Coronavirus

Facing new COVID wave, staff at a French hospital say: ‘We’re exhausted’

Doctor Ruxandra Divan, an intensive care anaesthetist in eastern France, slumped down onto her haunches against a wall of her department, exhausted by the prospect of tackling a new COVID-19…

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Omicron grips cells more tightly, withstands some antibodies

A structural model of how the Omicron variant attaches to cells and antibodies sheds light on its behavior and will help in designing neutralizing antibodies, according to researchers. Using computer…

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Pfizer set to oust AstraZeneca as top supplier of COVID-19 shots to poor nations

Pfizer and BioNtech are set to displace AstraZeneca as the main suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines to the global COVAX programme at the start of 2022, a shift that shows the…

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Pubs, parties push Australia’s COVID-19 cases to record levels

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Friday rushed to track down hundreds who attended a Taylor Swift album party in Sydney last week that has become a super-spreading event as…

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EXPLAINER-Is it safe for Americans to travel for the holidays?

Dec 16 (Reuters) - The spread of the Omicron variant and a surge in COVID-19 cases have raised Americans' concern about traveling over the holidays. Health experts offered the following…

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Four in 10 infected people may unknowingly spread virus

Infected people who show no symptoms might be contributing significantly to transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, given that they account for 40.5% of confirmed infections worldwide, according…

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UK likely to see reliable data on Omicron in January, says health official

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Britain will most likely only have reliable data on the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in early January and possibly in the week…

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Some British hospitals struggle with staff shortages due to COVID-19

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - British hospitals, particularly in London, are struggling to maintain staffing levels due to the number who are having to isolate with COVID-19, a senior emergency…

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New data shows Omicron thrives in airways, not lungs

Major differences in how efficiently Omicron and other variants of the coronavirus multiply may help predict Omicron's effects, researchers said. Compared to the earlier Delta variant, Omicron multiplies itself 70…

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Queen Elizabeth cancels pre-Christmas lunch as COVID cases soar

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth has cancelled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family as a precaution while cases of COVID-19 soar in Britain, a Buckingham Palace source said.…

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New Zealand reports first Omicron case in Christchurch border facility

WELLINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand reported its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 at a state-run isolation facility in Christchurch, the Director General of Health Ashley…

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Greece demands COVID-19 tests from all visitors

Travellers to Greece will need a negative COVID-19 PCR test to enter the country as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the health ministry said.…

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Malaysia bans mass New Year events

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Thursday announced new COVID-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case…

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Sweden to extend vaccine pass rules to Nordic travellers

STOCKHOLM, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Sweden will require visitors from other Nordic nations to have a vaccine pass to cross the border as it gradually tightens restrictions amid rising cases…

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Dutch Princess Amalia under fire over 18th birthday party amid COVID-19 surge

Crown Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, invited 21 people to her 18th birthday party last week even as the government has asked people not to have more…

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Indonesia reports first case of Omicron variant

JAKARTA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia has identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the country’s health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday. The variant was detected…

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UPDATED: Poland reports its first case of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Poland has detected its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a deputy health minister was cited as saying on Thursday by state-run news agency PAP. Waldemar Kraska said the…

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UPDATED: France to tighten rules for travellers from UK

France announced on Thursday that because of surging COVID-19 cases in Britain only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between the two countries, and anyone arriving from…

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Mandatory COVID-19 jab being considered in France

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday it was possible the COVID-19 vaccine would eventually be made compulsory in France, but said it was not the priority for now. Like…

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Court revives health worker COVID-19 vaccine mandate in 26 U.S. states

A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived in 26 U.S. states a COVID-19 mandate issued by President Joe Biden's administration requiring millions of healthcare workers to get vaccinated if they…

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COVID-19 Delta variant still predominant in Italy, Health Institute says

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is still predominant in Italy, the National Health Institute (ISS) said, releasing data of a flash-survey showing it accounted for more than 99% of…

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Omicron variant expected to be dominant in EU by mid-January

There is a “very high” risk the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will become dominant in Europe by early next year and lead to a growing number of hospital admissions and…

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Omicron is very serious threat, what we know is bad – UK health official

England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Wednesday that the Omicron coronavirus variant posed a really serious threat and that what health officials already knew about was "bad". "This…

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UPDATED: South Africa to retain ‘Level 1’ curbs in Omicron fight

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has retained its lockdown at 'adjusted level 1', or the lowest of a five-tier system of restrictions, in…

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Canada advises against international travel amid Omicron threat

Canada's government implored residents not to leave the country as provinces ramp up vaccinations to combat the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, even as efforts to head off a COVID-19 wave…

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No Omicron deaths in J&J vaccine study in South Africa, scientist says

No one has died from the Omicron coronavirus variant in a study of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa, one of the co-lead investigators of the study said…

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Sanofi, GSK delay data on COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate till 2022

PARIS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said on Wednesday they expect data from late-stage clinical trials of its booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the first…

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German police foil ‘anti-vaxxer murder plot’ against state premier

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - German police said on Wednesday they had uncovered a plot by anti-vaccination activists in Saxony to murder the eastern German state's premier, adding to concerns…

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Successful EU is top national priority for Germany – Scholz

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) -The success of the European Union is Germany's top national priority, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, warning that no disputes among member states must be…

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EU regulator backs J&J COVID-19 booster dose in adults

Dec 15 (Reuters) - The European Union's drug regulator on Wednesday recommended that a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine may be given at least two months after…

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COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against Omicron – WHO

Preliminary evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World…

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Hong Kong researchers urge third COVID-19 shot after new Omicron study

HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Researchers in Hong Kong have urged people to get a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, after a study showed insufficient…

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Austria likely to recommend COVID boosters from age 12

Austria is likely to soon recommend COVID-19 booster shots for children aged 12 and over once four months have passed since their second vaccine dose, Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said.…

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Online gambling sites lose bid to access Swiss market – court

A Swiss court has blocked requests by foreign online gambling operators to access the Swiss market, which gaming officials have limited since 2019 to Swiss-approved games of chance. That means…

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UK to remove all countries from COVID travel red list on Wednesday

The British government will remove all 11 countries from its COVID-19 travel red list from Wednesday because there is now community transmission of Omicron in Britain, Health Secretary Sajid Javid…

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Canada likely to toughen travel curbs as Omicron concern grows

Canada is expected to toughen restrictions on international travel with new measures to be announced on Wednesday as it looks to limit the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, CBC…

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Italy extends COVID-19 state of emergency, imposes swab for EU visitors

Italy on Tuesday extended a COVID-19 state of emergency to March 31 and ruled that all visitors from EU countries must take a test before departure, amid concerns over the…

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Australia reopens borders to non-citizens despite Omicron worries

SYDNEY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Australia on Wednesday reopened borders to vaccinated skilled migrants and foreign students after a near two-year ban on their entry, in a bid to boost…

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Protect the unvaccinated, then offer boosters – WHO

Getting an initial course of COVID-19 vaccines to unprotected groups all over the world should remain a top priority before offering booster shots to vulnerable groups, World Health Organisation (WHO)…

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Dutch consider early Christmas break for schools to limit COVID-19 spread

The Dutch government on Tuesday said it is considering closing schools a week early for Christmas this year as coronavirus infections remain high and hospitals struggle with a wave of COVID-19 patients. These include the…

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Pfizer vaccine protecting against hospitalisation during Omicron wave – study

Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine appear to have given 70% protection against hospitalisation in South Africa in recent weeks, a major real-world study on the potential impact of Omicron showed on Tuesday,…

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France might tighten entries from Britain due to COVID Omicron surge

France is contemplating tightening controls for travellers coming from Britain, where the new, more contagious, Omicron coronavirus variant seems to be rapidly spreading, said French government spokesman Gabriel Attal. "Regarding Britain, the…

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Moderna to produce millions of mRNA vaccines in Australia

U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc will produce millions of mRNA vaccines a year in Australia after agreeing to set up one of its largest manufacturing facilities outside the United States and Europe. The…

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Norway in partial lockdown as Omicron ‘changes the rules’, PM says

Norway will further tighten restrictions and speed up vaccination in a bid to limit an expected surge of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.…

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Ghana’s main airport to fine airlines if they bring unvaccinated passengers

ACCRA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The operator of Ghana's main international airport will fine airlines $3,500 for every passenger they bring in that is not vaccinated against COVID-19 or that…

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China’s Brii says its COVID-19 antibody cocktail retains activity against Omicron

BEIJING, Dec 13 (Reuters) - China's Brii Biosciences said lab studies showed that its COVID-19 antibody cocktail retained activity against the Omicron variant, although one of the antibodies showed a…

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Masks come off, rallies begin as India’s COVID-19 patient load falls

NEW DELHI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - India reported its lowest tally of active COVID-19 cases in 18 months on Monday, but a sharp drop in the use of protective face…

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Antibody response from China Zhifei’s COVID shot weaker against Omicron

BEIJING, Dec 13 (Reuters) - China's Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical said on Monday a small laboratory test showed its COVID-19 vaccine could trigger antibodies against the Omicron variant though the…

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FACTBOX-COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children aged 5-11 in the EU

The European Union rollout of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds should begin Dec. 13, as countries are expanding their vaccination programmes to include young children…

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Two-dose vaccines induce lower antibodies against Omicron, study finds

Dec 13 (Reuters) - Two-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimens do not induce enough neutralising antibodies against the Omicron coronavirus variant, British scientists found, indicating that increased infections in those previously infected…

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Mainland China detects first case of Omicron coronavirus variant

Health authorities in northern China's port city of Tianjin have detected the first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the country's mainland, the state-run Tianjin Daily reported on Monday.…

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Chinese manufacturing hub fights its first 2021 COVID-19 outbreak

BEIJING, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Major Chinese manufacturing province Zhejiang is fighting its first COVID-19 cluster this year, with hundreds of thousands of citizens in quarantine and virus-hit areas suspending…

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Europe divided over kids’ vaccines

MILAN/COPENHAGEN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - As Europe starts vaccinating younger children, countries are pursuing very different strategies in what will be a major test of parents' willingness to get their…

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UPDATED: Norway to tighten COVID restrictions

OSLO, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Norway will further tighten restrictions this week in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told news agency NTB…

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Sixth COVID wave, fuelled by Omicron, to hit France in January

PARIS, Dec 13 (Reuters) - France will be hit by a sixth COVID-19 wave next month due to the emergence of the new, more contagious, Omicron variant of the disease…

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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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