Coronavirus - 15 February 2022

Summary for Tuesday, 15th February 2022

Good afternoon

Welcome to our daily update on the Coronavirus pandemic.
Bit late starting off our updates today (it is now lunchtime!) - but we have a quick roundup here of today's main events so far. Further updates will be added throughout the rest of the day.

So far today...

• South Korea reported its highest number of Covid deaths in a month today as US health authorities advised Americans to avoid travelling to the country grappling with a fast-developing omicron surge.
  
  
• One of the last remaining countries without Covid – the small Pacific nation of Cook Islands – has reported its first case of the virus.
  
  
• The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced his government will invoke the Emergencies Act as the country goes into a third week of “illegal and dangerous” blockades.
  
  
• A new wave of infections from the Omicron variant of coronavirus is moving towards the east of Europe, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, urging authorities to improve vaccination and other measures.
  
  
• Novak Djokovic says he would rather miss out on grand slams than be vaccinated against Covid, in his first major interview since being deported from Australia earlier this year due to his vaccination status.
  
  
• A doctor from the German embassy in Moscow will conduct a coronavirus test on Olaf Scholz on his arrival in Russia, a German government source said, ahead of a meeting between the German chancellor and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
  
  
• Indonesia reported 57,049 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a record daily high, according to data from its Covid taskforce.
  
  
• Hong Kong’s leader said a surge of coronavirus cases is overwhelming the city’s emergency resources but defended strict measures that have been imposed.
  
  
• All remaining Covid legal restrictions in Northern Ireland are to be lifted and replaced by guidance.
  

South Korea reports highest number of Covid deaths in a month

Tom Ambrose - The Guardian
South Korea reported its highest number of Covid deaths in a month today as US health authorities advised Americans to avoid travelling to the country grappling with a fast-developing omicron surge.
The 61 deaths reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday was the highest daily tally since the 74 reported on 19 January, when the country was emerging from an outbreak driven by the Delta variant.
While Omicron so far seems less likely to cause serious illness or death, the greater scale of the outbreak is fuelling concerns that hospitalisations and fatalities could spike in coming weeks, the Associated Press reported.
The 57,177 new cases reported by the KDCA was another one-day record and more than a 12-fold increase from the levels seen in mid-January, when omicron became the dominant strain.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its travel notice for South Korea to level 4, the highest risk, advising Americans to avoid travel to the country or to make sure they are fully vaccinated if travelling is necessary.
Park Hyang, a senior South Korean Health Ministry official, said the country’s hospital resources remain stable, with less than 27% of intensive care units designated for Covid currently being occupied.

People wait for their coronavirus test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Photograph: Ahn Young-joon/AP

Surge of coronavirus cases overwhelming Hong Kong's emergency resources

Hong Kong’s leader said a surge of coronavirus cases is overwhelming the city’s emergency resources but defended strict measures that have been imposed.
Chief executive Carrie Lam said the Chinese central government was extending help to the city, which remains a nominally autonomous enclave, the Associated Press reported.
Despite its varying success, Hong Kong has stuck with China’s zero-tolerance strategy requiring lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing for Covid.
Lam said:

So far, our measures to contain the spread of the disease remain legitimate and valid.
The problem we are facing is given the magnitude, the pace of and the severity of this fifth wave.
It has outgrown our capacity.

The city reported a record 2,071 new cases on Monday, with that number expected to double on Tuesday with more than 4,500 preliminary positives identified.
Lam added that authorities will designate as quarantine stations new public housing units that have yet to be occupied, along with around 10,000 hotel rooms. Hong Kong requires confirmed coronavirus cases to isolate.
The city’s restrictions extend to limiting in-person gatherings to no more than two households, allowing only vaccinated people in shopping malls and supermarkets, and closing places of worship, hair salons and other businesses.

Cook Islands records first case of Covid

Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson - The Guardian
One of the last remaining countries without Covid – the small Pacific nation of Cook Islands – has reported its first case of the virus.

Muri Beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Cook Islands has remained Covid-free throughout the pandemic. Photograph: Melanie Cooper/The Guardian

The prime minister, Mark Brown, said the first case arrived on an international flight from New Zealand on 10 February.
“While she was asymptomatic, she returned a positive result in just a few hours later. The case been issued an isolation order. The case is travelling with two others, and they will all remain in isolation until they no longer test positive for Covid-19,” Brown said on Monday.
The prime minister said at the weekend there could be “silent transmission” in the country after another traveller tested positive for Covid upon their return to New Zealand, having travelled through the Cook Islands from 31 January to 8 February.
“It is likely that the person who tested positive was infectious while here and further likely that the virus is in our community,” the prime minister said of that case on social media on Saturday.
Read more here.

Novak Djokovic says he is willing to miss grand slams to avoid Covid vaccination

Elias Visontay - The Guardian
Novak Djokovic says he would rather miss out on grand slams than be vaccinated against Covid, in his first major interview since being deported from Australia earlier this year due to his vaccination status.


Djokovic told the BBC on Tuesday he was not anti-vaccination in general but believed people had the right to choose whether they were jabbed or not.
Asked if he would miss Wimbledon and the French Open over his vaccine stance, he replied: “That is the price that I’m willing to pay.”
“The principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else,” Djokovic said. “I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.”
Djokovic said he had “always been a great student of wellness, wellbeing, health, nutrition”.
“I was never against vaccination. I understand that, globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing, hopefully, an end soon to this virus,” he said.
The 34-year-old did not rule being vaccinated for Covid in the future – telling the BBC he was keeping his “mind open”.

Fresh wave of Omicron infections moving towards east of Europe, WHO warns

A new wave of infections from the Omicron variant of coronavirus is moving towards the east of Europe, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, urging authorities to improve vaccination and other measures.
Over the past two weeks, cases of Covid have more than doubled in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, WHO’s Europe regional director Hans Kluge said in a statement.

Indonesia reported 57,049 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a record daily high, according to data from its Covid taskforce.
The south-east Asian nation has recorded 4.9 million cases overall and more than 145,000 deaths.

All remaining Covid restrictions in Northern Ireland to be lifted and replaced by guidance

All remaining Covid legal restrictions in Northern Ireland are to be lifted and replaced by guidance.
Northern Ireland’s health minister, Robin Swann, confirmed on Monday that all legal restrictions in the region would be replaced by guidance from 15 February.
He will make an order revoking the remaining rules on Tuesday.
Under current Covid regulations, people are still required to wear face coverings in public places and Covid certificates are needed for nightclubs.
Swann, who tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, was advised last week on the potential legal complications of him replacing Covid regulations with guidance, without the wider endorsement of an executive.

Major change to Covid testing coming in weeks that could see Brits pay £100 for PCR tests

Benjamin Lynch - The Mirror
A significant rule change in the coming weeks could impact on the pocket of Brits as they learn to deal with the coronavirus becoming endemic.
The government hopes to announce that an end to all Covid restrictions, including the mandatory period required for self-isolating, will be in place by the end of February.
Parliament is currently on recess, but the Prime Minister is due to announce his plan for living with Covid when MPs return next week on Monday, February 21.
Another change, this time to testing, is also likely to be announced.
Boris Johnson looks set to unveil the change that could impact Brits up to £100 at a time, as the UK looks to learn to live with the virus.
So what is the change and why will Brits be charged?

Free PCR tests now look set to be scrapped and could cost people £100 if they want to get their hands on one.
The Living Safely With Covid plan is due to be published on February 21 and may well include the plans to scrap free PCRs.
PCR tests have been vital to determine if a person has Covid, as they are more accurate than lateral flow tests (LFTs) and have become a requirement for travel to and from certain countries around the world at various points during the pandemic.
The hope is that LFTs becoming more widely available will mean PCRs will not be so heavily relied upon.
The Treasury will be hoping to save billions by announcing the end to free tests.
Covid figures have taken a downward trend recently. The seven-day average has been falling since January 21.
However, UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) wants the government to keep providing free tests until at least the start of April and some experts are also concerned that the changes will be "taken as a signal" by people with Covid that they should continue to mix in public setting, despite having clear symptoms of the virus.
It is believed that PCR tests will remain free for those listed as vulnerable, as well as those in hospitals and in high-risk settings.
Sources told The Guardian that this will also include the 1.3 million eligible for antivirals if they contract Covid.
The government will outline the full details in the upcoming plan, but say there are no intentions to completely scrap community testing.
A spokesperson added: "Everyone can continue to get free tests and we are continuing to encourage people to use rapid tests when they need them.
"Record numbers of tests are being delivered to pharmacies, homes and those who need them. Testing continues to play an important role in helping people live their day to day lives, keep businesses running and keep young people in school."

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced his government will invoke the Emergencies Act as the country goes into a third week of “illegal and dangerous” blockades.

More on the worsening coronavirus situation in Hong Kong

Léonie Chao-Fong - The Guardian
Hospitals in Hong Kong are buckling under the strain of soaring cases driven by the Omicron variant and at least two medical facilities have placed patients in beds outside their entrances.

People lie in hospital beds outside Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong, as the city faces its worst coronavirus wave to date. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, told reporters today she had “no plans whatsoever” to impose a mainland China-style “complete, wholesale” lockdown.
But she insisted zero-Covid remained her administration’s goal, despite mounting pressure from public health experts and business figures to switch to a mitigation strategy.
Lam said:

We have to continue to fight this anti-epidemic battle. Surrendering to the virus is not an option.

Japan records highest Covid deaths since start of pandemic

Japan reported 236 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, the highest daily deaths since the pandemic began and bringing the country’s cumulative death toll to 20,759.
Japan has seen more than 100 daily deaths since early this year, mostly among the elderly population, amid a sixth wave of infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The total number of cases in Japan has surpassed 4 million.
The country has started to see a decline in daily new Covid cases but experts have warned that deaths may continue to increase due to a recent series of infection clusters at facilities for elderly people.
“The growth in the number of severely ill patients is likely to continue for a while,” said Shigeru Omi, chairperson of the government’s coronavirus subcommittee on Monday.
The latest figures come after the Imperial Household Agency confirmed that Princess Yoko of Japan has developed moderate pneumonia after testing positive for coronavirus. Yoko, 38, was admitted to the University of Tokyo hospital on Tuesday after complaining of a sore throat early last week.

In Italy, all workers over 50 must now show proof of Covid vaccination within last six months to access their workplace

Angela Giuffrida - The Guardian
All workers in Italy over the age of 50 are now obliged to show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19 within the last six months to access their workplace.
The measure was announced in early January, when daily infections were hovering around 200,000 a day and hospitals were under pressure, and took effect on Wednesday.
The vaccine was also made mandatory for the over-50s on 8 January. Of the 2.4 million people over the age of 50 who had not been vaccinated on that date, about 1.7m are still unvaccinated, according to Wired Italia. Workers aged over 50 make up 8.8 million of the population.
Italy has among the strictest Covid-19 rules in Europe, and is easing them slowly, for example the requirement to wear masks outside was scrapped last Friday.
But Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League, the far-right party that is part of prime minister Mario Draghi’s broad coalition, is pushing for all restrictions to be lifted in March.
“We can’t be the ones with the most rules,” he said.
Infections have dropped sharply in recent weeks, with 28,630 registered on Monday, and hospitalisations have been falling. However, Italy is still recording a stubbornly high death rate, with 281 further fatalities reported on Monday.

Philippines president declares the country is now at "low risk" from Covid

A week after the Philippines reopened to foreign tourists for the first time in two years, the president’s spokesperson has declared the country is now at a “low risk” from the coronavirus pandemic.
“The National Capital Region and the entire Philippines now have a low-risk classification” in terms of case growth, prevalence and health system capacity, said Karlo Nograles, person for President Rodrigo Duterte.
Cases have averaged about 3,600 daily in the past week although there are concerns that infections may rise as campaigning for the 9 May presidential elections begins, with political rallies seen as potential super-spreader events.
Health officials say the number of fully vaccinated people in the Phillippines has reached around 56% of the population and hospital bed occupancy rates are at about 30%.
The government plans to lift all restrictions, the health undersecretary, Maria Rosario Vergeire, promised, but she refused to give a specific time frame. “When that happens, all restrictions will be lifted and everything will be under self-regulation,” she added.
More than 55,000 people have died in the Phillippines, according to government data, although a recent new report suggests the true number of deaths may be double the health department’s official numbers.

Russia reports 166,631 new Covid cases in past 24 hours

Russia has reported 166,631 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24-hour period, down from 180,456 the day before, and 704 further deaths, the federal response centre said.
In addition, 21,833 people infected with Covid-19 have been hospitalised over the past 24 hours, a 108.9% increase from the day before.

Papua New Guinea will reopen to vaccinated travellers from Wednesday

This marks the end of two years of strict border rules that have virtually sealed the country off.
The country’s pandemic controller, David Manning, announced today that he had revoked rules requiring approval to enter Papua New Guinea and mandatory quarantine, Agence France-Presse reports.
Some domestic restrictions will remain, including compulsory mask-wearing in markets, shops, on public transport and places of worship, as well as a limit of 100 people for gatherings.
More than 37,000 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in Papua New Guinea since the start of the pandemic, but it is believed that the true number of cases is far higher, with low testing rates and widespread stigma about Covid-19.
The country’s health care system has long been plagued by shortages of drugs, funding, an ailing infrastructure and a severe lack of health workers.
It has one of the lowest rates of vaccination in the world, with around 4% of the total population vaccinated. Last year, the Lowy Institute in Australia conducted modelling that predicted Papua New Guinea would take five years to vaccinate just a third of its population.

West Sumatra: Immigration surveillance of international travelers tightens

Antara

Internasional Airport of Minangkabau, Padangpariaman, Sumatera Barat, Senin (6/4/2020). ANTARA FOTO/Iggoy el Fitra/wsj

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA) - The Indonesian immigration authorities have stepped up surveillance of international travelers arriving in West Sumatra province to halt Omicron spread, a government official said on Tuesday.
"We have instructed the immigration authority to tighten surveillance measures by collaborating with related agencies," head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry's West Sumatra Office, R.Andika Dwi Prasetya, said.
Speaking to local journalists here on Tuesday, he informed that immigration officials will check travelers' complete travel documents, health condition, and electronic health alert cards (E-HAC).
The E-HAC of travelers can be checked using the PeduliLindungi application, he informed, adding that the immigration authorities will also focus on foreigners arriving in Indonesia and traveling to West Sumatra.
"We do this because we want to ensure that all foreign travelers coming to West Sumatra are in good health. This is also our effort to protect our people," he said.
ANTARA had reported earlier that Indonesia's first Omicron case was announced by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on December 16, 2021.
The first person to be infected with the new variant was a janitor working at Wisma Atlet Kemayoran emergency hospital for COVID-19, he stated.
The case was detected after three workers at the hospital tested positive for COVID-19, he noted.
In response to the detection of the first Omicron case, President Joko Widodo had urged people to stay calm.
"It is important to be vigilant, but do not panic," he emphasized while adding that the Omicron variant had not been known to cause severe symptoms, especially in vaccinated patients.
He also urged Indonesians to get vaccinated without delay to protect themselves and to continue implementing strict health protocols.
To stem the spread of the new variant of COVID-19, a senior legislator urged the Indonesian government to increase surveillance at international travel entry points at airports across the country.
"Omicron cases have been found in Indonesia. Hence, we need to remain on alert at our travel entry points, especially our international airports," Saleh Partaonan Daulay said.

New York City fires 1,430 municipal workers for refusing COVID vaccine

Anadolu Agency
New York City fired over 1,400 municipal workers who refused to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the mayor’s office announced on Monday.
“Our goal was always to vaccinate, not terminate, and city workers stepped up and met the goal placed before them,” Eric Adams said in a statement.
Among the 1,430 workers who were fired were 914 Education Department employees.
New York City required municipal employees to receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Oct. 29, 2021.
Some 9,000 people who refused to receive the vaccine were on unpaid leave since November.
“City workers served on the front lines during the pandemic, and by getting vaccinated, they are, once again, showing how they are willing to do the right thing to protect themselves and all New Yorkers,” Adams said.
The workers who lost their jobs account for less than 1% of the municipal workforce in the city, according to local media.

6 Arab countries begin easing COVID-19 restrictions

Ibrahim Mukhtar - Anadolu Agency
Six Arab countries have in recent days announced easing measures placed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In Kuwait, the Council of Ministers announced on Monday “lifting most of the restrictions” aimed at confronting the virus, allowing non-vaccinated people to travel, and public transportation “to operate at full capacity,” according to Al-Watan news.
Both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals will also be allowed in commercial complexes and social gatherings among others. Meanwhile, students under the age of 16 can now attend their classes without doing the weekly PCR examination.
Al-Watan quoted Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah as saying that Kuwait has managed to overcome a new wave of the virus thanks to the efforts of its health workers.
In Bahrain, the Health Ministry stated on its website that the country is "moving on Tuesday to the green level in the face of coronavirus" implying the allowing of both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals to access public places such as schools and cinemas.
In Tunisia, the government announced "the lifting of a partial curfew imposed since January 12, and the resumption of Friday prayers that were suspended since the 14th of last month."
In Oman, the committee tasked with tackling coronavirus said that restrictions will be eased as of Wednesday and Friday prayers will be held with a capacity of 50%. The Gulf state suspended Friday prayers on Jan. 21.
The committee also said public gatherings can operate at a 70% capacity provided the attendees are vaccinated.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority in the United Arab Emirates said it has abolished capacity restrictions to allow “all activities and events in various economic, tourist and recreational facilities, shopping centers and means of transportation to reach their maximum by Tuesday."
In Qatar, the authorities ordered that school hours at all educational levels return to their “normal” as of Feb. 20.
After its meeting on Thursday, the government issued 32 directives regarding the plan to gradually lift coronavirus restrictions most notably the continuation of all employees in the government and private sectors to carry out their work at their workplace, the continued opening of mosques, and the non-mandatory wearing of masks in open public places.

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s been happening so far:

• Long Covid is less likely to affect vaccinated people than unvaccinated people, a review by the UK Health Security Agency released has concluded. “These studies add to the potential benefits of receiving a full course of the Covid-19 vaccination,” said Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at UKHSA.
  
• The lifting of remaining Covid restrictions in England will “disproportionately impact” vulnerable sections of the population, the UK government’s scientific advisers have warned. Members of SPI-B say the removal of free Covid testing will make it more difficult for people experiencing Covid symptoms to take actions including self-isolation, potentially increasing anxiety among people who are clinically vulnerable.
  
• Japan reported 236 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, the highest daily deaths since the pandemic began. The country has started to see a decline in daily new Covid cases but experts have warned that deaths may continue to increase due to a recent series of infection clusters at facilities for elderly people.
  
• South Korea also reported its highest number of Covid deaths in a month today as US health authorities advised Americans to avoid travelling to the country grappling with a fast-developing omicron surge.
  
• One of the last remaining countries without Covid – the small Pacific nation of Cook Islands – has reported its first case of the virus.
  
• Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, said she had “no plans whatsoever” to impose a mainland China-style “complete, wholesale” lockdown amid surging coronavirus cases that have left the city’s emergency resources overwhelmed.
  
• The UK’s high court has ruled that the former health secretary Matt Hancock did not comply with a public sector equality duty when he appointed the Conservative peer Dido Harding as head of a new public health quango.
  
• A new wave of infections from the Omicron variant of coronavirus is moving towards the east of Europe, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, urging authorities to improve vaccination and other measures.
  
• Papua New Guinea will reopen to vaccinated travellers from Wednesday after two years of strict border rules. Some domestic restrictions will remain, including compulsory mask-wearing in markets, shops, on public transport and places of worship.
  
• A doctor from the German embassy in Moscow will conduct a coronavirus test on Olaf Scholz on his arrival in Russia, a German government source said, ahead of a meeting between the German chancellor and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
  
• The Queen has carried out her first official engagements since it was announced that Prince Charles had tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.