The Medical Practice Should Have a Mechanism in Place for Tracking Claims
13:26
Germany mandates vaccination for health care workers
Workers at German hospitals, doctor's offices and nursing homes must prove that they are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid by mid-March as part of new legislation passed by the parliament on Friday.
Beyond compulsory vaccinations for certain professions from mid-March, the new legislation also allows for the country's 16 federal states to close bars and restaurants as well as to ban large events due to high infection rates.
The health minister, Karl Lauterbach, defended restrictions on the unvaccinated and the mandatory jabs for medical and nursing staff in front of the Bundestag lower house.
"It's absolutely unacceptable that in establishments where people live, who put their trust in us to protect them, that people are unnecessarily dying because unvaccinated work there," Lauterbach said.
Germany, in the grip of a fourth wave of infections, has a relatively low rate of vaccination compared with the rest of Europe. Some 69% of the population is fully vaccinated, while at least 21% have received a booster shot, according to official numbers.
The new law also aims to make vaccination more accessible by allowing veterinarians, dentists and pharmacists to administer them, though only for a set period of time.
The Robert Koch Institute infectious disease body reported 61,288 new infections from the coronavirus and 484 more Covid-related deaths on Friday. A total of 104,996 people in Germany have died.
A survey by broadcaster ZDF found that more than three quarters of Germans were in favour of severe restrictions on the unvaccinated, while 21% did not think it was the right course.
Nearly 70% were in favour of making vaccines mandatory, a step that is supported by the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and could be in practice by end-February.
13:07
Cyprus has detected its first cases of the Omicron variant, its health ministry said on Friday.
It said three cases were isolated in the southern city of Limassol following specialised tests by Cyprus's Institute of Neurology and Genetics.
None of those who tested positive required hospitalisation, the health ministry said. They individuals had recently travelled from abroad. No other details have yet been provided by the ministry.
12:55
Household contacts of Covid cases in Scotland must isolate for 10 days
Libby Brooks
Whilst emphasising that it is crucial to following existing guidelines on regular testing, face masks and ventilation, Nicola Sturgeon backed the advice put out yesterday by Public Health Scotland saying that people should think about deferring work Christmas parties and avoid crowded places. She said:
There is a serious risk with Omicron and we are already seeing the reality of this with parties and events with lots of people. We should all think about unnecessary contact in crowded places.
Changing self-isolation rules, Sturgeon said that any household contact of a positive case should self-isolate for 10 days even if they receive a negative PCR test, while non-household contacts can leave isolation once they receive a negative PCR result.
Sturgeon said that the guidance was focusing on work events "because we knew they are resulting in the rapid spread of infection". She pointed out that there were 60 train cancellations on ScotRail today due to Covid absences, whilst 40 accident and emergency staff are now isolating because of an omicron cluster.
The bigger the event, the more those risks are very real. My advice would be to consider deferring work Christmas events.
Clinical director Jason Leitch pointed out the attack rate of Omicron was that, if 100 people are in the room and there is a single case, at least 50 people will get it.
12:50
Michael Gove, in his capacity as minister for intergovernmental relations, will chair a meeting of the UK government's emergency Cobra meeting to discuss Covid.
The first ministers and deputy first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will participate in the meeting, which will be held later this afternoon.
12:49
The Dutch Health Council on Friday advised the government to make it possible for children aged 5-11 to get coronavirus shots.
The council had until now only recommended that children with underlying health issues be vaccinated against Covid.
In a statement the leading advisory body said that it was making the recommendation even though most children experience mild symptoms from the virus.
"There is a risk of a serious inflammatory reaction in the vital organs. It is plausible that vaccination can prevent this," it said.
"Vaccination also reduces the indirect health disadvantage that children experience as a result of the pandemic, for example because they are limited in going to school, sports or social contacts."
Roughly 85% of adults in the Netherlands are fully vaccinated, but only children aged 12 and older had been eligible for the shots.
12:40
Downing Street has cancelled its Christmas party, Boris Johnson's official spokesman has confirmed.
No 10 previously said it was the intention to have a festive bash this year.
But asked on Friday, the spokesman said:
I think we've made clear since the latest situation with Omicron, obviously that's taking up great deal of time at the moment.
There's no plans for that in Number 10.
Asked when the decision was taken, the spokesman said:
Following the decision on Plan B and the latest data that we've got.
My colleague Andrew Sparrow is covering all related to the No 10 Christmas party saga over on our politics live blog:
12:35
Scotland facing 'potential tsunami of Omicron infections', Sturgeon says
Libby Brooks
Nicola Sturgeon has just started her televised update on Omicron in Scotland with some sobering words and numbers: she says that the country is facing "a potential tsumani of infections", explaining that the new variant is showing "the fastest exponential growth we have seen in this pandemic so far".
There were 5,018 positive cases in Scotland on Friday, a sharp rise on the average of 2,800 daily cases that health officials have been reporting recently.
There were a total of 110 Omicron cases, up from just nine when the variant was first detected in Scotland on 30 November.
The Scottish government has just published an evidence paper on Omicron, which suggests that Omicron is "rising exponentially" – officials believe the doubling time is closer to two than three days, and that Omicron is going to very quickly overtake Delta as dominant variant, maybe as early as next week.
Updated
12:33
The percentage of Covid infections in England increased over the last two weeks but prevalence was steady at around 1 in 60 people in the week ending 1 December, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday.
In Wales, the percentage of cases appeared stable over the most recent three weeks, and an estimated 1 in 50 people had Covid in that same week.
In Northern Ireland, the percentage of positive cases rose over the last three weeks, with an estimated 1 in 45 people infected.
In Scotland, the percentage of infections decreased in the week ending 2 December, with around 1 in 80 people testing positive for Covid.
The ONS said it had detected a small number of infections consistent with the Omicron variant, but not enough to be able to estimate prevalence of the variant in the community.
12:22
Richard Adams
The Omicron variant has been detected for the first time within primary schools in England.
Parents of children at the Manor community primary school in Swanscombe, Kent, have been told that Year 5 pupils would need to self-isolate at home, and were advised to get PCR tests. A mobile testing unit is on site at the school near Dartford.
A nearby secondary school, Northfleet Technology College, was reported to have an Omicron case last week.
In Portsmouth, a case of the variant has also been detected at Solent infants school.
Under the government's latest regulations, pupils and staff in England in close contact with an Omicron case have to self-isolate for at least 10 days.
Updated
12:12
'Highly probable' Omicron will become dominant variant in Scotland
It is "highly probable" that Omicron will become the dominant Covid variant in Scotland, the Scottish government has said.
PA reports that an evidence paper published ahead of a briefing by the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, states the rate at which cases of the new variant double is between 2.16 days and 2.66 days.
It says:
Based on the data presented in this paper which is up to and including December 9, it is highly probable that Omicron will outcompete Delta and become the dominant variant within Scotland very quickly, with the potential to cause high case numbers.
As of Thursday, 13.3% of all PCR tests showed signs of the new variant.
On Thursday evening, Public Health Scotland "strongly urged" people to cancel Christmas parties after a number of Omicron outbreaks linked to festive get-togethers.
Updated
12:09
Czech Republic makes Covid vaccine mandatory for over-60s from March
The Czech Republic has made Covid vaccination mandatory for people aged 60 and above from 1 March, the government said on Friday, as it battles one of the highest infection rates in the world.
AFP reports the obligation will also apply to health workers, police officers, firefighters and the military.
"We see that people of a certain age are those most likely to be hospitalised in intensive care," the health minister, Adam Vojtěch, said.
The new regulation has been approved just a week before a new Czech government is due to take over.
The new health minister nominee has already said he is opposed to mandatory vaccinations for seniors and wants to modify the legislation.
The Czech Republic has reported 981 Covid cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days – the second-highest infection rate, after its neighbour Slovakia.
The centre-right leader Petr Fiala, who won the general election in October, is preparing to take over as prime minister.
He is due to meet the president, Miloš Zeman, next week to agree on a date for the formal approval of his new coalition government.
Updated
11:57
Lisa O'Carroll
People who travel to Ireland from Great Britain will be required to undertake daily lateral flow tests for five consecutive days after arrival, the Irish government announced on Thursday night.
The tests will be in addition to the recently announced requirement that travellers to the republic have a negative PCR or lateral flow test before boarding a ferry or plane.
In a statement, the taoiseach's office said that the first test should be taken on the day of arrival and, if any symptoms of Covid emerge or if a passenger has a positive result from a lateral flow test, they should seek a PCR test and self-isolate.
The latest restriction has been put in place to mitigate the risk of a spread of the Omicron variant from Great Britain, where the number of cases has nearly doubled in one day after a further 249 cases were confirmed.
Six cases of Omicron have been confirmed in Ireland.
Read the full story here: Travellers to Ireland from Great Britain must take Covid tests for five days
11:54
Health officials in Taiwan are investigating whether a mouse bite may have been responsible for a laboratory worker testing positive for Covid, the island's first local infection in weeks.
The authorities are scrambling to work out how the employee at Academia Sinica, the country's top research institute, contracted the virus last month.
Here is the full report from AFP: Mouse bite may have infected Taiwan lab worker with Covid
11:26
Ghana to vaccinate returning citizens and residents on arrival
Ghana will vaccinate returning citizens and residents against Covid upon arrival at the airport from next Monday if they have not already received shots, its health service said, amid concerns over low take-up of vaccinations.
All Ghanaians leaving the country will also be required to show proof of vaccination, the health service director general Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said in a statement, citing as reasons a rise in Covid cases and detection of the Omicron variant.
Ghana has so far administered vaccines to cover roughly 5.7% of its population of 30 million, data compiled by Reuters showed. Its newly announced vaccination requirements are among the strictest in Africa, where vaccine uptake has been slow due to lack of supply and logistical challenges.
"The current increase in cases, together with the detection of the Omicron variant among international arrivals and the expected increase during the festive season, calls for urgent actions to prevent a major surge in Covid-19 cases in Ghana," Kuma-Aboagye said in his statement, released late on Thursday.
Ghana is holding a vaccination drive this month, and from 22 January the vaccine will become mandatory for targeted groups including government employees, health workers and students.
From January proof of vaccination will also be needed to access night clubs, beaches, sports stadiums and restaurants.
Over the last two weeks, Covid cases recorded at the Kotoka International Airport in the capital Accra accounted for about 60% of total infections in the country, said Kuma-Aboagye.
Data from the airport showed that people who tested positive were three times more likely to be unvaccinated, he added.
And among 34 cases where Omicron was detected, 75% of those people were unvaccinated.
Ghana's health service has recorded 131,246 Covid cases and 1,228 deaths since the pandemic began.
Updated
11:09
Good morning from London. I'm Lucy Campbell, I'll be bringing you all the latest global developments on the coronavirus pandemic for the next eight hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
11:05
Today so far
- Germany's new health minister, Karl Lauterbach, has defended restrictions on unvaccinated people and mandatory Covid-19 jabs for medical and nursing staff due to be passed by parliament later today. "It's absolutely unacceptable that in establishments where people live, who put their trust in us to protect them, that people are unnecessarily dying because unvaccinated work there," said Lauterbach to the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
- Israel will extend its travel restrictions – including its entry ban on all foreign nationals – for a further ten days, in a bid to stop further cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus entering the country. Israel has so far identified at least 21 cases of the Omicron variant, and the government says additional restrictions and incentives for vaccination may be imposed in the coming days.
- South African scientists say that they see no sign that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing more severe illness. Hospital data show that Covid-19 admissions are now rising sharply in more than half of the country's nine provinces, but deaths are not rising as dramatically and indicators such as the median length of hospital stay are reassuring.
- Prof Francois Balloux of the UCL Genetics Institute has posted suggesting that the emergence of the Omicron variant is an absolutely pivotal moment in the pandemic. He said "If Omicron wave turned out to be roughly equally bad in terms of hospitalisations and deaths to the previous Alpha and Delta waves, it would vindicate harsh pre-emptive interventions and likely normalise them in the foreseeable future. Conversely, if it turned out to be much milder than anticipated, I would predict the public mood to turn against harsh restrictions, with a possible major backlash against authorities."
- Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were "high cancellations" among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads.
- Japanese researchers have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect Covid-19 by glowing under ultraviolet light.
- Jordan's health ministry has announced it has identified its first two cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus. In response the kingdom announced today that all arrivals will be required to take a PCR test 72 hours before arriving in Jordan and another PCR test upon entering the country.
- Public health authorities in Ghana have introduced new travel guidelines requiring visitors to show proof of vaccination against Covid-19 from next week.
- Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said he believes the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country appears to have peaked. Budapest has opened up Christmas markets, but only to the vaccinated or those with proof of immunity.
- New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 7,000 for the third consecutive day on Friday as hospitals are under increasing strain and authorities consider more drastic measures.
Andrew Sparrow has our UK live blog where Covid and the many scandals embroiling Boris Johnson's government are the order of the day.
Lucy Campbell will be here shortly to bring you the rest of the day's latest coronavirus news from around the planet. That is it from me, Martin Belam, this week. I will see you on Monday. Have a good weekend, take care and stay safe.
Updated
10:41
Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf have a recap for Reuters of the situation in South Africa, which reported more than 22,000 new Covid-19 cases yesterday.
South African scientists say that they see no sign that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing more severe illness, as officials announced plans to introduce vaccine boosters with daily infections approaching an all-time high.
Although scientists say more time is needed to arrive at a definitive conclusion, the health minister Joe Phaahla said the signs on severity were positive.
"Preliminary data does suggest that while there is increasing rate of hospitalisation … it looks like it is purely because of the numbers rather than as a result of any severity of the variant itself, this Omicron," he said.
Hospital data show that Covid-19 admissions are now rising sharply in more than half of the country's nine provinces, but deaths are not rising as dramatically and indicators such as the median length of hospital stay are reassuring.
Updated
The Medical Practice Should Have a Mechanism in Place for Tracking Claims
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/dec/10/covid-news-live-australia-to-offer-jabs-to-children-aged-five-to-11-us-omicron-cases-mostly-mild-cdc-chief-says
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