Covid live news: Austria reports first case of Omicron as new variant continues to spread | World news

The UK well being secretary has stated he expects the general public to adjust to the brand new guidelines round masks carrying.

Talking to Trevor Phillips on Sky, Sajid Javid stated that following the information of a brand new variant: “I do assume folks will take this extra severely.”

He added that folks ought to make plans for Christmas “as regular” amid questions on one other lockdown.

Javid stated: “I believe it’s truthful to say that the character of this pandemic is it might be irresponsible to make ensures.

“As for Christmas, I believe folks ought to proceed with their plans as regular for Christmas, I believe it’s going to be an incredible Christmas.”

Austria has detected its first suspected case of the brand new Omicron coronavirus variant within the Tirol, Reuters experiences.

A traveller who returned from South Africa final week examined optimistic for COVID-19 with indications of the brand new variant, although affirmation requires additional sequencing over the approaching days, Tirol authorities stated in an announcement.

South Africa’s discovery of the variant has sparked international concern, a wave of journey bans or curbs and a sell-off on monetary markets on investor fears that it may stall restoration from the pandemic. Circumstances had been detected in a number of European international locations on Saturday, together with Italy and Germany.

Austria had already powered down public life final Monday with its fourth nationwide coronavirus lockdown, turning into the primary western European nation to reimpose the unpopular measure this autumn owing to surging COVID-19 infections.

The UK well being secretary has stated there’s a motive to assume that the Omicron variant could make the present vaccines “much less efficient”.

Sajid Javid stated that necessary masks carrying on public transport and in outlets would come into power on Tuesday in a “short-term” measure in response to the brand new pressure.

Talking to Trevor Phillips on Sky stated the federal government’s strategy was “proportionate and balanced”, however stated the impression of the variant on vaccines was not but recognized.

He stated: “There may be motive to assume that perhaps, and I stress the phrase could, that this variant could end up to make our vaccines much less efficient, it could not. We simply don’t know sufficient.

“We are going to be taught to reside with this.”

Javid stated that even when Omicron makes vaccines much less efficient it was nonetheless anticipated to make solely a “small impression”.

Measures supposed to manage the unfold of the brand new Omicron coronavirus variant have been described as “a watered-down model of Plan B” by Professor Lawrence Younger.

The professor of molecular oncology on the College of Warwick stated it’s a “disgrace” the measures launched by Boris Johnson don’t go so far as to advise folks to work at home and use vaccine passports.

Talking to Instances Radio, he stated: “I believe what we’re in the intervening time is what I name ‘Plan B lite’. It’s a disgrace that we’re simply not going a bit bit additional.

“That’s not about lockdowns, but it surely’s about encouraging folks to work at home the place attainable and desirous about how we, you already know, dare I say, use some type of vaccine passport simply to be sure that we’re all secure.

“So, what we heard yesterday, and what’s prone to occur over the subsequent few weeks, is a watered-down model of Plan B and the hope is that that will probably be ample so we don’t find yourself in a very troublesome scenario at Christmas.”

I will probably be handing over running a blog duties very quickly. These are the principle developments within the pandemic previously few hours:

• Circumstances of the brand new Omicron variant of Covid-19 are persevering with to be detected in international locations internationally. Australia confirmed two circumstances on Sunday, becoming a member of Britain, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic amongst others which have declared circumstances.
• Boris Johnson stated arrivals to the UK need to take a PCR check by the second day of their arrival and self-isolate till they’ve a damaging outcome after the first cases of the new variant had been reported in Nottingham and Essex. Face coverings can even change into obligatory in outlets and on public transport within the UK from subsequent week.
• US authorities knowledgeable Dr Anthony Fauci stated he “would not be surprised” if the Omicron variant was already within the US. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the scenario.
• Israel is to ban the entry of holiday makers from all countries because of the Omicron variant. The nation can even reintroduce counter-terrorism phone-tracking know-how for contact testing in an effort to comprise the unfold of the brand new pressure.
• China would face a ‘colossal” outbreak if it opened up society alongside the strains of the USA, a examine by mathematicians has stated. It may have 630,000 Covid-19 infections a day if it dropped its zero-tolerance insurance policies, in response to researchers at Peking College.
• There was concernabout the Omicron variant within the Netherlands after 61 folks examined optimistic for Covid-19 after arriving on two flights from South Africa on Friday. Additional checks had been beneath method to decide if any of them had the Omicron variant.
• Well being officers in New South Wales confirmed two cases after folks arrived on a flight from southern Africa on Saturday and examined optimistic to the coronavirus. Some states and territories are tighteniung up their borders to cease any unfold, however New South Wales’s opening up plan stays in place.

Amid all the priority about Omicron it looks like a good suggestion to re-up this explainer about what we all know concerning the new variant and what the dangers may be:

The Maldives stated it was barring travellers from seven African international locations from Sunday over considerations concerning the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Travellers is not going to be allowed into Maldives from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini, the well being ministry stated in an announcement on Sunday.

Travellers who arrived from these international locations over the previous two days should endure 14 days of quarantine.

1 / 4 of individuals with severely suppressed immunity that leaves them extremely weak to Covid have nonetheless not had a 3rd vaccination, in response to official figures.

The determine emerged simply days after NHS England contacted most cancers specialists and providers throughout the nation asking them to help in boosting the numbers, with considerations that it means greater than 100,000 extraordinarily weak individuals are yet to have their third jab. A letter from the NHS despatched earlier this month stated that 30% had been nonetheless with out the third vaccination, which has since fallen to 25%.

You’ll be able to learn Michael Savage’s full story right here:

Again to Australia, and well being authorities in New South Wales have confirmed that the 2 abroad travellers that examined optimistic in a single day have been contaminated with the brand new Omicron variant.

Each passengers arrived from southern Africa on Saturday night, and underwent testing final night time.

Each circumstances are asymptomatic and in isolation at particular well being lodging, and each are totally vaccinated.

As curbs unfold round Europe together with the brand new variant, Switzerland has widened quarantine necessities to travellers arriving from Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Egypt and Malawi, the place circumstances have been detected, its well being ministry stated.

On Friday, Switzerland banned direct flights from South Africa and the encircling area because of the detection of a brand new COVID-19 variant, whereas additionally imposing restrictions on journey from different international locations together with Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium.

Entry from these international locations would solely be attainable for Swiss residents or these with a residence allow in Switzerland or the broader Schengen space.

Now, following the detection of latest Omicron circumstances, travellers from Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Egypt and Malawi might want to current a damaging COVID-19 check and quarantine for ten days as properly, the Federal Workplace of Public Well being stated in a tweet.

The Australian Crimson Cross has despatched a big supply quantity of PPE to Papua New Guinea to be distributed to distant hard-to-reach communities because the nation continues to battle coronavirus.

The crucial supply consists of:

• 636,000 surgical masks
• 65,000 examination gloves
• 360 infrared thermometers
• 24,000 bottles of hand-sanitizer

PNG has formally confirmed virtually 35,000 coronavirus circumstances and 542 deaths however it’s believed many extra circumstances and deaths are going unreported within the nation of 9 million the place vaccination hesitancy is reported to be excessive.