
Donnelly added: “This particular vaccine, Nuvaxovid, is a spike protein-based vaccine, and is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved that is based on that used in existing vaccines with which we are very familiar including Hepatitis B and whooping cough.
“This vaccine will also be suitable for those individuals who could not avail of another COVID-19 vaccine because of a medical contra-indication e.g. allergic reaction.” 
“The evidence also shows that those who have been boosted are less susceptible to infection and, if infected, are less infectious to others, compared with those who have not been boosted.”

MoPH: Lebanon registers 7,726 new Covid cases, 15 new deaths

National News Agency
In its daily report on the Covid-19 developments, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday the registration of 7,726 new coronavirus infections and 15 new deaths in Lebanon, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the country to-date to 907,824.

Thousands gather on Parliament hill for massive protest against vaccine mandates

Stephanie Taylor, Erika Ibrahim and Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - Crowds of trucks jammed Ottawa streets and crowds packed Parliament Hill on Saturday to protest the federal Liberal government, vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, with thousands more expected to arrive by end-of-day.
The sounds of honking horns echoed around the core of the national capital from vehicles parked and idling in front of the parliamentary buildings and around the National War Memorial.
Demonstrators marched up and down Wellington Street, which runs right in front of Parliament Hill and the Prime Minister's Office, flying the national flag, the Quebec flag and the occasional American flag.
Many of those in attendance appeared to be unmasked. Some could be seen carrying copies of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Others carried signs reading “God keep our land glorious and free,” “Make Canada great again,” and “we are here for our freedom.” Still others bore expletive-laden signs targeting Trudeau.
Hundreds more vehicles from Western Canada, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces are expected to arrive in the next few hours to join those already in the capital.
Police were already out keeping emergency lanes open. Ottawa police warned that vehicles obstructing those lanes or other locations that must be kept clear for public safety reasons would be towed. Officers planned to remain downtown until crowds disperse.
The Parliamentary Protective Service expects as many as 10,000 protesters as part of a weekend-long rally. Though the aim of the protest is ostensibly to oppose vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border, attendees said that is only a small part of their demands.
“I can travel freely through the border, and not be in contact with anyone. Yet I'm locked into my own country right now,” said Tom Pappin, who came from just outside Ottawa. “I can't go on a holiday. I can't go to a restaurant, I can't go bowling. I can't go to a movie. You know, these are things that it's just gotten out of control.”
The 52-year-old said the gathering wouldn't likely be a one day protests, saying that attendees are likely to stay parked by Parliament until vaccine mandates are lifted. Some protesters have said they wouldn't leave until public-health restrictions are lifted or Justin Trudeau is forced out as prime minister.


While the federal government has imposed a vaccine mandate for federally regulated workers and at the Canada-U.S. border, almost all COVID-19 restrictions fall to provincial jurisdiction. That includes mask mandates, business and school closures, and other public and private gathering limits.
You can read more on this story and watch the video here.

Florida logs more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths for first time since delta variant wave

Chris Persaud - The Palm Beach Post
PALM BEACH, Fla. — As the omicron wave of the coronavirus recedes across Florida, the scope of its deadliness has begun to take shape.
For the first time since mid-October, Florida logged more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in a week, state health officials reported Friday.
Viral fatalities rose by 1,192 since Jan. 21, data from the state Health Department shows. That's nearly twice as many new victims reported last week, and more than seven times as many four weeks ago.
And the omicron death wave appears to be rising as fast as the delta variant surge from last summer.
During delta, it took six weeks — July 9 to Aug. 13 — for seven-day death totals to skyrocket from a low of less than 200 to more than 1,000.

Brunei records 47 local, five imported cases

James Kon - Borneo Bulletin
Brunei Darussalam recorded 52 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, where 47 were local and five were imported.
With the latest figures, the total number of confirmed cases now stand at 16,345.
This was said by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during a press conference yesterday.
The new cases were the result of 1,629 laboratory tests conducted in the past 24 hours, showing the rate of testing positive of 3.2 per cent.
Some 35 cases recovered yesterday, bringing the number of recoveries to 15,877. There are currently 366 active cases.
The bed occupancy rate in isolation centres nationwide is 8.7 per cent.
Among the cases being treated at the National Isolation Centre, one is in Category 4 requiring oxygen assistance and is under close monitoring. There are no cases in Category 5.
As of January 28, 94.8 per cent of the Brunei population had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 93.9 per cent had been administered two shots and 39.3 per cent had received three jabs.

Easing of Covid curbs begins in Qatar
Gulf Times - Doha
The easing of some Covid-19 restrictions in Qatar came into effect Saturday following the recent Cabinet announcement in this regard. Children and unvaccinated people are now allowed in malls, museums, libraries and other places, while kids are also permitted to enter mosques.

Qatar: 1,669 people face prosecution for Covid violations
Gulf Times
The designated authorities referred 1,669 people to the Public Prosecution for violating the preventive and precautionary measures enforced by the country to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Ministry of Interior said Saturday.
Among them, 899 people were referred to the prosecution for not wearing masks in places where they are mandatory, 743 for not maintaining safe physical distancing and 27 for not installing the Ehteraz app.
This is in line with the Cabinet decision based on Law No 17 of 1990 regarding infectious diseases. The authorities have urged the public to comply with the measures in place to protect themselves and others from the spread of Covid-19.