The United States health officials said on Sunday that the Omicron variant of Covid19 has spread to about one-third of US states, but the Delta version remains the bigger problem, with the majority of Covid-19 cases belonging to the earlier variant. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official, told CNN that there is not a great deal of severity caused by Omicron, while also adding that it is early to draw conclusions and a lot more research on the variant is needed. As per Reuters, at least 15 US states have reported Omicron cases so far: California, Colorado, Connecticut,
In order to protect its citizens from Omicron, Covid’s new variant, the UK government has announced that those travelling into the country will need to show a negative coronavirus test before departure. A negative lateral flow or PCR test taken within the last 48 hours before boarding a flight has been made must. This is applicable to travellers from all countries above the age of 12. The UK government is also in talks to take further decisive action to contain the new variant. Earlier, the UK earlier banned flights from South Africa while also putting 10 African countries on its red lis
Each country is releasing its own fresh guidelines to protect its citizens from Covid’s new variant Omicron. The USA on its part has extended requirements for travellers to wear masks while journeying – be it on airplanes, buses, trains or at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had earlier extended the transportation mask order through January 18, and it has now been further extended through mid-March. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also said that it will soon impose stricter Covid-19 testing rules for passengers traveling to the c
In the wake of several countries shutting borders and imposing travel bans, the World Health Organization has warned blanket travel bans will not prevent the spread of Omicron, and will do more harm than good. As per the WHO, travel bans could dissuade countries from sharing data about the new virus. But it has also advised unvaccinated people to avoid traveling to areas where the virus is active. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was understandable for countries to seek protection for their citizens against a variant that has not been fully understood yet. But he asked for rati
Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Monday that the country will impose strict border measures and ban all incoming foreign travelers for one month due to Covid’s Omicron variant. However, international arrivals will be open for Japanese nationals or foreign residents returning to the country. Japan is one of the few countries where the borders have been shut for tourists for most of the pandemic. Earlier this month, the government of Japan had decided to allow business travellers, foreign students and other visa holders to enter the country. However, the decision has been
The surge in the number of new Covid19 cases in South Africa has led to worry among health experts, who feel that the new variant named omicron is highly transmissible. The latest Covid hotspot identified in the country is the Tshwane University of Technology, where several students tested positive. However, the variant is already active in all of South Africa’s nine provinces. While the number of confirmed cases are still low compared to the 25,000 cases that were being confirmed regularly in the last wave, they have been increasing at a quick rate. Reportedly, the virus spread after so
The Russian Direct Investment Fund has said that Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine will be available in India by December this year. CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev told reporters that they have Pune’s Serum institute as their production partner, and hope that Sputnik Light will help in India’s vaccination campaign. Earlier in the day, the Russian vaccine maker announced that Sputnik vaccine for children aged 12-17 will be approved by Russia's Health Ministry soon and the shots will roll out by the end of the year. In recent weeks, Russia has seen a big spike in C
As Europe continues to see nearly 4,200 Covid19 cases a day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the continent’s death toll from the virus could exceed 2 million by March. WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said Europe has said that the continent needs to take a “vaccine plus” approach to the crisis. What this means is that along with getting fully vaccinated, people should continue to comply with other precautions like covering the face with a mask, maintaining social distance and frequently sanitizing their hands. Kluge further said in a statement that
One of the richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos, is contributing $100 million to the Obama Foundation, which is the largest single donation ever made to former President Barack Obama's foundation. Reportedly, the contribution has been made in memory of late Congressman John Lewis, and Bezos feels it would help broaden the scope of programming that targets rising leaders in the United States and throughout the world. There are also reports that as per Bezos' request, the plaza of the Obama Presidential Centre will be renamed John Lewis Plaza. The former Amazon CEO has been do
While Covid19 restrictions have been eased in most parts of the world, large vaccination drives continue to be carried out to ward off any further waves of the virus. There has been a rise in Covid19 cases in Israel over the summer, and half of the patients to test positive for the virus in the last few weeks have been children under the age of 11. In the wake of the current situation, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has confirmed that Israel is experiencing a ‘Children’s Wave’, for which children as young as five years old are being vaccinated. The vaccination drive was already being