Coronavirus

UK’s daily COVID infections hit record high of 129,471

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain reported a record 129,471 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not bring in new restrictions this…

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US health authorities cut isolation time for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases to 5 days

U.S. health authorities on Monday shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to five days from the previous guidance of 10 days. The Centers for…

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China local symptomatic COVID cases rise for a 4th day as Xian outbreak expands

China's local symptomatic coronavirus cases rose for a fourth consecutive day on Monday, with Xian city reporting more infections in a flare up that has put 13 million residents under lockdown. Xian…

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Australia COVID numbers hit a peak as Omicron outbreak strains domestic politics

ustralia recorded another record surge in COVID-19 infections on Tuesday as an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant disrupted reopening of the economy, while state leaders argued over domestic…

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France further tightens COVID measures, but no curfew for New Year’s Eve

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that in response to a rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the government is narrowing the delay for a third booster shot…

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Record 1298 new cases reported / Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 28 December 2021

Albert Fenech, one of Malta's top cardiologists as well as a former MP, died on Tuesday aged 70. Fenech was reportedly found dead inside his house and is believed to…

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British government says no new COVID curbs for England in 2021

England will not get any new COVID-19 restrictions before the end of 2021, British health minister Sajid Javid said on Monday, as the government awaits more evidence on whether the health service can cope…

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Health experts say Italy faces paralysis under quarantine rules

Health experts urged the Italian government on Monday to relax COVID-19 quarantine rules, saying that the country otherwise risked paralysis as the highly infectious Omicron variant spreads. Under current rules, people who…

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American States braced for Omicron holiday Spike

Rising cases snarled air travel over Christmas weekend as flight crews contracted the virus, causing thousands of flight cancellation in the US. Curtailed cruises and a lack of widely available…

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Majority of British willing to get Covid booster vaccine every six months

A majority of people would be willing to get a booster vaccine every six months to help guard against Covid-19, according to a poll which also reveals nearly one in…

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Thousands of flights canceled globally as Omicron mars Christmas weekend

NEW YORK, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Commercial airlines around the world canceled more than 4,500 flights over the Christmas weekend, as a mounting wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the…

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UK reports new record of 122,186 COVID cases

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain reported a new record 122,186 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, up from 119,789 on Thursday. Government data showed there were 137 new deaths within 28…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 25 December 2021

Happy Christmas Traffic Accident A two-year-old boy was grievously injured when the car he was in crashed into a tree on Christmas Eve. The car, a Mazda Demio, was being…

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Irish COVID-19 infections hit record, critical cases slow

DUBLIN, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Ireland on Friday reported its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began but those requiring critical care fell further amid a rapid…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 24 December 2021

Covid Update Malta hit another single-day record of newly detected COVID-19 cases on Friday when the health ministry reported 955 new infections. It is the third consecutive day that the…

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California to require COVID-19 booster shots for healthcare workers

California will require healthcare workers and workers in "high-risk congregate settings" to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster by Feb. 1, Governor Gavin Newsom announced as part of the state's response…

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Lower risk of hospital admission from Omicron, UK says

LONDON (Reuters) - There is a lower risk of hospitalisation for people with the Omicron coronavirus variant compared to Delta, but the higher transmissibility of Omicron could still lead to…

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Britain reports record 119,789 new COVID-19 cases

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain recorded a record number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday as the Omicron variant swept across the country, with the daily tally reaching 119,789…

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Germany adds U.S., Spain, Portugal to COVID-19 high risk list

BERLIN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Germany is adding the United States, Spain and Portugal to its list of COVID-19 risk areas, it said on Thursday, making it more difficult for…

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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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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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Photo Story – Launch of childhood vaccination in Brussels

Photo A child gives a thumb up next to a giant Smurfette on the launch day of the vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19, in Brussels, Belgium,…

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Belgium to shut cinemas, theatres as Omicron cases surge

BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Belgium will close cinemas and theatres and play sporting fixtures behind closed doors immediately after Christmas in a tightening of coronavirus restrictions to curb a…

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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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MEA calls on Government to issue clear policy guidelines on Covid-19

The Malta Employers’ Association said today that the current surge in COVID cases is worrying many employers, and warned that inaction on the part of government might lead to a…

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Europe braces for Omicron ‘storm’ as Biden calls up military medics

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Countries across Europe considered new curbs on movement on Tuesday while U.S. President Joe Biden called on military medics to support hospitals and fight the…

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Portugal imposes post-Christmas COVID-19 curbs as Omicron cases surge

LISBON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Portugal on Tuesday ordered nightclubs and bars to close and told people to work from home for at least two weeks starting on Saturday to…

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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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UK’s Johnson rules out new COVID-19 curbs before Christmas

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he would not be introducing new COVID-19 restrictions in England before Christmas, but the situation remained…

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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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With warning for unvaccinated, Biden lays out plan to fight surging Omicron

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday more federal vaccination and testing sites to tackle a surge in COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant, and said 500…

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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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UK scientists warn it may be too late to wait for New Year to impose new restrictions

Scientists have reacted with dismay to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision not to impose fresh restrictions to curb the spread of Omicron, insisting that waiting until the new year…

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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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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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‘Not a party’: UK says of picture of PM Johnson at lockdown gathering

A photograph showing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and more than a dozen other people drinking wine in the garden of his Downing Street residence during a lockdown last year does not show a…

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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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Omicron threat looms over winter holidays in Europe and U.S.

The Netherlands went into lockdown on Sunday and the possibility of more COVID-19 restrictions being imposed ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays loomed over several European countries as the Omicron variant spreads…

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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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UK PM’s position not too weak to impose further COVID-19 restrictions -Javid

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not too politically weak to bring in further COVID-19 restrictions if necessary, health minister Sajid Javid said on Sunday.…

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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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Malta News Briefing – Sunday 19 December 2021

Morning Briefing Magistrate had recommended charges against Pilatus Chairman - Times of Malta An inquiring magistrate had recommended charges against former Pilatus Bank chairman Ali Sadr, The Times of Malta…

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Netherlands to go into strict Christmas lockdown

THE HAGUE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will go into a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to try to contain the highly- contagious Omicron coronavirus…

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Germany to impose quarantine on travellers from Britain from Monday

BERLIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Germany will impose quarantine on travellers from Britain from midnight on Monday and require a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the country, the Robert…

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UK Brexit supremo Frost resigns in blow to PM Johnson

LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - British Brexit minister David Frost resigned on Saturday over disillusionment with the direction of Boris Johnson's government, dealing a major blow to the embattled prime…

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Pfizer says pandemic could extend to 2024

Pfizer Inc forecast that the COVID-19 pandemic would not be behind us until 2024 and said a lower-dose version of its vaccine for 2- to 4-year-olds generated a weaker immune…

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FACTBOX-Countries making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory

(Reuters) - Governments have been making COVID-19 shots mandatory for health workers and other high-risk groups, pushed by a sharp upturn in infections caused by the Delta variant and a…

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EU Commission head says booster shots should come within six months

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission is recommending vaccinated people receive booster doses no more than six months after their initial shots, with a further three month grace period for their…

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