Healthcare

UPDATED: Omicron poses “very high” global risk but data on severity limited – WHO

GENEVA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant, reported in more than 60 countries, poses a "very high" global risk, with some evidence that it evades vaccine protection but…

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Nigeria plans reciprocal flights ban on four countries over Omicron

Nigeria plans to ban flights from Argentina, Britain, Canada and Saudi Arabia from this week in retaliation for being added to those countries' red lists over the detection of the…

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UPDATED: Russia shelves plan for QR vaccination proof on planes and trains, Omicron detected in people returning from S.Africa

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Russia's parliament will shelve a draft bill that would have required people travelling by plane or train to present QR codes showing proof of immunity…

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More border rules ease in Australia ahead of Christmas holidays

SYDNEY, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Coronavirus-free Queensland state opened its domestic borders to all vaccinated people on Monday for the first time in nearly five months, as Australians gear up…

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UPDATED:Britain says Omicron accounts for 40% of London infections

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday that the Omicron coronavirus variant was spreading at a "phenomenal rate" and now accounted for about 40% of infections in London,…

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South Africa’s Ramaphosa has COVID-19 but symptoms mild

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, but was showing mild symptoms, the presidency said. "The President started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service…

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U.S. crosses 50 million COVID-19 cases as Delta dominates amid Omicron emergence

The United States crossed 50 million coronavirus cases on Sunday, according to Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to threaten Americans and the newly discovered Omicron variant spreads. After…

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Canada to drop 3rd-country COVID test rule for residents returning from southern African nations

Canada will start recognizing molecular COVID-19 tests conducted at an accredited lab in South Africa for residents returning home, dropping a heavily criticized travel restriction introduced to prevent the spread…

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Need of proof of vaccination to enter the Brazil

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Luis Roberto Barroso ruled that the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied…

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New COVID strain hits revival of S.Africa’s international tourist trade

Rushdi Harper's tour company in Cape Town was just starting to recover from a disastrous COVID-19 lockdown that had forced him to sell his house just to keep the business…

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Omicron will spread through Americas in time, warns regional health agency

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has so far been detected in the Americas in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the United States, but it is just a matter…

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South African doctors see signs omicron is milder than delta

As the omicron variant sweeps through South Africa, Dr. Unben Pillay is seeing dozens of sick patients a day. Yet he hasn’t had to send anyone to the hospital. That’s…

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UK says boosters significantly restore protection vs Omicron

Booster COVID-19 shots significantly restore protection against mild disease caused by the Omicron variant, in part reversing an otherwise steep drop in vaccine effectiveness, the UK Health Security Agency said.…

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Over 6 million Italians still haven’t had first Covid-19 vaccine

Over 6.1 million Italians still haven't had their first COVID-19 jab, the Italian government said. The exact number is 6,103,160. The highest number of unvaccinated is in the 40-49-year-old bracket…

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Australia shortens wait time for COVID-19 booster doses as Omicron cases rise

CANBERRA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Australia said on Sunday it will shorten the wait time for people to receive a COVID-19 booster following a rise in cases of the Omicron…

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China vaccinates over 80% of its people against COVID-19

China has vaccinated 82.5% of its population of 1.41 billion against COVID-19, a health official said. A total of 1.162 billion have received the required number of doses to complete…

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Israeli study finds Pfizer COVID-19 booster protects against Omicron

Israeli researchers said they found that a three-shot course of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine provided significant protection against the new Omicron variant. The findings were similar to those presented by…

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Vaccinated, maskless crowds enjoy Christmas markets in Budapest

Traditional Christmas markets have opened in Budapest's main squares only for people vaccinated against COVID-19, but have drawn many tourists and locals alike even as central Europe battles a renewed…

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London’s Heathrow says business travellers cancelling over Omicron

London's Heathrow Airport said it was seeing high levels of business travellers cancelling over concerns they could be trapped overseas by travel restrictions triggered by the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. The airport…

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Unvaccinated health staff ‘unacceptable’, new German health minister says

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach defended restrictions on the unvaccinated and mandatory COVID-19 jabs for medical and nursing staff due to be passed by parliament later on Friday. "It's absolutely unacceptable that in establishments where people…

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Canada’s Omicron travel ban disrupts residents heading home

Canada's ban on travelers from southern African countries and its refusal to recognize these countries' PCR tests, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus Omicron variant, is an obstacle…

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WHO exec: donated COVID-19 vaccines with short shelf life ‘major problem’

GENEVA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Wealthy countries donating COVID-19 vaccines with a relatively short shelf life has been a “major problem” for the COVAX dose sharing programme, a senior official…

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Amid party outcry, Britain implores people: obey COVID rules

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain on Thursday implored people to obey tougher restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after revelations about alleged lockdown parties at…

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Coronavirus spreads in Australia’s pubs; Omicron cases linked to party boat

SYDNEY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - COVID-19 infections have been spreading in pubs and clubs in Australia's biggest city, including three new cases of the Omicron variant found among people who…

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Eritrea has not started vaccinating against COVID, says Africa CDC

NAIROBI, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Eritrea has yet to start vaccinating its population against COVID-19, the head of the African Centres for Disease Control said on Thursday. "Eritrea is the…

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Pakistan may have first Omicron case

KARACHI, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Authorities in Pakistan are investigating the first possible case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the South Asian nation, a provincial health ministry official…

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EU countries expected to agree 9-month duration of COVID pass

BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - European Union countries are expected to agree to limit to nine months the duration of COVID-19 certificates for travel, two EU sources told Reuters, as…

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Britain starts recruiting for real-world COVID antiviral trial

British researchers started recruitment for a clinical trial to test antiviral COVID-19 treatments for use in people early on in the disease who are at higher risks of complications, starting…

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UPDATED: People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) vaccine advisory panel recommends that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 shot, it said…

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Australia deputy PM tests positive for COVID-19 in Washington

SYDNEY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Australia Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has tested positive for COVID-19 in Washington, DC while on an official visit, his office said in a statement…

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Acting now on COVID will help avoid lockdown later, Britain’s Javid says

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain's decision to impose restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant will likely avoid the need to impose much tougher controls in…

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Paris region activates emergency plan in hospitals over strained COVID-19 situation

France's Ile-de-France region said that all hospitals are activating an emergency plan due to the strained COVID-19 situation. The plan includes stepping up the number of ICU beds and, if…

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U.S. CDC chief Walensky says omicron mostly mild so far

More than 40 people in the U.S. have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far, and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated, the chief…

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Denmark reintroduces some COVID-19 restrictions

Denmark will again impose restrictions aimed at curbing the rapid spread of COVID-19 including the new Omicron variant, the country’s prime minister said. The new restrictions include closing primary schools…

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Philippines bans travellers from France to prevent Omicron spread

The Philippines will ban travellers coming from France to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the presidential office said on Wednesday. The ban, which applies to everyone who…

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Johnson puts England under new COVID controls

UPDATE - LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he was starting a so-called Plan B for England, including guidance for people to work…

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WHO’s Tedros tells world “Act now to curb Omicron’s spread”

GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Governments need to reassess national responses to COVID-19 and speed up vaccination programmes to tackle Omicron, though it is it too early to say how…

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China’s Guangdong province cuts some tourism trips after one local COVID case

China's Guangdong has ordered a halt to some group tourist trips between the southern province and other areas after finding one local symptomatic COVID-19 case, in a move underlining Beijing's…

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Nearly 70 ICU medics at Spanish hospital COVID-19 positive after Christmas party

Nearly 70 nurses and doctors working in the intensive care unit at a Spanish hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a Christmas party, health authorities revealed. Sixty-eight medics…

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Up to 1 million COVID vaccines wasted in Nigeria last month

Up to one million COVID-19 vaccines are estimated to have expired in Nigeria last month without being used, two sources told Reuters, one of the biggest single losses of doses…

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Denmark sees ‘society-wide infection’ with Omicron variant, health minister isolates in Brussels after testing positive

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The new Omicron coronavirus variant has spread across Denmark, health authorities said after registering large outbreaks of the variant in the east and west of the country. Denmark…

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Finland’s PM under fire for clubbing after Covid contact

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case. Sanna Marin went on a night out in Helsinki on Saturday,…

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EU expects Europe plants to produce 3.6 billion COVID shots in 2022

BRUSSELS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Vaccine plants in the European Union are expected to produce 3.6 billion COVID-19 shots next year, out of a global output of more than 20…

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UPDATED: BioNTech, Pfizer say test shows 3 doses of vaccine neutralise Omicron

BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test and they could deliver an…

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Omicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalizations set to rise – WHO

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.…

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Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February

BERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to stop a fourth wave of the pandemic. A…

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Bolsonaro dismisses vaccination requirement for entry into Brazil

Brazil will require that unvaccinated travelers entering the country go on a five-day quarantine followed by a COVID-19 test, its health minister said, after its president said he opposed the…

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Swiss group lights 11,288 candles for COVID-19 victims

More than 11,000 candles - one for each Swiss victim of the coronavirus pandemic - lit up the December darkness outside the Swiss parliament in Bern on Tuesday evening. "We…

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Romanian government to ease some COVID-19 restrictions

BUCHAREST, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Romanian government will ease some COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday, eliminating a night curfew and an obligation to wear face masks outdoors ahead of winter…

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EU agencies endorse mix-and-match of COVID-19 vaccines

EU health agencieshave recommended that COVID-19 vaccines be mixed and matched for both initial courses and booster doses as the region battles rising cases ahead of Christmas. Evidence suggests that…

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Vaccines should work against Omicron variant, WHO says

Existing vaccines should still protect people who contract the Omicron variant from severe Covid cases, a World Health Organization (WHO) official says. It comes as the first lab tests of…

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Sweden to reintroduce many COVID-19 measures as cases rise

Sweden will reintroduce a raft of measures to curb rising COVID-19 infections, urging renewed social distancing and the use of masks in public transportation, the government said. "We see an…

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EU considers negative coronavirus tests for incoming travellers, flight curbs still in place

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU health ministers discussed measures to try to halt the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Tuesday, with the Netherlands calling for negative tests…

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11 Omicron cases discovered so far in Italy

There have so far been 11 Omicron cases in Italy but others are suspected, Higher Health Institute (ISS) chief Silvio Brusaferro said. The regions where the cases of the more…

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UPDATED: Study suggests Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may only partially protect against Omicron

Omicron variant can partially evade protection from two doses of Pfizer and partner BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the research head of a laboratory at the Africa Health Research Institute in South…

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Britain marks one year since giving first Pfizer COVID-19 shot

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday marked a year since the first person in the world was given a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials, calling for…

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Delta variant cases rise in Canada’s Ontario, Omicron to hit ‘hard and fast’

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across Canada's most populous province of Ontario due to the Delta variant, while Omicron "will hit us hard and fast" next year, an…

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