Fauci says Omicron likely to peak in U.S. by end-January https://t.co/ijHibg3Okc pic.twitter.com/heAya1XDKy
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
Leaders urge Americans to cancel New Year’s plans: "Omicron and delta are coming to your party" https://t.co/wxA46lnuuz
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 29, 2021
More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to the highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average.https://t.co/VsGcBG1sWH
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2021
In @WhiteHouse @CDCDirector says:
– 60% ^ in new #COVID19 cases in 1 week, averaging 240K cases/day
– 14% ^ in hospitalizations in 1 week
– but 7% decrease in deaths
– peak contagiousness is 1-2 dys post-infect., pre-symptomatic
– unclear if home tests ID infectiousness to others— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) December 29, 2021
Hundreds of flights are being cancelled as the omicron variant continues to create havoc both for travelers and for airlines trying to cobble together flight crews as infections rise among pilots and flight crews. https://t.co/u53KQVJ6C6
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2021
2) Operationally, who would enforce it? The desk attendants? TSA? A special Vaccine Force?
3) There is already some bad behavior in airports. A vaccine mandate would likely bring in demonstrators as well.
— Cheryl Rofer (@CherylRofer) December 30, 2021
I would like many more vaccine mandates, including for flying. But I think that the first, that some state governments are actively abetting the pandemic, is the killer. I'd be glad to be proved wrong.
— Cheryl Rofer (@CherylRofer) December 30, 2021
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With global cases at a record high, the WHO is warning of a coronavirus tsunami. "Delta and Omicron are now twin threats," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general. The agency fears healthcare systems may be overwhelmed worldwide https://t.co/QZ4Hg8OVPd pic.twitter.com/SVQMNqWM4o
— delthia ricks
(@DelthiaRicks) December 30, 2021
Xian fights biggest COVID-19 outbreak in a Chinese city this year https://t.co/RgCpumxzqA pic.twitter.com/Hntoidlsor
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
From a long thread:
"My biggest worry now is China. Omicron will get there. Locally used vaccines have low effectiveness against Omicron. That's real danger, also for world economy".
's most prominent virologist @c_drosten (until now mostly positive on
covid response).https://t.co/29RoOEsDQq pic.twitter.com/rRIFZUsy68
— Thorsten Benner (@thorstenbenner) December 28, 2021
Coming months will test Beijing’s commitment to host Olympics with significant increase in foreign visitors, maintain Zero-Covid promise & keep relying on
— Thorsten Benner (@thorstenbenner) December 29, 2021
This year’s Spring Festival, aka Chinese New Year, starts February 1st. Year of the Tiger!
I won't be surprised if China is on something close to full lockdown by Spring Festival. Adjust any travel plans accordingly, mainland friends! Also get ready for more supply chain fun.
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) December 29, 2021
Much of Asia has managed to keep omicron at bay even as the variant rages in other parts of the world. Entry restrictions and widespread mask wearing have helped slow the spread, but the region is bracing for what may be an inevitable surge. https://t.co/xkGF6iquQw
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2021
India imposes stricter rules to prevent COVID-19 spread during festive season https://t.co/vTncLQJXCu pic.twitter.com/02O9oweUFU
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
… Night curfews have been imposed in all major cities and restaurants ordered to limit customers, officials said.
However, state authorities were finding it difficult to limit crowding in markets, religious sites and holiday destinations as they were allowed to remain open, the officials said.
The country reported 13,154 new COVID-19 cases and 268 deaths in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said, with urban centres reporting a big jump. It was the highest number of daily infections since October…
Police in the financial capital Mumbai prohibited public gatherings of five or more residents until January 7 as it recorded a sharp jump in cases with 2,510 infections, the highest daily increase since May, local authorities said…
Earlier this week, India accelerated vaccine distribution by approving Merck’s COVID-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use.
Asia’s third-largest economy has already said it will allow COVID-19 booster shots for some of its population.
The emergency approvals come at a time measures are being taken to ramp up oxygen supplies and hospital beds.
But an ongoing strike by thousands of junior doctors against the government has added pressure on the fragile health infrastructure…
Russia on Thursday confirmed 21,073 Covid-19 infections and 926 deaths https://t.co/N9hztBEJH5
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) December 30, 2021
Germany’s health minister says the country's coronavirus infection rate is likely two to three times higher than statistics currently show, and urged his compatriots to be cautious during New Year's celebrations. https://t.co/q4LgJVOOIa
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) December 29, 2021
France is forging ahead with efforts to increase pressure on unvaccinated people to get COVID-19 shots as the country reported 208,000 new coronavirus cases — a record fueled by the omicron variant. https://t.co/D0NDV6c79G
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) December 29, 2021
Music will be banned at commercial venues in Greece, including for New Year's Eve celebrations, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases because of the omicron variant. https://t.co/reLnTL2qb0
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) December 29, 2021
Italy eases isolation rules on COVID-19 contacts https://t.co/aaCfPhOuvR pic.twitter.com/uxoA0xpWHo
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
"The show must go on!" Cinemas, theaters and concert halls will be allowed to reopen in Belgium after authorities came under pressure and reversed COVID-19 restrictions targeting the cultural sector. https://t.co/fAwBfZmli7
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) December 29, 2021
The United Kingdom reported 183,037 COVID-19 cases, a new record and over 53,000 more than the previous highest figure registered just a day earlier, government statistics showed https://t.co/7o1XgyBKLY
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
Britain pledged $141.7 million in emergency aid to help vulnerable nations, particularly in Africa, cope with the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant https://t.co/j8u0HZFoxF
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
Professor @Tuliodna is one of the scientists at the University of KwaZulu-Natal who first identified the Omicron variant.
He says many African countries are very experienced in dealing with pandemics and calls for respect and investment from Western countries. pic.twitter.com/n9l46JlA25
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) December 29, 2021
Brazil registers 112 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday https://t.co/e8W9hjnRel pic.twitter.com/LnSm90ovYO
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
The CDC is investigating cruise ships due to new cases of COVID-19. None of the ships appear to have so many cases they would overwhelm on-board medical resources and require a return to port, but some have been denied entry at foreign ports. https://t.co/gMzBpCtnmb
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2021
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Fantastic thread (both in style and substance)
Although Omicron is very capable of evading antibodies and causing reinfections/breakthroughs, it barely evades T-cells at all, meaning vaxxed or recovered people are likely to retain very good protection against severe disease https://t.co/72rMB3qjBB
— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) December 29, 2021
5 Studies, 5 Figures. All consistent, independent replications in vivo, in vitro. Omicron can't infect lungs or lung cells as well as prior variants.@KU_Leuven @SystemsVirology @GuptaR_lab @hkumed @LivUni pic.twitter.com/X9jbugx0vs
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) December 29, 2021
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Exclusive: U.S. NIH research hospital delays elective surgeries as Omicron hits https://t.co/BWh7nb5dIA pic.twitter.com/MtOmvCq9ma
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2021
The Smithsonian will shutter four museums in Washington through Sunday as the spread of the Omicron variant has led to staffing shortages. Coronavirus cases reported in the capital region for the last week were the highest since the start of the pandemic. https://t.co/biJ4h5lh4H
— NYT National News (@NYTNational) December 30, 2021
Las Vegas isn't canceling or scaling back plans for big New Year’s gatherings amid concerns about the omicron variant of COVID-19. Regional public safety and elected leaders say they expect more than 300,000 visitors in town for the events. https://t.co/2pe4RTBfyA
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 30, 2021
Shut up and dance, Spicer:
The notion that it’s somehow “gotcha” for scientists to learn something new and change their minds is foolish.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) December 29, 2021
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