Healthcare

Russia’s coronavirus death toll tops 600,000

MOSCOW, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Russia's coronavirus death toll passed the 600,000 mark on Thursday, Reuters calculations based on official data showed, after a surge of infections linked to the…

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Greece bans public Christmas festivities to curb Omicron spread

ATHENS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Greece has banned public Christmas and New Year's Eve festivities and mandated mask-wearing in open spaces to help to curb the spread of the Omicron…

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Singapore to freeze new ticket sales for quarantine-free arrivals

Singapore will freeze the sale of tickets for arriving flights and buses under its quarantine-free travel programme for four weeks from Thursday, the government said, citing the risk from the…

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China expects COVID cases due to Games arrivals, flags Omicron risk

BEIJING, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Organisers of the Beijing Winter Olympics said on Thursday they expect a "certain number" of COVID-19 cases in China due to foreigners arriving for the…

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UK reduces COVID-19 self-isolation to 7 days for most in England

The British government said that from Wednesday it was reducing the COVID-19 self-isolation period to seven days from 10 days for people in England who get a negative result on…

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Australian states reimpose mask mandates

SYDNEY, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Australia's two most populous states re-introduced COVID-19 curbs on Thursday as daily infections hit their highest amid an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant…

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Austria tightens restrictions as it braces for Omicron wave

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria is introducing restrictions including a 10 p.m. closing time to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after Christmas and prevent it being imported from…

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UPDATED: AstraZeneca shot third dose works against Omicron in study

Dec 23 (Reuters) - A three-dose course of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the rapidly-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, the pharmaceutical company said on Thursday, citing data from an Oxford…

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South African study offers Omicron hope ahead of second coronavirus Christmas

South African data offered a glimmer of hope on Wednesday about the severity of the Omicron coronavirus variant, but World Health Organization officials cautioned that it was too soon to…

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China’s Xian locks down its 13 mln residents as COVID-19 cases mount

BEIJING, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Chinese city of Xian has imposed tight curbs on outbound travel and commuting within the city, putting its 13 million residents in a lockdown…

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Large holiday gatherings in U.S. not safe even if boosted, Fauci says

Americans vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 can be with family over the holidays but attending large gatherings is not safe, even for those who received a booster dose, top U.S.…

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Nigeria destroys 1 million donated AstraZeneca vaccines with short shelf life

Nigeria destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines in a bid to assure a wary public that they have been taken out of circulation. The destruction came…

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Spain brings back outdoor mask-wearing to stem Omicron spread

Spain will make it compulsory to wear a face mask outdoors again as part of a package aimed at containing the fast spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez…

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UPDATED: Italy preparing tougher COVID curbs

The Italian government is preparing new measures to battle a surge in COVID-19 infections and might make vaccinations obligatory for more categories of workers, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on…

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U.S. COVID-19 case spike derails many Americans’ holiday plans

Americans are facing a second Christmas of upended holiday plans, with a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the now-dominant Omicron variant forcing some people to cancel travel or worry…

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Pfizer oral COVID-19 pill gets U.S. authorization for at-home use

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its antiviral COVID-19 pill, making it the first at-home treatment for the coronavirus that…

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Too soon to decide if Omicron more severe than Delta, WHO says

Dec 22 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization does not yet have enough data on the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus to say if it is more severe than…

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Britain exceeds 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases for the first time

LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Britain reported more than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time since widespread testing was introduced, with 106,122 on Wednesday compared with 90,629…

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France cancels order for Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral drug

PARIS/MILAN, Dec 22 (Reuters) - France has cancelled its order for Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral drug following disappointing trial data and hopes instead to receive Pfizer's competing drug before…

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‘Significant surge’ in European cases expected as Omicron spreads – WHO

GENEVA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's European head on Tuesday warned countries to brace for a "significant surge" in COVID-19 cases as Omicron spreads, and advised the…

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France to introduce vaccination pass in early January as Omicron spreads

PARIS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - France will pass a law transforming its health pass needed to exercise some professions and to go to cinemas and bars into a "vaccination" pass…

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Israeli hospital reports first death of patient with Omicron variant

JERUSALEM, Dec 21 (Reuters) - An Israeli hospital on Tuesday confirmed the first known death in the countryof a patient with the Omicron variant of COVID-19, but said he had…

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Germany to tighten COVID-19 restrictions before New Year

BERLIN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Germany will introduce new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 before New Year's Eve, including limiting private gatherings for vaccinated people to a maximum…

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EU drug regulator: still unclear if COVID-19 shots need tweaking for Omicron

The European Union's drug regulator is prepared for the possibility that COVID-19 vaccines may be tweaked to fight the new Omicron variant although there is no evidence yet that it…

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Russia confirms 41 Omicron cases, says over 70 mln vaccinated

Russia has confirmed 41 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Anna Popova, the head of state consumer watchdog, told a government meeting on Tuesday. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told…

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London cancels NYE celebrations as Omicron cases explode

London’s famous New Year’s Eve celebration in Trafalgar Square has been cancelled Omicron cases explode across the capital. The event was scheduled to replace the capital’s iconic firework show after…

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Moderna could be ready to develop Omicron booster in weeks – CEO

COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna does not expect any problems in developing a booster shot to protect against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and could begin work in a few weeks, Chief…

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PM Johnson says Covid-19 situation is ‘extremely difficult’, more steps will be taken

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would take more steps to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant if needed, after the Netherlands began a fourth lockdown and…

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Washington DC to reinstate mandatory indoor mask mandate

Washington, DC will reinstate an indoor mask mandate beginning Tuesday, December 21, until the morning of January 31, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday. The mayor added that all employees, contractors and…

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Germany plans to limit private gatherings to ten people

Germany plans to limit private gatherings from Dec. 28 to a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, according to a draft of proposed measures.…

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EU regulator backs Novavax shot as region’s fifth COVID-19 vaccine

Dec 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's drug regulator on Monday approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S.-based Novavax in people 18 years and older, paving the way for…

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UK Cabinet in urgent meeting as pressure grows to tighten social restrictions

Britain's cabinet will meet later on Monday as pressure grows on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant with a tightening of social restrictions before Christmas. Britain has…

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Moderna says booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears protective against Omicron

Moderna Inc said on Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be protective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant in laboratory testing and that the current version of the vaccine…

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UK says 12 deaths and 104 people hospitalised by Omicron

Twelve people in Britain have died with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Monday, refusing to rule out a tightening of social restrictions…

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No lockdown before Christmas, Germany says

Germany's health minister Karl Lauterbach ruled out a Christmas lockdown on Sunday but warned a fifth COVID-19 wave could no longer be stopped and backed mandatory vaccination as the only way to stop…

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Liguria, Marche, Veneto, Trento in Italy turn into yellow zones Monday

Liguria, Marche, Veneto and the autonomous province of Trento are being bumped up from low-COVID-19-risk white zones to moderate-risk yellow zones by the government as of Monday due to a…

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Switzerland to tighten pandemic measures from Monday

Switzerland is ordering more COVID-19 vaccination doses, the government said, as it tightened pandemic curbs while opting not to embrace -- for now -- an even stricter limited lockdown. It…

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Pfizer says COVID-19 pill near 90% protective against hospitalization, death

Pfizer Inc this week said its antiviral COVID-19 pill showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its…

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Far-right using COVID-19 theories to grow reach, study shows

The mugshot-style photos are posted on online message boards in black and white and look a little like old-fashioned “wanted” posters. “The Jews own COVID just like all of Hollywood,”…

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More evidence points to antibody weakness vs Omicron

Evidence emerging from lab experiments reveals weaknesses of vaccines and antibody drugs against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. In a study reported on bioRxiv ahead of peer review, researchers…

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EXPLAINER-How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in 77 countries since it was first identified three weeks ago, fueling concerns that its large number of mutations will help it spread…

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Omicron more likely to reinfect than Delta, no milder -study

The risk of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is more than five times higher and it has shown no sign of being milder than Delta, a study showed, as…

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‘Tidal wave’: Omicron could put U.S. COVID-19 surge into overdrive

Two years into the coronavirus pandemic, the United States is confronting another dark winter, with the red-hot Omicron variant threatening to worsen an already dangerous surge of cases. Hospitalizations for…

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CDC releases new guidance to allow children exposed to coronavirus to attend school

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new strategy called "test-to-stay" that allows unvaccinated children to stay in school even if they have been exposed to…

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Beijing city calls for less holiday travel to reduce COVID risks

BEIJING, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Beijing city said on Saturday it is advising residents not to leave town during a major holiday season in early 2022, part of efforts to…

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Ukraine reports its first case of Omicron coronavirus variant

KYIV, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said on Saturday. The infected person recently returned to Ukraine…

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Omicron coronavirus strain spreading significantly faster than Delta -WHO

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health…

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Australia’s new COVID-19 cases hit record high

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Australia reported record high new COVID-19 cases on Saturday for a third day, with outbreaks growing in the two most populous states, however Prime Minister…

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Egypt reports first three cases of omicron

Egyptian health authorities said they have identified the country’s first cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. Three people were found to have the variant among 26…

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Paris cancels New Year’s Eve fireworks as Omicron spreads, Up to 10% of new cases suspected to be Omicron

Paris has cancelled planned fireworks as well as festivities on the Champs Elysees avenue on New Year's Eve in line with new government rules to prevent the spread of the…

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UPDATED: Netherlands set to announce ‘strict’ Christmas lockdown

The Dutch government is expected to announce on Saturday a "strict" Christmas lockdown that would see everything but essential stores close amid fears over the spread of the Omicron coronavirus…

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EU to place order with Pfizer for COVID shots adapted to Omicron

European Union governments have agreed to exercise an option to buy more than 180 million doses of a version of the COVID-19 vaccine adapted for the Omicron variant developed by…

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Austria offers seasonal lockdown reprieve for unvaccinated

Austria said it was temporarily loosening its lockdown on those not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 over Christmas and New Year's Eve thanks to a drop in infections. "Christmas should show…

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Eight heart inflammation cases among young kids who got COVID-19 shot – U.S. CDC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had received reports of eight cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, in children aged 5-11 years who received…

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British officials drawing up plans for two-week post-Christmas lockdown over Omicron threat

British officials are drawing up plans for a two-week circuit breaker lockdown after Christmas which would include a ban on indoor mixing, according to reports. Draft regulations are being prepared…

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Spain’s coronavirus infection rate rises to ‘very high risk’ level

Spain's coronavirus infection rate rose above 500 cases per 100,000 people on Friday, crossing over the threshold considered "very high risk" by the Health Ministry and more than doubling since…

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Omicron spreading at lightning speed – French PM

The Omicron variant is "spreading at lightning speed" in Europe and will likely become dominant in France by the start of next year, French Prime Minister Jean Castex has warned.…

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