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13.12.2021 / 09:03

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa positive for Covid-19

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment for mild symptoms, the presidency said in a statement.

Cyril Ramaphosa South Africa city Cape Town World Coronavirus

UK Covid alert level increased over rapid rise in Omicron cases

The UK Covid Alert Level has been increased from Level 3 to Level 4 "in light of the rapid increase in Omicron cases," the four UK chief medical officers have said in a joint statement.

Britain World UK

Tougher restrictions 'may be needed' in UK to prevent Omicron spread

Tougher Covid restrictions may be needed to prevent Omicron causing anywhere between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months, according to scientists advising the British government.

Britain World UK

Vaccination data targeted in Brazil hacker attack

Brazil's health ministry said its website was hit yesterday by a hacker attack that took several systems down, including one with information about the national immunisation program and another used to issue digital vaccination certificates.

Brazil World

Slovakia eases Covid rules despite surge in cases

The Slovak government has allowed shops, ski resorts and churches to reopen to those who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19, despite having the highest infection rate in the world.

Eu Slovakia World Coronavirus

UNICEF seeks urgent action to reverse Covid-19 impact on children

UNICEF is warning that Covid-19 is the worst crisis for children the charity has seen in its 75-year history.

World UNICEF

Austria plans 14 as minimum age for vaccine mandate

Austria's planned coronavirus vaccine mandate has a minimum age of 14, Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein has said.

Austria World Europe

Finnish PM apologises for clubbing after Covid exposure

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised to the public after a photo surfaced of her in a nightclub following her foreign minister testing positive for Covid-19.

county Marin Finland city Sanna, county Marin World Coronavirus

WHO recommends boosters for certain groups

The World Health Organization's vaccine advisory panel has recommended that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster dose of a Covid-19 shot.

World World Health Organization

China grants emergency approval for its first Covid drug

China's drug authority has granted emergency approval for the country's first specialised treatment against Covid-19, found in clinical trials to significantly reduce hospitalisations and deaths among high-risk patients.

China World Coronavirus

Finnish PM went clubbing after exposure to Covid-19

The Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, went dancing at a crowded nightclub after being exposed to Covid-19, local media have reported.

Finland Latvia World Coronavirus

Pfizer jab neutralises Omicron with three shots – study

BioNTech and Pfizer have said a three-shot course of their Covid-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test.

World Coronavirus

Austria allows broad lifting of lockdown

Austria will let a wide range of businesses, from non-essential shops to theatres and restaurants, reopen when its Covid-19 lockdown ends on Sunday, the government said, but many provinces plan to ease restrictions more cautiously.

Gabriel Attal Austria France city Vienna World Coronavirus

Britain considering new Covid-19 restrictions

The British government is considering a new set of coronavirus restrictions including orders to work from home and the introduction of vaccine passports to deal with rising cases and the spread of the Omicron variant.

Boris Johnson Britain city Westminster World UK

Top WHO, US scientists say Omicron no worse than other virus variants

The Omicron variant appears to be no worse than other coronavirus strains, top scientists from the WHO and the United States said, while cautioning that more research is needed to judge its severity.

Michael Ryan Usa World Coronavirus

UK Omicron cases doubling every two days - scientist

Cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the UK are soon expected to be higher than in some African countries placed on their travel red list, a scientist has warned.

Tim Spector Britain city London World UK

'Omicron circulating in community' - UK health minister

The Omicron variant of coronavirus is now circulating within the community, the UK's health secretary has confirmed.

Britain World UK

South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron drives new wave

South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron coronavirus variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of Covid-19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

Cyril Ramaphosa South Africa World Coronavirus

Next pandemic could be more lethal, warns AZ vaccine creator

Another pandemic will threaten human lives and could be "more contagious" and "more lethal", one of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine inventors has warned.

Sarah Gilbert Britain World UK

Covid cases reported on Norwegian Cruise ship

Ten cases of Covid-19 have been detected on a cruise ship with over 3,000 passengers, which is set to dock in New Orleans, the Louisiana Department of Health has said.

Usa state Louisiana Norway city New Orleans Mexico Honduras Belize World Coronavirus

Australia regulator approves Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11 year-olds

Australia's medicine regulator has provisionally approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11, with the health minister saying the rollout could begin from 10 January.

Greg Hunt Australia World Coronavirus

UK tightens testing rules for inbound passengers

The UK will require all inbound travellers to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test, and arrivals from Nigeria will have to quarantine in hotels to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said.

Sajid Javid Britain Ireland county Island Nigeria Isle Of Man World UK

156 people leave Morocco on Irish repatriation flight

More than 150 passengers were flown to Dublin today on an Irish Government repatriation flight from Marrakesh in Morocco, which was operated by Ryanair.

Italy Spain Britain Ireland France city Dublin Morocco World Coronavirus

Spread of Omicron variant tests Australia's reopening plans

The Omicron variant spread in Australia has tested plans to reopen the economy as a cluster in Sydney grew to 13 cases and an infection was suspected in the state of Queensland.

Australia South Africa World Coronavirus

New York street named after Irish LGBT rights campaigner

A street in New York has been named after Irish LGBT rights campaigner Tarlach Mac Niallais.

New York Usa city New York Ireland state New York county Queens city Belfast World rights

Australia records first locally transmitted Omicron case

Australia has reported a student with no history of foreign travel had tested positive for the Covid-19 Omicron variant, the country's first detected case of community transmission.

Australia city Sydney World

'Substantial' reinfection with Omicron, study suggests

The Omicron variant of coronavirus has "substantial" ability to cause reinfection in people who have previously had Covid-19, a study from South Africa suggests.

Ireland state Oregon South Africa World Coronavirus

Tougher Covid-19 test rules for travel to US take effect next week - official

President Joe Biden will announce today that toughened new rules on Covid-19 testing for travellers to the United States will take effect next week, a senior administration official has said.

Joe Biden Usa World Coronavirus

Omicron becoming dominant Covid-19 strain in South Africa

The Omicron variant is rapidly becoming the dominant strain of Covid-19 in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there.

South Africa World Coronavirus

Covax appeals for 'better quality' vaccine donations

Countries donating Covid vaccines must give "better quality" doses rather than ones that are about to expire, a Covax chief said Wednesday after the scheme notched a new delivery record.

Seth Berkley World Coronavirus

Countries agree to negotiate WHO accord on future pandemics

World Health Organization member states have agreed to start building a new international accord on how to handle future pandemics and ensure there can be no repeat of Covid-19.

county Geneva World Coronavirus

EU pushes for daily travel reviews, boosters shots over Omicron

The European Union needs daily reviews of its travel restrictions and rapid deployment of vaccine booster doses to limit entry and protect its citizens from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the European Commission has said.

Ursula Von Eu Norway World Europe

EU launch of vaccine for five to 11-year-olds brought forward to 13 December

The European Union rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for five- to 11-year-olds will begin on 13 December, a week earlier than previously planned, Germany's health ministry has said.

Jens Spahn Germany Eu World Coronavirus FIVE

Joy as Fiji reopens borders to international tourists

Traditional dancers in grass skirts welcomed waving holidaymakers as Fiji opened its borders to international travellers today for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe and devastated its tourism-reliant economy.

Fiji World Coronavirus

EMA chief says vaccines will give protection against new variants

The head of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said Covid-19 vaccines will continue to provide protection against new variants.

Emer Cooke Ireland World World Health Organization

Mask mandates to tackle Omicron come into force in England

New mask mandates and other measures aimed at curbing the spread of the Omicron variant come into force in England, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson eyes an expanded booster programme to help increase protection against Covid-19.

Boris Johnson Britain World UK

Australia on alert after first probable Omicron community case

Australian authorities have said that an international traveller who was most likely infected with the Omicron variant spent time in the community as officials rushed to track the person's close contacts and locations visited.

Australia World

Moderna CEO says vaccines likely less effective against Omicron

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel has said Covid-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as they have been previously.

Stéphane Bancel Australia World Coronavirus

'Rest of world has moved on' - doctors in call over vaccine access

Doctors in Ireland and Africa are calling for the Irish Government to push for greater access to vaccines for Africa.

Ireland Eu Malawi World rest

Omicron poses 'very high' global risk, countries must prepare - WHO

The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a "very high" global risk where Covid-19 surges could have "severe consequences" in some areas, the World Health Organisation has said.

World Coronavirus

Scotland reports six cases of Omicron variant

Six cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant have been identified in Scotland, the Scottish government has announced.

Humza Yousaf Scotland World Coronavirus

G7 ministers meet as new Covid strain spreads

G7 health ministers are to hold an emergency today on the new Omicron Covid-19 strain spreading the globe and forcing border closures, as experts race to understand what the variant means for the fight to end the pandemic.

Ursula Von Britain business World

First suspected case of Omicron variant detected in Switzerland

The first probable case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in Switzerland, the government has said, as the country tightened its entry restrictions to check its spread.

Public Health Switzerland Britain Israel Australia Denmark South Africa Czech Republic World Coronavirus

Japan closes borders to visitors in bid to prevent Omicron

Japan said it would bar entry to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, joining Israel in the strictest border measures yet since the variant's discovery.

Fumio Kishida Japan Israel World Coronavirus

Suspected Omicron cases mild, says leading South Africa doctor

A South African doctor who raised the alarm over Omicron said dozens of her patients suspected of having the new variant had only shown mild symptoms and recovered fully without hospitalisation.

Angelique Coetzee South Africa city Pretoria World Coronavirus

Swiss voters back Covid pass law - pollster

Swiss voters have backed the law behind the country's Covid pass, according to the first projections following today's referendum at the end of an unusually tense and hostile campaign.

Switzerland Ireland city Bern World Coronavirus

Australia detects first Omicron variant infections

Health officials said they have detected the Covid Omicron strain in Australia for the first time in two passengers who were tested after flying into Sydney from southern Africa.

Australia Qatar city Doha World Coronavirus Infections

Two cases of new Covid-19 variant detected in UK

Two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant which was first detected in southern Africa have been found in the UK, according to British health secretary Sajid Javid.

Sajid Javid Britain Hong Kong South Africa Belgium Botswana World UK

United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0