Omicron, first detected in November in South Africa, has rapidly spread across the globe, with 38 of 53 European countries, reporting it to now being the dominant variant
Shoppers, some wearing face-masks, walk along Oxford Street in central London as compulsory mask wearing in shops has been reintroduced in England. AFP
It’s been a little less than a month since Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, was discovered in South Africa, but in this period it has managed to send fresh shockwaves across the globe, upsetting whatever semblance of normalcy the world had seen in recent months.
It has spread all over the world — over 89 countries — and the World Health Organization has reported that the number of COVID-19 cases involving Omicron is doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in countries where there is community transmission of the variant and not just people who were infected abroad.
Here’s the latest developments.
Israel reports first Omicron death
Israeli health officials reported that the country has registered what is believed to be the country’s first death from the omicron variant of the coronavirus .
Soroka Hospital, located in the southern city of Beersheba, said a man in his 60s died on Monday, two weeks after he was hospitalised.
It said the man had suffered from pre-existing health issues but gave no further details.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Israelis over the age of 60 and medical teams will be eligible for a fourth Covid vaccination.
“(It) will assist us in getting through the Omicron wave that is engulfing the world,” he said.
“The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and we are continuing to pioneer with the fourth dose as well,” he said in remarks relayed by his office, calling on those who meet the criteria to “Go and get vaccinated.”
A statement from the health ministry noted that immunodeficient people will also be eligible for the fourth shot, which can be administered to them, the elderly and the medical teams at least four months after the third shot.
Omicron storm in Europe
Britain is suffering from Omicron, with 12 more people dying of the new COVID-19 variant.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant ahead of the festival has put the British government in a spot amid reports of a possible two-week circuit-breaker lockdown.
The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments to prepare for a significant surge in coronavirus cases across the continent due to the omicron variant, which is already dominant in several countries.
“We can see another storm coming,” WHO Europe regional director Dr Hans Kluge said at a press conference in Vienna.
Omicron has been detected in at least 38 of the WHO European region’s 53 members, Kluge added, noting that it is already the dominant variant in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Portugal.
France, which is also facing a jump in COVID-19 hospitalisations, is also seeking to push through a law requiring vaccination to enter any restaurant and many other public places, and warning of tougher measures if the current surge of infections doesn’t recede.
The French government wants a law passed by 15 January requiring vaccination to enter restaurants and many public venues. Currently a “health pass” is required to enter all such spaces in France, but people can get the pass with either a vaccination certificate, a negative virus test or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19 .
France also is ramping up vaccination and booster efforts, with doses made available to all children 5-11 starting Wednesday. More than 89 percent of French people 12 and over have had at least two vaccine shots, and about 40 percent of adults have had three doses, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
Germany too has announced new restrictions that will begin after Christmas to slow the spread of the new Omicron variant.
According to the new rule, private gatherings will be limited to 10 people, nightclubs will close nationwide and large events like soccer matches will be held without an in-person audience. The restrictions will go into effect nationwide on 28 December, although states can implement the measures sooner.
In his latest press briefing, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that holiday festivities would in many places lead to “increased cases, overwhelmed health systems and more deaths” and urged people to postpone gatherings.
“An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled,” he said.
US ‘prepared’ for Omicron
President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans about the country’s ability to battle the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, saying it was “prepared” to fight what is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States.
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the US, accounting for 73 percent of new infections last week, federal health officials had said on Monday.
Biden formally announced a raft of new measures to combat the winter surge — including shipping half a billion at home tests.
“We should all be concerned about Omicron but not panicked,” he said from the White House.
“This is not March of 2020,” he continued. “Two hundred million people are fully vaccinated. We’re prepared, we know more. We just have to stay focused.”
With inputs from agencies
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