Covid news live: England moves to ‘plan B’; three Pfizer shots can ‘neutralise’ Omicron, lab tests show | World news

Cuba has detected its first case of the Omicron Covid variant, based on Cuban state media company ACN.

The case was recognized in an individual who had travelled from Mozambique.

The traveller, a well being employee that resides in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, returned to the Caribbean island on 27 November and examined constructive for Covid-19 the next day, based on the ACN report.

Well being officers are monitoring the traveler’s contacts since arriving in Cuba, ACN stated.

The Caribbean nation beforehand tightened journey guidelines for inbound worldwide passengers arriving from southern African nations, requiring travellers to point out vaccination certificates and destructive outcomes of PCR checks taken inside 72 hours earlier than arrival.

As well as, arrivals are required to take PCR checks on arrival and on the sixth day of their visits in addition to to remain in quarantine motels for every week at their very own expense.

The Democratic-controlled US Senate on Wednesday permitted a Republican measure that may overturn president Joe Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine-or-test mandate for private businesses, with two Democrats becoming a member of Republicans to again the initiative.

The 52-48 vote sends the laws to the Democratic-led Home of Representatives, the place it faces sturdy headwinds, whereas Biden has threatened to veto it.

The laws would overturn administration guidelines ordering companies with 100 staff or extra to require vaccinations or coronavirus testing for hundreds of thousands of staff.

The measure was not topic to Senate guidelines that require 60 of its 100 members to agree on most laws, which means it may cross with only a 51-vote easy majority. Two Senate Democrats – Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana – joined 50 Republicans in voting for the invoice.

“I’ve all the time supported a vaccine mandate for federal staff and the army as a result of sustaining important companies and army readiness the federal authorities gives is a matter of nationwide significance,” Manchin stated in a press release following the vote.

“Nevertheless, I don’t assist any authorities vaccine mandate for personal companies. It isn’t the place of the federal authorities to inform non-public enterprise house owners the best way to defend their staff from Covid-19 and function their companies,” he stated.

A fast replace from South Korea following current figures launched by the ministry of well being.

An extra 7,102 confirmed circumstances have been reported over the previous 24 hours and 57 deaths.

About 83.4 % of the eligible inhabitants has obtained one Covid vaccine dose and 80.8 % has obtained no less than two doses.

China has reported 83 new confirmed coronavirus circumstances for Wednesday, 8 December, up from 74 a day earlier, its well being authority stated on Thursday.

Of the brand new infections, 60 have been regionally transmitted, based on a press release by the Nationwide Well being Fee as seen by Reuters, in contrast with 44 a day earlier.

The brand new native circumstances have been reported by authorities in Interior Mongolia, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, and Yunnan.

China reported 33 new asymptomatic circumstances, which it classifies individually from confirmed circumstances, in contrast with 23 a day earlier.

There have been no new deaths, leaving the overall demise toll at 4,636.

France could introduce a fourth Covid vaccine booster shot, the federal government’s prime Covid-19 adviser Jean-Francois Delfraissy has stated.

“The height is clearly not behind us, the pandemic continues to realize floor,” authorities spokesman Gabriel Attal stated throughout a press briefing on Wednesday, Reuters reviews.

France, whose grownup inhabitants is greater than 90% totally vaccinated, is hoping a nationwide marketing campaign inviting everybody over age 18 to get a 3rd vaccine – or booster shot – as quick as attainable will keep away from the necessity for more durable curbs on every day life.

Jean-Francois Delfraissy stated:

For now, there’s a name for one booster shot. Will that be sufficient? I don’t know. Possibly we’ll want a fourth shot.”

The newest seven-day common of recent confirmed new infections set a brand new 2021 excessive of greater than 44,500 on Tuesday.

South Africa has reported almost 20,000 new Covid-19 circumstances on Wednesday, a report because the Omicron variant was detected, and 36 new Covid-related deaths.

A complete of 19,842 new circumstances was reported by the Nationwide Institute for Communicable Illnesses, a every day change of fifty%.

Brazil has reported 10,055 new circumstances of the coronavirus prior to now 24 hours, and 233 deaths from Covid-19, the well being ministry stated on Wednesday.

The South American nation has now registered 22,167,781 circumstances because the pandemic started, whereas the official demise toll has risen to 616,251, based on ministry knowledge. It’s the world’s second-deadliest outbreak outdoors america.

With 85% of adults now totally vaccinated, the rolling 14-day common of Covid-19 deaths has fallen to 208 per day, in comparison with the toll of virtually 3,000 a day on the peak of the pandemic in April.

In mild of British prime minister Boris Johnson’s plan B announcement, here’s a fast snapshot of Covid-19 within the UK.

Howdy I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be taking you thru all of the Covid developments this Thursday.

We begin with the information that England will likely be implementing a raft of plan B measures to fight a surge in Covid circumstances within the lead-up to Christmas.

British prime minister Boris Johnson made the announcement at a Downing Avenue press convention on Wednesday evening amid fears of an exponential rise within the Omicron variant. Johnson stated folks should make money working from home the place attainable from Monday and that face masks can be a authorized requirement in most public indoor areas resembling theatres and cinemas from Friday, with exemptions for consuming and ingesting in hospitality venues.

The transfer comes as authorities specialists warned Omicron infections may rise to 1m by the end of the month with as much as 2,000 hospital admissions a day.

In additional promising information, three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are prone to protect against infection from the Omicron variant however two doses could not, based on laboratory knowledge.

Assessments utilizing antibodies in blood samples have given a few of the first insights into how far Omicron escapes immunity, exhibiting a stark drop-off within the predicted safety towards an infection or any sort of illness for individuals who have had two doses. The findings recommend that, for Omicron, Pfizer/BioNTech ought to now be considered as a “three-dose vaccine”.

Right here’s a snapshot of the most recent coronavirus tales from around the globe:

• The WHO stated early knowledge signifies the Omicron Covid variant could extra simply reinfect individuals who have already had the virus or been vaccinated than earlier variants, however may additionally trigger milder illness.
• Within the UK, Boris Johnson rushed forward new Covid restrictions amid fears of an exponential rise within the Omicron variant. “It’s now the proportionate and the accountable factor to move to plan B.” From Monday folks should make money working from home.
• Omicron circumstances within the UK may exceed 1 million by the top of this month on the present trajectory, Sajid Javid has advised MPs.
• Denmark will once more impose restrictions geared toward curbing the fast unfold of Covid together with the brand new Omicron variant, the nation’s prime minister stated on Wednesday.
• France has reported 93,071 coronavirus deaths in hospital, up by 129. It reported that 2,426 folks have been in intensive care models for Covid, up by 75 on the day gone by’s figures.
• Slovakia will on Friday reopen non-essential retailers and a few companies for these vaccinated towards Covid-19 whereas on the similar time extending a lockdown for others and shutting some colleges, well being minister Vladimir Lengvarsky stated.
• South Africa has permitted Pfizer’s coronavirus booster pictures for over-18s, because the Omicron variant dominates rising new infections.The South African Well being Merchandise Authority stated in a press release that it was authorising a 3rd vaccine dose “in people aged 18 years and older, to be administered no less than six months after the second dose”.
• Italy has reported 17,959 Coronavirus circumstances, up from 15,756 on Tuesday.Elsewhere, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia proceed to see a rise in circumstances, whereas Ecuador, Chile and Argentina noticed a drop.
• UK figures present 51,342 new folks had a confirmed constructive check consequence reported on 8 December 2021.Between 2 and eight December, 339,861 folks had a confirmed constructive check consequence, a rise of 11.3% in comparison with the earlier week.
• BioNTech and Pfizer stated on Wednesday a three-shot course of their Covid-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory check and so they may ship an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if wanted.