There is still a lot we don’t know about the Omicron variant, but scientists are racing to determine its severity, transmissibility and whether it evades current vaccines.
At least 70 countries and territories have imposed travel restrictions from several African nations following the discovery of the variant.
Moderna’s CEO said he thought the Omicron variant would have an impact on the vaccine’s efficacy.
Our live coverage of the Omicron coronavirus variant has moved here.
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Japan is further tightening its borders in response to Omicron
From CNN’s Junko Ogura in Tokyo
Japan will ban foreign nationals with Japanese residency from re-entering the country if they are traveling from 10 southern African nations over concerns of the spread of the Omicron variant, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The measure will come into force on Thursday and follows a ban on the new entry of foreign nationals enacted earlier this week. It will prevent foreign residents from returning to Japan from South Africa, Angola, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, and Lesotho, the ministry said.
The ministry said from Thursday, Japanese citizens and residents traveling from Sweden, Spain, Nigeria, and Portugal must quarantine at a government designated facility for three days upon their arrival.
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Pfizer vaccine booster lowers risk of Covid-19 infection by 80% or more, study finds
From CNN Health’s Maggie Fox
A vial and prepared doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Grassy Park civic center in Cape Town, South Africa, on Nov. 30, 2021.
(Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
A third dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine lowers the risk of testing positive for the virus by an extra 80% or more, over and above the protection offered by the first two doses, researchers reported Tuesday.
The team followed more than 300,000 people covered by Maccabi Healthcare Services in Israel who were age 40 or older and got either two or three doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine. They found 6.6% of people who got two doses of vaccine and 1.8% of those who got three doses tested positive between August and early October. That’s an 86% reduction in risk, they said.
Note: The study was conducted before the emergence of the Omicron variant.
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CDC is working to revise testing requirements for travelers to the US
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to revise testing requirements for inbound international travelers because of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the agency confirmed in a statement Tuesday.
The CDC currently requires fully vaccinated travelers to be tested three days before their flight’s departure from a foreign country.
The CDC continues to recommend, but not require, that travelers get tested three to five days upon return and those who are unvaccinated should quarantine. The CDC did not offer a timeline for when any updated protocols could go into place.
Officials across multiple government agencies huddled Tuesday night to discuss the potential changes, CNN reported earlier.
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China is dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak on its border with Russia
From CNN’s Beijing bureau
China’s Inner Mongolian border city of Manzhouli confirmed 72 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, according to local health officials.
The Health Commission of Inner Mongolia said 62 of the new infections were found in mandated citywide testing.
Manzhouli launched three rounds of mass testing in the past three days for its 300,000 residents, according to the municipal government. Another 19 locally transmitted cases were confirmed in Zhalainuo’er district, which is on the Russian border.
The district now has five medium-risk areas, the Manzhouli municipal government said. The recent outbreak started on November 27 when three asymptomatic cases were identified in Manzhouli.
The city has so far confirmed 98 locally transmitted cases while Zhalainuo’er has confirmed 32 infections, according to a CNN tally.
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Hong Kong adds more countries to highest risk category over Omicron concerns
From CNN's Lizzy Yee in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is adding Japan, Portugal and Sweden to its highest-risk travel category over concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.
Beginning Friday, the countries will be designated into Group A, according to a government news release Wednesday.
All non-Hong Kong residents who have visited Category A countries in the past 21 days are banned from entering the city, while Hong Kong residents traveling from those countries must be fully vaccinated and undergo 21 days of quarantine. They will be tested six times during their stay — and must take an additional test 26 days after their arrival.
Hong Kong’s government, which is committed to a zero-Covid approach, said all places that have detected Omicron cases will be shifted to Group A.
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South Korea reports record number of daily Covid-19 cases
From CNN’s Gawon Bae in Seoul, South Korea
A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Covid-19 test at a temporary testing site outside Seoul Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021.
(SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
South Korea recorded 5,123 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, a record single-day figure, according to a news release from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
KDCA said 5,075 of the new infections were locally transmitted, with 4,110 detected in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.
The country also reported 34 additional fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 3,658, according to KDCA. Some 723 patients are in critical condition, KDCA added.
South Korea has now reported a total of 452,350 cases.
As of Wednesday, 82.9% of the population had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 79.9% had been fully vaccinated, KDCA said.
Suspected Omicron cases: South Korea is investigating at least two suspected cases of the Omicron variant, with results due on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Health Ministry and KDCA will form a task force along with related ministries to respond to the Omicron variant.
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Research finds natural infection protects against new variants of Covid-19 — but not completely
From CNN Health’s Maggie Fox
A new study looking closely at the same group of people over time shows that natural coronavirus infection can protect people from infection with new variants — but it doesn’t offer enough protection to prevent new waves of infection across a population.
The ongoing study of more than 2,000 volunteers in Nicaragua shows people infected in the first waves of Covid-19 were protected against severe disease when the Gamma and Delta variants swept through later.
The researchers, led by epidemiologist Aubree Gordon and colleagues at the University of Michigan, also said they identified what are known as correlates of protection — the measurements needed to know whether someone is likely to have immunity against another infection.
The team has been regularly testing the volunteers for flu for several years and added coronavirus when the pandemic started. By March of this year, more than 62% of them had been infected at least once.
“After March 2021, Gamma and Delta variants predominated,” the team wrote.
People who had antibodies against coronavirus were 69% less likely to get infected a second time and the higher their levels of antibodies directed against the virus’ spike protein, the less likely they were to become infected again. This measurement is known as a correlate of protection.
The team did not test the effects of vaccination for this report but will be testing that in future research, Gordon told CNN.
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Israeli health minister says there are "indications" Covid vaccine protects against Omicron
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
A health worker administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine on a man in Jerusalem on August 29, 2021
(Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)
There are “indications” that people who received a coronavirus vaccine booster are “protected” against the Omicron variant, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said Tuesday.
Boostershave been available in Israel to anyone over age 16 since late August, five months after their second dose of the vaccine. A person is not considered fully vaccinated in the country until they have received a third dose, once they are eligible for it.
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US considers stricter coronavirus testing for international travelers
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
Top US government officials are considering requiring everyone who enters the United States to be tested for Covid-19 the day before their flight and having all travelers — including US citizens and permanent residents — be tested again after returning home, regardless of vaccination status, sources familiar with the thinking have told CNN.
Officials were deliberating Tuesday night and no final decisions have been made, but an announcement could come as soon as this week. Currently, travelers are required to test three days before their departures. The move under consideration would shorten that timeline to one day.
On Monday, the US banned all travel from South Africa and seven neighboring nations, with the exception of US citizens and legal permanent residents, who must test negative to enter the US but not once they have arrived.
Biden says decisions on southern Africa travel restrictions is "going week-to-week"
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
President Joe Biden speaks to members of the media before boarding Air Force One at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Tuesday, November 30, after visiting Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota.
(Carolyn Kaster/AP)
President Biden said on Tuesday that travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa “kind of depends” on the Omicron coronavirus variant, also suggesting he won’t “shock allies” like former President Donald Trump did when he barred travel from Europe earlier in the pandemic.
Asked if he’s considering any new vaccine requirements or efforts to get more Americans vaccinated, Biden told reporters on a tarmac in Minnesota, “I’ll be talking about that on Thursday.”
The President also said that it “kind of depends” how long travel restrictions on Southern Africa will remain in place.
When asked about travel restrictions, given that former President Trump’s 2020 decision to bar travel from Europe shocked allies, Biden remarked, “Unlike Trump, I don’t shock our allies.”
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FDA advisers vote to recommend emergency use authorization of Merck's pill to treat Covid-19
From CNN's Maggie Fox and Jen Christensen
This photo from Merck & Co, Inc., provided in May, shows Molnupiravir capsules.
(Merck & Co, Inc./AFP via Getty Images)
Advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted 13-10 Tuesday to recommend emergency use authorization of a pill made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to help treat Covid-19.
Members of the FDA’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee were split in their vote to recommend molnupiravir, which can reduce the risk someone will progress to severe disease or death by about 30%.
The pills must be taken within five days of symptoms starting to do much good, and people must take pills twice a day for five days. Members of the committee were worried about risks to pregnant women.
Molnupiravir is not the only antiviral scientists are developing against Covid-19. Pfizer applied for authorization of its antiviral pill this month. The FDA has not yet set a date for its advisory panel to review that drug.
Next, the FDA will consider the committee’s recommendation. It doesn’t have to follow the committee’s advice, but often does.
Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, is an antiviral approved to treat Covid-19 but it’s infused, not given as a pill.
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Canada is now reporting 6 cases of the Omicron variant
From CNN’s Paula Newton
Alberta’s top doctor confirmed Canada’s sixth case of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.
In addition, federal health officials say they will expand the travel ban on foreign travelers from countries in Africa to include Nigeria, where most of Canada’s cases have been linked.
Some background: Earlier today, Canada confirmed five cases of the Omicron variant and health officials in several provinces say they continue to investigate dozens of other suspected cases across the country.
Four of the cases have been confirmed in Ottawa and a fifth case was been identified in the province of Quebec.
Quebec’s health minister, Christian Dubé, speaking at a news conference Monday said more than a hundred travelers from southern African countries were asked to take a new Covid-19 test and isolate.
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US stocks sink on Omicron and Fed fears
From CNN's Paul R. La Monica
US stocks tumbled Tuesday as renewed concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19 weighed on sentiment.
Comments from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell didn’t help. Powell told Congress that the Fed no longer thought inflation was “transitory,” and he hinted that the Fed could accelerate its plans to cut back on, or taper, bond purchases.
Here’s how stocks closed the trading day:
The Dow dropped more than 650 points, or 1.9%
The S&P 500 also fell 1.9%
The Nasdaq Composite ended the day down 1.6%.
Note: As stocks settle after the trading day, levels might still change slightly.
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Latin America's first Omicron variant cases reported in Brazil
From CNN's Shasta Darlington and Anusha Rathi
The Brazilian health agency, Anvisa, said on Tuesday that two Brazilians had tested positive for the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
A passenger, who had flown in from South Africa on the 23rd with a negative Covid-19 test result, did a new test along with his wife to prepare for a return flight back to South Africa when the results came back positive.
Brazil has since suspended flights from South Africa.
The samples are being sent to another laboratory for confirmatory analysis, Anvisa said.
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It's too soon to know if Omicron causes less severe illness, Fauci says
From CNN's Maggie Fox
It’s too soon to know if the Omicron variant of coronavirus causes less severe disease than the Delta variant – in spite of reports that many cases so far have been mild, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.
Most cases of Covid-19 overall are mild, and especially among younger patients. But nonetheless the virus can and does cause severe disease as it spreads among populations and has killed 5.2 million people globally and more than 779,000 in the US alone, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that some South African physicians have reported the patients they treated had mild disease. But they were treating young people, Fauci said.
“Dr. Walensky and I specifically asked our South African colleagues that on the most recent Zoom call that we had, and they agreed with us that it’s too early to tell. They’re hoping that it is going to, across the board, give a lower level of severity, but they don’t know that right now,” he added.
In the meantime, vaccination and boosters should protect people, Fauci said. Boosters, especially, can bring antibody levels up to where there is a cushion of extra protection that can cover even variants of the virus.
“And that’s usually most manifested in protection against severe disease that leads to hospitalization,” Fauci said.
“So when we say that although these mutations suggest a diminution of protection and a degree of immune evasion, still from the experience that we have with Delta (you) can make a reasonable conclusion that you would not eliminate all protection against this particular variant,” he said.
“And that’s the reason why we don’t know what that degree of diminution of protection is going to be. But we know that when you boost somebody, you elevate your level of protection very high. And we are hoping, and I think with good reason, to feel good that there will be some degree of protection. Therefore, as we said, if you’re unvaccinated get vaccinated, and if you’re vaccinated, get boosted,” he added.
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Testing Omicron to see how dangerous it is compared to other variants will take two weeks or so, Fauci says
From CNN's Maggie Fox
(from the White House)
Tests to look for whether the Omicron variant of coronavirus is more dangerous than Delta will take two weeks or so, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.
Fauci said researchers will test the virus in the laboratory and also look at what it does in real life to see whether the highly mutated strain is more transmissible, more likely to evade the effects of vaccine or treatments, and whether it can cause more severe disease.
Lab tests take time, Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a White House Covd-19 briefing.
Labs are already taking blood from people who have been vaccinated, as well as from people who have recovered from infection – that’s the convalescent sera – to see what happens when it’s exposed to the new variant.
“That will give you a pretty good idea as to what the level of immune evasion is,” he said.
The blood serum contains the antibodies as well as cells called B cells and T cells that fight infections.
“That process will take likely two weeks or more, perhaps even sooner, depending upon how well the virus grows in the isolates that we get. That’s the first thing,” Fauci said.
“And in those countries in which there are a lot of cases, like South Africa, the computational biologists and the evolutionary biologists are going to be getting a good feel as to what the competition of this virus would be with Delta. Those are just a few of the things that will take a couple of weeks to a few weeks to learn,” he added.
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US public health labs sequencing 4 times as many coronavirus specimens now compared to a year ago
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
Coronavirus sequencing efforts in the United States grew in the past year – well before the emergence of the Omicron variant – with public health labs sequencing four times as many specimens now than a year ago, according to the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
Sequencing samples of coronavirus helps scientists to identify emerging variants.
Currently, there are about 68 state and local public health laboratories sequencing for coronavirus variants as part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national strain surveillance network, Scott Becker, APHL’s chief executive officer, told reporters during a virtual news briefing Tuesday.
“Nationally between 5% and 10% of all diagnostic specimens are sequenced and come from public health laboratories, commercial laboratories, CDC-contract labs, academic labs, and other partners,” Becker added.
He said they have not found the Omicron variant in the US yet, “but we fully expect that we will,” Becker said.
“Our system can detect variants down to 0.1% of circulating viruses, so we’re confident that it can be found,” he added.
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CDC expanding surveillance at 4 big US airports to look for Omicron, agency's director says
From CNN's Maggie Fox
Travellers walk through Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, November 24, 2021.
(Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding surveillance at four major international airports to keep an eye out for the Omicron variant of coronavirus in travelers, the agency’s director said Tuesday.
The airports include two in the New York City area, plus ones in Atlanta and San Francisco.
“CDC is evaluating how to make international travel as safe as possible, including critical partner testing closer to the time of flights and considerations around additional post arrival testing and self-quarantine,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told a White House Covid-19 briefing.
“Thanks to our updated travel policies earlier this month, we are also actively working with the airlines to collect passenger information that can be used by CDC and local public health jurisdictions to enhance contact tracing and post-arrival follow-up should a case be identified in a traveler.”
CDC is also keeping in close touch with state and local health officials, she said.
“As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are holding regular, even daily calls, with local county and state health officials and our public health partners. These calls include state, county and city health officials, state epidemiologists, laboratory directors and partners from public health organizations. And we are conveying the knowledge we have to these partners and we are relying on their local expertise to provide information,” Walensky said.
“We have worked to address that spread of infection for travel during travel through nesting vaccination and pre departure testing for international passengers. And we are continuously working closely with our public health partners, both here in America and around the world,” she continued.
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Oil tumbles below $65 for the first time in 3 months on Omicron fears
From CNN’s Matt Egan
Oil prices fell sharply on Tuesday to levels unseen since late August on worries that Omicron will dent previously robust demand for energy.
US crude dropped nearly 7% to $65.30 a barrel in afternoon trading. At session lows, oil fell below $65 a barrel for the first time in three months.
The selloff leaves oil down by a staggering 23% in just the past three weeks. As recently as November 10, crude was flirting with $85 a barrel.
The reversal was at first driven by an expectation that the United States and other countries would tap strategic oil reserves to cool off red-hot prices.
But more recently, oil is losing steam on fears the new coronavirus variant will hurt oil demand by causing fewer people to drive, fly and commute. Crude plunged by 13% on Friday, its worst day since April 2020, and only posted a modest rebound on Monday.
Omicron variant found in 20 countries, but not in the US yet, Fauci says
From CNN's Maggie Fox
The Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found in 20 countries so far but not the US yet, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden and director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday.
Fauci said Omicron looks very different from the now-dominant Delta variant.
“This mutational profile is very different from other variants of interest and concern. And although some mutations are also found in Delta, this is not Delta. It’s something different. And these mutations have been associated with increased transmissibility and immune evasion, whereas other of the mutations have not yet been characterized as to their functional capability,” he said.
“Obviously, when you look at the molecular configuration of those particular variants, it suggests strongly that there’s increased transmission compared with the original pandemic virus, but it is difficult to infer what the relationship between this transmissibility is and Delta. Although you can suggest it might be more, we do not know until we see the dynamics of how this evolves,” he added.
Fauci said while the variant carries many mutations, vaccines are likely to protect people against severe disease at the least, even if the variant doesn’t stimulate the immune system in the same way as older variants do.
“What about vaccine effectiveness? Now obviously, significant reductions in the neutralizing titers are possible. And we say that because the mutations suggest immune evasion. But remember, as with other variants, although partial immune escape may occur, vaccines, and particularly boosters, give a level of antibody that even with variants like Delta give you a degree of protection, particularly against severe disease. So there’s every reason to believe as we talk about boosters, when you get a level high enough that you are going to get at least some degree of cross protection, particularly against severe disease,” he said.
Fauci continued: “And what about disease severity? Again, these are estimates and with a small number of cases, it is very difficult to know whether or not this particular variant is going to result in severe disease. Although some preliminary information from South Africa suggests no unusual symptoms associated with the variant, we do not know and it is too early to tell.”
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Italy confirms 5 new Omicron variant cases
From CNN's Lindsay Isaac
Vincenzo De Luca, governor of Campania, attends the event "Transport, Logistics, Sustainability, Green and Blue Economy for the Restart," organized by the Alis Italia in Movimento Association on July 1st, 2021 in Sorrento, Italy.
(Ivan Romano/Getty Images)
Italian authorities have confirmed an additional five cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the southwestern Campania region.
The new cases are all traceable back to the first case identified in Italy on Saturday, Campania region President Vincenzo De Luca said Tuesday.
“Three of them were in the same class at school of patient zero’s children, one is school personnel and another is a caregiver who works for the family,” De Luca said.
Patient zero had recently arrived in Italy from Mozambique. His wife and two children tested positive on Monday.
Italy now has a total of nine reported cases of the variant.
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Biden administration developing contingency plans with vaccine manufacturers amid new variant
From CNN's Besty Klein
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients (L) and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci brief reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 13th, 2021 in Washington, DC.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Biden administration is working with vaccine manufacturers in the event further vaccine modifications are needed as scientists learn more about the Omicron variant of Covid-19, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Tuesday.
“We believe the current vaccines provided at least some protection against this variant and that boosters strengthen that protection significantly. In the event that additional measures are needed, we will be prepared. We’re working with Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J to develop contingency plans for modifications to vaccines or boosters if they’re needed,” Zients said.
Zients also confirmed that the US Food and Drug Administration believes that “the high-volume PCR and rapid antigen tests widely used in the US will be effective in detecting the variant.”
Those comments come after Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday that PCR tests and some rapid antigen tests, but maybe not all antigen tests, would be able to detect the variant.
Zients continued to urge adults to receive their booster shots, key to the administration’s current strategy of protecting Americans from the emerging variant.
The administration, Zients added, is planning for how to support the manufacturers through the process, if needed, and how to “rapidly get shots in arms.”
“And we know how to do that, given the experience we’ve had in the last year,” Zients said, adding that the administration would deploy federal pharmacy programs, set up mass vaccination sites, and go to community health centers and clinics.
“All that type of planning is part of our contingency planning so we could get shots in arms efficiently and effectively,” he said.
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UK prime minister pledges to expand rollout of Covid-19 booster shots
From CNN's Lindsay Isaac
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a news conference at the Downing Street Briefing Room on November 30, 2021 in London, England.
(Paul Grover/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to offer Covid-19 booster shots to everyone eligible by the end of January, amid fears over rising cases of the Omicron variant. In order to reach this target, Johnson pledged to double efforts to expand the booster rollout, including recruiting military personnel to administer more jabs.
“We’re going to be throwing everything at it in order to ensure that everyone eligible is offered that booster in, as I say, just over two months,” Johnson said.
Johnson acknowledged a sense of “frustration” that may be lingering with the new variant, however he reassured that, despite the feeling that “we could be going through all this all over again,” the country is “measurably better than it was a year ago.”
“What we’re doing is taking some proportionate precautionary measures while our scientists crack the Omicron code,” Johnson said.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said 18 million booster doses have been delivered across the UK and added that Britain’s booster program is “going on steroids.” He urged people to get vaccinated to “give ourselves the best chance of a Christmas with our loved ones.”
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Fauci: CDC will be transparent about US detection of Omicron "as soon as they get the information"
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, speaking at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on 4th November 2021.
(Michael Brochstein/Sipa/Reuters)
Once the Omicron coronavirus variant is identified in the United States, news of that detection will likely come from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday.
“As soon as they get the information, they will be very transparent about it,” he continued.
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US travel bans help "buy time" to prepare for Omicron variant, Fauci says
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
There is no way the Omicron coronavirus variant can be absolutely prevented from spreading to the United States, but travel restrictions can help “buy time,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday.
“So, it gives you a little bit of time to try and prepare yourself, to get your diagnostics all set,” Fauci said. “But also, to get people to get vaccinated, and those who are vaccinated to get boosted.”
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UK confirms 22 cases of Omicron variant
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin
Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, speaks at a coronavirus media briefing at Downing Street in London, Britain May 27, 2021.
(Matt Dunham/Reuters)
A further eight cases of the coronavirus Omicron variant have been identified in England, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 22, a spokesperson for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) told CNN Tuesday.
“We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious,” the statement added.
Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland – five in the Lanarkshire area and four in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, the UKHSA said.
UKHSA Chief Executive, Dr. Jenny Harries, said “it is very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days, as we are seeing in other countries globally, and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing.”
Earlier on Tuesday it was confirmed that a UK university student was among the eight people in England with the variant.
A University of Nottingham spokesperson told CNN Tuesday: “Whilst we do not ordinarily comment on individual cases, we can confirm that a student is among the increasing number of people reporting cases of the Omicron variant nationwide.”
“The student has been off campus and self-isolating throughout the period of infection. We are supporting them in liaison with the public health authorities and wish them a speedy recovery,” the spokesperson added.
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France records most new Covid-19 cases since spring
From CNN's Lindsay Isaac
French Health Minister Olivier Veran speaks during a session of questions to the government at the National Assembly in Paris, on November 30, 2021.
(Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)
France recorded 47,000 daily cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday – the highest number since spring, according to French Health Minister Olivier Véran.
Data shows it’s the first time since April that Covid-19 cases in the country surpassed 43,000 infections in 24 hours. At least 43,698 infections were recorded on April 20 this year.
The fifth wave of the pandemic has hit France hard despite the country having one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe. At least 75.4% of the total population are fully inoculated against the virus, according to government data.
France has not resorted to restrictive policies such as lockdown or curfews to battle the new wave but has strengthened current rules already in place, including a ‘health pass’ and mask mandates.
Denmark has confirmed an additional two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, bringing the total for the country to four, the Danish State Serum Institute announced on Tuesday.
All four confirmed cases are connected to travel activity in South Africa, according to the institute.
Denmark confirmed its first two cases of the Omicron variant on Sunday.
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The FDA is actively working to investigate potential impacts of Omicron variant
From CNN's Ben Tinker
Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration testifies during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing titled Next Steps: The Road Ahead for the COVID-19 Response, in Dirksen Building on Thursday, November 4, 2021.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
The US Food and Drug Administration is working “as quickly as possible” to find out more about the Omicron coronavirus variant, according to Dr. Janet Woodcock, the agency’s acting commissioner. Woodcock also encouraged Americans to get vaccine and booster shots as soon as possible.
Read the whole statement here:
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Sweden's number of confirmed Omicron cases rises to 3
From CNN’s Henrik Pettersson and Eleanor Pickston
Sweden has confirmed an additional two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, bringing the total for the country to three, the Swedish Publish Health Agency announced on Tuesday.
The two new cases were found in the Stockholm area in people who were tested after returning from South Africa, the agency said.
Sweden confirmed its first case on Monday.
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US Treasury secretary says more data is needed on Omicron variant
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sits at the witness table before the start of the Senate Banking Committee hearing on the CARES Act Oversight of Treasury and the Federal Reserve: Building a Resilient Economy on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021.
(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
The Omicron variant is on everyone’s mind, but US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen echoed President Biden in saying that we simply didn’t know enough about it yet.
Even so, Yellen believes that the recovery is still in a good place, particularly when comparing it to last winter, when things weren’t looking so good.
She also stressed again that Congress needed to expand the US debt limit to ensure that the recovery can continue.
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Canada has 5 confirmed cases of Omicron variant
From CNN’s Paula Newton
Canada has now confirmed 5 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant and health officials in several provinces say they continue to investigate dozens of other suspected cases across the country.
Four of the five cases have been confirmed in Ottawa and all are linked to recent travel to Nigeria.
On Monday, Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa’s medical officer of health, confirmed two more cases were identified in addition to the prior two cases announced on Sunday and she indicated that no one is currently hospitalized.
“The individuals, all 4, are self-isolating,” she said in a statement during a local health board meeting adding that any international travel at this time could potentially expose people to the new variant given where and when cases have been detected.
Canada’s health minister said in a statement Sunday that “it is expected that other cases of this variant will be found in Canada”.
The fifth case of the variant has been identified in the province of Quebec, also linked to travel from Nigeria.
Quebec’s health minister, Christian Dubé, speaking at a news conference Monday said more than a hundred travelers from southern African countries were asked to take a new Covid-19 test and isolate.
However, Dube also suggested that Nigeria should possibly be added to the list of countries currently included in a travel ban to Canada. He said he had spoken of the issue with Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s health minister.
More on this: The Hong Kong government banned entry to travelers from Canada Tuesday after a Canadian man arrived from Vancouver and later tested positive for the Omicron variant.
Canada’s border restrictions with the US meantime are set to ease Tuesday with fully vaccinated, cross-border travelers allowed to reenter Canada without providing a negative Covid-19 test, provided they are gone for less than 72 hours.
But other measures related to air travel were tightened Tuesday with air and rail passengers both internationally and domestically needing to provide proof vaccination in order to travel.
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Former health official agrees with Biden’s Omicron message: Be concerned, but don’t panic
From CNN’s Naomi Thomas
Brett Giroir, former Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps., testifies during a Republican-led forum on the origins of the COVID-19 virus at the U.S. Capitol on June 29, 2021 in Washington, DC.
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Admiral Dr. Brett Giroir, former assistant secretary of US Health and Human Services and the testing czar for Covid-19 during the Trump administration, told CNN he agreed with President Biden’s message that people should be concerned about the Omicron variant, but they should not panic.
“Our testing still works perfectly. It is very likely that our vaccines will provide some immune protection, and I agree it’s very important to top off your tank, top off your immune tank, by getting that booster. Independent of Omicron, it’s very important to get it just for Delta,” he said.
Asked about what is being seen early on in terms of what is known about Omicron, Giroir said, “we have no evidence that Omicron is more severe.”
Referencing comments from Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a doctor who has treated patients with Omicron, who said on CNN’s “New Day” Tuesday that the majority of cases being seen are mild to moderate, Giroir said that he would love to believe it — but it’s important to remember that patients treated were generally young.
“We really don’t know how Omicron is going to affect the elderly or those who have chronic conditions,” he said. “So we have no evidence that it’s worse, but I don’t want people to assume that it’s just mild and we can blow this off.”
He reiterated that there are things that can be done, including getting vaccinated and boosted, getting home tests, making sure the elderly are protected and wear masks when appropriate.
Giroir added that there are new oral antiviral medications that “will be completely effective against Omicron, as they are against the others.” One antiviral, from Merck, is being considered by US Food and Drug Administration advisers on Tuesday.
The oral antiviral medicines are “very important, powerful tools that will work against Omicron, Delta and all the other variants,” he said.
Giroir also said the US “absolutely” needs more testing. He said that testing “plummeted” in the middle of summer “and there was a lull in the production of antigen tests,” although he thinks that the administration is trying to reverse that.
One thing that people can do, he said, aside from getting a booster shot is to get home tests.
“I literally just went to Walmart yesterday and picked up two boxes of home tests, just to be prepared and for my family to be prepared,” he said. “Everyone should be able to do that. And I think the federal government should send home tests to all those who are underserved or an at risk community so they can test themselves.”
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UK prime minister: It's "overwhelmingly likely" boosters will provide additional protection against Omicron
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Lordship Lane Primary Care Centre on November 30, 2021 in London, England. During the visit the PM will meet staff and see people receiving their coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine booster jab.
(Paul Grover/Getty Images)
It is “overwhelmingly likely” that booster shots will provide additional protection against the Omicron coronavirus variant, according to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Speaking to UK media during a visit to a vaccination center in London on Tuesday, Johnson said that while there are doubts “about what exactly that variant can do,” it is “overwhelmingly likely” that boosters will provide protection against it.
The new measures in England mandating the use of masks in shops, on public transportation and in other indoor settings and the return of PCR tests for returning travelers are the “right approach” to “delay the seeding of Omicron in the country,” according to Johnson.
Aside from these measures, the UK government doesn’t see any need right now to change the overall guidance about how people should be living their lives, Johnson said.
Johnson is set to hold a news conference at 11:00 a.m. ET from Downing Street alongside UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid and National Health Service Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard.
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US stocks open in the red
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
US stocks opened lower on Tuesday, rattled by renewed worries about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Investors fear that the variant could evade some immunity provided by vaccines and antibodies, sending the global economy back into trouble. Market participants will also be watching Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday morning.
Here’s how things looked at the opening:
The Dow opened 0.7%, or 238 points, lower
The S&P 500 fell 0.6%
The Nasdaq Composite opened down 0.4%
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Spain bans flights from 7 African countries due to Omicron
From CNN’s Al Goodman in Madrid
Minister for Territorial Policy and Government Spokesperson Isabel Rodríguez appears at a press conference after a meeting of the Council of Ministers in Moncloa, on August 3, 2021, in Madrid, Spain.
(Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press/Getty Images)
Spain became the latest country to announce “flight restrictions” from southern African nations over the Omicron coronavirus variant, the government’s chief spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, said at a news conference in Madrid Tuesday.
On Monday, Spain had announced that passengers from seven African countries – South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique – would have to quarantine for 10 days. The restrictions announced today go one step further, banning flights from the seven African nations, with some exceptions for flights repatriating citizens or residents.
“These are preventative measures,” Rodríguez said.
The flight restrictions will be in effect from Dec. 2 until Dec.15, Rodríguez added.
Spain on Monday also confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, in “a 51-year-old man who returned from South Africa on Nov. 28, with a layover in Amsterdam,” a Madrid regional government statement said.
Spain’s Health Minister Carolina Darias said in a SER radio interview Tuesday that authorities were awaiting test results on a couple who arrived at Barcelona’s airport on Monday, to determine if they have the Omicron variant, or not.
CNN’s Claudia Rebaza, Mia Alberti and Pau Mosquera contributed reporting to this post.
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What do you want to know about the Omicron variant?
Do you have a question about the new Omicron variant, the vaccines’ efficacy against it, and its impact on controlling the pandemic?
Submit a question for a CNN Town Hall featuring several medical experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, and tune in for answers during the event tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.
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UN South Africa representative says travel ban is unfair and stresses importance of vaccine equity
From CNN's Mirna Alsharif
A passenger walks towards the plane while boarding a flight at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on November 28, 2021.
(Dimitri Korczak/AFP/Getty Images)
Xolisa Mabhongo, the deputy permanent representative of South Africa to the United Nations, echoed sentiments that the travel ban placed on the country by multiple nations over the Omicron variant is not fair.
Mabhongo also stressed the importance of vaccine equity in all countries in order to “see the end of Covid.”
“As long as the world operates on this trajectory on vaccine inequality, we will not see the end of Covid,” he said. “We think it is not wise to continue in this route, we think vaccines should be shared by all countries.”
When asked for his reaction to President Biden’s comments that the US has provided “significant” vaccines to South Africa and the region, and that their issue is reluctance rather than doses, he said he “doesn’t see this significant hesitancy that some people are talking about.”
“Now again, like in all countries, it is possible, that you know, you will have some small minority of people who are hesitant against vaccines,” he continued. “We do need more vaccines for sure, that is not a question. We need more vaccines in South Africa, in southern African and in the rest of the African continent.”
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While scientists research Omicron, NIH director recommends mask-wearing due to Delta variant
From CNN’s Naomi Thomas
People wear face masks in Manhattan on November 29, 2021 in New York City.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins recommended that people wear masks until the severity of Omicron is known, due to the Delta variant.
Collins explained why he wears his mask indoors with other people:
Collins said scientists are working quickly to research the severity of Omicron and how contagious it actually is, adding, “much credit to our colleagues in South Africa who have been totally transparent about this.”
“It does look like it’s spreading quite quickly there, but we don’t know how that would play out in a country like ours where Delta is already so dominant. Would Omicron be able to compete with Delta? We don’t know the answer to that,” he said.
It will take a few weeks to determine how effective current vaccines will be against the new variant, he said.
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Restricting travel due to Omicron variant was an "overreaction," South African doctor says
From CNN’s Naomi Thomas
Restrictions on travel because of the Omicron variant were an “overreaction,” according to Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and one of the doctors treating patients with the Omicron variant.
“I think it was an overreaction,” she said on CNN’s “New Day” when asked about her assessment of the global reaction to the variant. “I do understand that there’s a lot of mutation in this virus. I do understand that it might be much more fast spreading than the Delta variant.”
She said it was important to get input from scientists, “but while the scientists wait and are busy doing their work in the background, unfortunately, the patients [don’t] wait, the patients comes in. And you need to alert your doctors and say listen, there’s something happening, there’s something going on, look at it, see what you can do.”
She also said that if doctors aren’t aware of the variant, they might not think patients have the variant and might not test them.
“I think if for South Africa to spread the message out there and then being slammed, that doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Of course it’s other people’s lives as well, you know. It’s a huge impact, it’s a huge impact on the economy of South Africa, it’s a huge impact to the people that want to come and visit family, it’s a huge impact on South Africans that want to go and visit family and friends during the festive season. I just think, you know, there’s other ways to do this.”
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Omicron cases have been “extremely mild” so far, South African doctor says
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, on November 30.
(CNN)
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and one of the doctors treating some patients with the Omicron variant, told CNN that the majority of cases of the variant that she has seen have been mild.
Coetzee pointed out that it’s still very early days for the Omicron variant, and that, in the beginning, it’s typically not that severe, as younger people get infected and then it spreads further.
She said that they want to share the symptoms with people so they can understand that if they feel fatigued for a day or two, have a bit of a scratchy throat and body aches and pain — “we call it normally malaise, so I don’t feel generally well,” she said — that they should go and see their doctor. Doctors also need to test patients who come in with those symptoms.
“If we can get that message out to the world, it means that we would most probably going forward have less severe cases, less people going too late to the doctors,” she said. “No system can afford that, not South Africa, not the United States. No one can afford that.”
Asked if she had seen vaccinated people who contracted the Omicron variant, Coetzee said, “I have seen vaccinated people, and not really very sick. That might change going forward, as we say this is early days, and this is maybe what makes us hopeful.”
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Two Israeli doctors, both triple vaccinated, are confirmed with Omicron variant
From CNN's Andrew Carey and Amir Tal in Jerusalem
Two doctors working in Tel Aviv have been diagnosed with the Omicron variant, the Sheba Medical Center confirmed Tuesday, including the first known case of community spread of the variant in Israel. Both men had been vaccinated three times.
According to the hospital, a doctor in his 50s tested positive several days after returning from a conference in London.
The doctor’s PCR tests before leaving Britain and on arrival back in Israel had produced negative results, so the man returned to work where he infected another doctor, a man in his 70s, the hospital says.
It brings the number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Israel to four.
The first case was discovered in a person returning from Malawi. Details of the second case have not been made public, but Israeli media reports say it was found in a person returning from South Africa.
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Vaccines targeting Omicron could be approved in 3-4 months, says EU drug regulator
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London
Vaccines developed to target the new Omicron coronavirus variant could be approved in three to four months if needed, the chief of the European Union’s drug regulator said on Tuesday.
Although vaccines so far had proven “effective against the circulating variants,” there is a need to “understand whether or not this will be the case” with Omicron, Emer Cooke, Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), told the European Parliament.
A two-week laboratory testing process must first take place to establish whether the current crop of vaccines provide protection against Omicron, Cooke said.
Health officials will also have to consider how the European situation compares to that of South Africa, Cooke said, pointing to the EU’s older population, higher vaccine uptake and booster rollout as key factors.
If there is a need to change the current vaccines, companies will then have to adapt their formulations to include the new sequencing, Cooke said. She added that the EMA is working with drug companies and other regulators to ensure they are “as prepared and ready as possible” .
Cooke also stressed “that the current vaccines provide protection.”
She also reinforced the importance of pushing forward with the booster rollout across the bloc so that those eligible for the additional protection receive it.
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Omicron variant in the Netherlands a week earlier than previously known
From CNN’s Mick Krever and Eleanor Pickston
The Omicron variant was present in The Netherlands as early as Nov. 19, a week earlier than previously known, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment said Tuesday.
That’s a week before last Friday — when 14 passengers on two flights from South Africa tested positive for the Omicron variant after arrival in the Netherlands.
The variant was confirmed in two test samples taken on Nov. 19 and Nov. 23, RIVM said.
The two newly discovered cases takes the total number of confirmed Omicron infections in the Netherlands to 16, an RIVM spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
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Covid-19 vaccine mandates are divisive. But Europe is starting to show how they can work
From CNN's Eliza Mackintosh in London
Earlier this month, Austria took a step once unthinkable for a Western democracy: It announced that Covid-19 vaccinations would become compulsory for its entire population.
Up until then, governments around the world had rejected the idea of a universal coronavirus vaccine mandate, opting instead for incentives and other “nudges” to motivate people to get shots. Even in authoritarian states, like China, it is not mandatory policy.
Austria’s extraordinary move came just days after it introduced a lockdown for the unvaccinated – a restriction that went farther than other European nations in singling out the people who have been driving a worrying surge in hospitalizations.
The series of decisions leading Austria to this point reflects the desperate position governments find themselves in as they look to protect public health systems and tentative economic recoveries as cases soar across Europe. The continent is once again ground zero for the global pandemic, despite the widespread availability of vaccines.
It is that irony that has drawn the ire of Europe’s leaders, who are growing increasingly frustrated by vaccine skeptics and other pockets of the population still resisting Covid-19 vaccination programs.
Austria’s tough new measures were unveiled before the announcement of the discovery of the Omicron variant late last week, which triggered fears that the winter Covid-19 wave could be more brutal than previously thought. The news of the variant could push more countries to harden their approach, pivoting from voluntary to mandatory measures in a last-ditch effort to get shots in arms.
In explaining Austria’s decision, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg pointed to the successes of Italy and France, which have introduced vaccine mandates in all but name — requiring health passes as proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from infection to attend public gatherings, travel or go to work — in conjunction with public health measures, like mask wearing.
South Africa is now mulling compulsory Covid-19 shots following the discovery of the Omicron variant. And on Tuesday, Greece announced that vaccinations for citizens over the age of 60 will be mandatory from mid-January.
China locks down cities near Mongolia border amid Covid-19 outbreak
From CNN's Beijing Bureau and Hannah Ritchie
Medical staff prepare for Covid-19 tests on November 28 in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northeastern China.
(Zhang Hechang/VCG/Getty Images)
China has locked down several cities close to its northern border with Mongolia, following several outbreaks of Covid-19.
The largest flareup is in the Inner Mongolian city of Manzhouli, a crucial land port of entry bordering Russia.
On Tuesday the city had 34 confirmed cases, bringing its total number of cases to 73 since the start of the current outbreak which began on Saturday.
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of northeastern China, bordering the independent country Mongolia and Russia.
On Monday, a total of 42 locally transmitted cases were also reported across two provinces and three municipalities in northern China, mostly in the city of Hulunbuir.
The city of Manzhouli has conducted three city-wide mass testings on its 300,000 residents over three days, according to the local government. The third round of testing happened Tuesday morning.
The city has been placed under a strict lockdown, with public transport suspended and 24-hour guarded checkpoints set up around its borders.
All residents are prohibited from going out – apart from medical support staff and material delivery personnel. Businesses, schools, universities, and kindergartens are closed across Manzhouli, the local government said in a press release Monday.
Genome sequencing of the first three cases in Manzhouli found that the infections may have been spread via “imported goods,” the Center for Epidemic Prevention and Control in Manzhouli said Tuesday.
From December 1, Manzhouli railway port will suspend the import of non-container goods that require manual handling.
Several other cities – some hundreds of miles from Manzhouli – have also been locked down, with major roads connecting the districts blocked off.
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Greece makes vaccines mandatory for over-60s
From CNN’s Chris Liakos in Paris
A health worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Thessaloniki on November 26.
(Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP/Getty Images)
Covid-19 vaccinations for all Greek citizens over the age of 60 will soon be mandatory, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced Tuesday.
Citizens who have not booked their first dose by January 16 will face a 100 euro (US $113) fine each passing month.
Money raised from the fines will go to a special fund to finance Greek hospitals.
Mitsotakis also warned that citizens should be vigilant as the new Omicron variant “will sooner or later make its appearance in Greece,” noting once again that the answer is not another lockdown.
Greece, like much of Europe, has been grappling with a fresh wave of infections and big rise in hospitalizations.
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London tube passengers told to wear face mask or risk fine
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin in London
Passengers on London public transport have been told to wear a face mask or risk a £200 (US $267) fine from Tuesday, in line with tightened government restrictions.
Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport and in shops across the United Kingdom, as part of tougher restrictions to help prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant.
All customers travelling on Transport for London’s (TfL) network – which includes buses, underground and overground trains – must wear a face covering or “risk being fined, unless they are exempt,” TfL said in a statement Tuesday.
Face coverings have remained mandatory on TfL services since the UK government removed the national mask mandate on public transport over the summer.
But in reality, many passengers in the capital regularly travel without a face covering, and TfL has admitted enforcement powers had been “highly limited.”
Public transport passengers must now wear a face covering for their entire journey, including “in stations and on platforms,” as well as in taxi and private hire vehicles,” TfL said. It added that people who have trouble breathing, children and anyone who finds masks difficult to manage correctly could be exempt.
TfL will also be handing out face masks at various locations across the UK capital for a short time.
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Omicron will "pose some challenges" to Winter Olympics but China confident they'll go ahead as scheduled
From CNN's Beijing Bureau
People walk in front of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics logos at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing on April 9.
(Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
China has “every confidence” it will be able to hold the Winter Olympics in February, despite the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday.
Several cases of the Omicron variant have now been confirmed across Asia Pacific – including in Australia, Japan and the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong.
China is yet to issue travel restrictions in response to the new variant, but maintains strict controls over its borders as it continues to pursue a zero-covid strategy.
Zhao said China appreciated South Africa’s timely sharing of information on the discovery of the Omicron variant. He added that the Chinese government would work with southern African countries to defeat the new strain through solidarity, cooperation and joint efforts.
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UK's Omicron cases rise to 14, mostly in Scotland
From CNN’s Eleanor Pickston in London
The total number of Omicron cases in the United Kingdom rose to 14 on Tuesday, with the biggest leap coming from Scotland.
The number includes nine cases in Scotland and five in England, according to government figures.
Scotland on Tuesday identified three additional cases of the coronavirus variant, Scottish Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, told Good Morning Scotland.
Across Scotland, there are now five cases in the Lanarkshire area, and four in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Booster shots will now be offered to all people aged over 18 in Scotland, three months after the second dose, in line with UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) recommendation.
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A mother’s Covid-19 infection does not seem to hurt her baby's developing brain, small study shows
From CNN's Jen Christensen
Covid-19 did not seem to hurt the developing brains of babies born to mothers who had mild or moderate infections, according to a new unpublished study presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting Tuesday.
Researchers performed magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scans to examine the brain development of the fetuses developing in the bodies of 33 patients at about 28 weeks of pregnancy. There was no indication that the infection, which the mothers got around 18 weeks into their pregnancies, had affected fetal brain development.
Mothers with more severe infections were not included in the study.
Stöcklein added that she hopes people who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant get vaccinated.
Pregnant women are immune compromised and at high risk of severe complications of Covid-19, and these include miscarriage.
Covid-19 can also pose serious problems for mother and child. Another study published Tuesday in PLoS Medicine showed that people who were pregnant and tested positive for Covid-19 had a higher number of deaths, premature or induced birth, fetal distress, pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, hemorrhage before or after birth, and cesarean sections. They were also admitted to the ICU much more frequently.
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Germany's next chancellor mulls tougher Covid-19 restrictions after court ruling
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
Olaf Scholz, Germany's designated next chancellor, speaks at a news conference in Berlin on November 24.
(Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with her designated successor Olaf Scholz Tuesday to discuss tougher Covid-19 restrictions amid a fourth wave gripping the country.
The meeting comes after Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court earlier on Tuesday ruled that emergency measures introduced in April were legal – rejecting claims they were unconstitutional.
The springtime measures included curfews, restricted contacts and school closures – which could be applied nationwide once seven-day case incidences surpassed certain limits.
Experts say the ruling could now pave the way for a future lockdown in Germany.
The country’s seven-day incidence rate on Tuesday stood at 452.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the national agency for disease control and prevention – a slight decrease on the previous day.
On Monday alone there were 45,753 new cases in a country with a population of roughly 83 million people. The same day, there were 388 Covid-19 related deaths – bringing the total number of fatalities since the start of the pandemic to 101,344.
Meanwhile Germany’s vaccination rate is one of the lowest in western Europe, at 68.4% fully vaccinated, according to the country’s health ministry. Those number dip in the country’s eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia, where the vaccination rates are 60.5% and 64.4% respectively.
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Breakthrough Covid-19 infections are more common and more severe in the immunocompromised, study finds
From CNN Health’s Naomi Thomas
Breakthrough Covid-19 infections among people who the fully vaccinated are more common and more severe in those who are immunocompromised, according to a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Medical Economics.
The authors looked at 1,176,907 people who were fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine and at least 14 days of follow-up data. They were split into immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised groups.
The proportion with breakthrough infections was three times higher in the immunocompromised group, the authors said.
In August, the US Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization for Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines so that certain immunocompromised people could have an additional dose.
The study findings support the FDA decision, the authors say, while noting that further research is necessary to continue monitoring the rates of general population breakthrough infections.
Some limitations of the study include that vaccination status information may not have been comprehensive — an unvaccinated study group wasn’t included — and that some breakthrough infections may have been missed.
The study was carried out before the emergence of the Omicron variant.
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Japan confirms first case of Omicron variant
From CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo
Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2021, shows quarantine staff working at Narita airport near Tokyo.
(Kyodo News/Getty Images)
Japan has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference Tuesday.
The infection was detected in a man in his 30s who traveled from Namibia to Tokyo and tested positive at Narita Airport on arrival Sunday.
Matsuno said the man is in quarantine at a government facility and his close contacts have been traced.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was planning to hold an emergency meeting with ministers, he added.
Japan is the 19th country or territory to diagnose a case of Omicron, according to analysis and data compiled by CNN.
Omicron has been labeled a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. There is no indication yet whether the variant is more transmissible or more deadly than previous mutations of the coronavirus.
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Australia confirms sixth case of Omicron variant
From CNN's Lizzy Yee in Hong Kong
Australia has reported a sixth case of the Omicron coronavirus variant after a traveler who recently arrived in the state of New South Wales from Qatar was found to be positive for the virus.
The patient, who is fully vaccinated, flew on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on November 25, according to a statement by NSW Health. The person had previously been in southern Africa.
According to the statement, the person had visited a number of venues in Sydney and the Central Coast before new arrival restrictions were enacted. The infected traveler is now isolating at home on the Central Coast.
Two people who had been on the same flight, QR908, have also been confirmed as Covid-19 cases, but genomic testing is still underway to determine if it is the Omicron variant, according to NSW Health. Neither traveler had spent time in southern Africa.
Australia has now identified five Omicron cases in New South Wales and one infection in the Northern Territory.
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Island of Reunion identifies first Omicron case in French territory
From CNN’s Joseph Ataman in Paris
The first case of the Omicron variant recorded on French territory has been detected on the island of Reunion, Dr. Patrick Mavingui, research director at French tropical disease center PIMIT, said Tuesday.
The patient, a 53-year-old man, had recently travelled to Mozambique via South Africa, before returning to Reunion on November 19, Mavingui told Reunion First Radio.
He was symptomatic and authorities had placed him and his entourage in quarantine.
In an effort to halt the Omicron variant’s spread, France imposed a temporary ban on flights between southern Africa and French territories on Friday.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that eight possible Omicron cases had been identified in France, adding it was possible the variant was already circulating in the country.
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Australian state of Tasmania restricts international arrivals
From CNN's Lizzy Yee
The Australian state of Tasmania has banned arrivals from overseas, with the exception of New Zealand’s South Island, following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Travelers who have spent time abroad in the 14 days prior to Sunday, November 28, will not be permitted to enter the state unless approved as an “essential traveler,” according to new guidance issued by the Tasmanian government.
If approved as an “essential traveler,” arrivals must present a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to entry and complete a 14-day quarantine on arrival.
The new measures are in addition to national restrictions and requirements already issued by the Australian government.
Earlier, Australia announced a ban on entry by foreign nationals who had traveled in the previous 14 days to nine southern African countries: South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles.
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Hong Kong heightens quarantine for inbound travelers from some African countries
From CNN's Lizzy Yee in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has tightened quarantine restrictions for arrivals from some African countries following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
From Tuesday, four African countries have been added to a list of high-risk locations with special additional quarantine requirements: Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia.
Hong Kong residents who travel from these four countries must spend seven days after arrival in a government quarantine facility where they will undergo daily Covid-19 testing. They must then spend an additional 14 days in compulsory quarantine at a hotel.
The requirement had already been put in place for Hong Kong residents arriving from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Non-residents traveling from these countries can not enter Hong Kong.
High-risk list: In addition, from Thursday, nine more countries will be added to Hong Kong’s list of high-risk places, but without the need for additional quarantine in a government facility.
Those countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel, and Italy, all of which have identified at least one confirmed case of the Omicron variant.
Only fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents will be allowed to enter from these countries, after which they must undergo 21 days of hotel quarantine. Non-Hong Kong residents who have visited these countries within 21 days are no longer allowed to enter Hong Kong.
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Singapore-Malaysia border reopens for vaccinated travelers
From CNN's Teele Rebane in Hong Kong
People board a bus in Singapore on November 29, under the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) for border-crossing passengers to Malaysia's southern state of Johor.
Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images
Singapore and Malaysia reopened their shared land border Monday to vaccinated travelers for the first time since the pandemic began almost two years ago.
Citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country they are entering may now cross the border quarantine-free on designated Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) buses, according to a statement by the Prime Minister of Singapore’s office.
However, those who travel to Singapore by other means, including private transport or walking across the causeway, will be subject to border control measures, which include serving a seven-day Stay-Home Notice, the Singaporean government said in a statement.
All travelers must be fully vaccinated, have a negative Covid-19 ART or PCR test taken within two days of departure, and have remained in Malaysia, Singapore or any other VTL country for at least 14 days prior. They will also have to take a Covid-19 test on arrival.
The two countries “aim to progressively expand” the VTL to include general travelers from mid-December 2021 onwards, “taking into account the public health situation,” Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday.
“We are all watching anxiously the new Omicron variant, to see how it will behave,” he added. “But even if Omicron disrupts these plans, our goal will still be to have more open borders between Singapore and Malaysia, and I am quite confident that after some time we will be able to make further progress.”
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India offers medical supplies to African nations in fight against Omicron variant
From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi
India says it “stands ready” to support countries in Africa affected by the Omicron variant, including providing vaccines and medical supplies.
In a statement Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was offering support to countries experiencing Omicron outbreaks by providing drugs, test kits, gloves, PPE kits and medical equipment such as ventilators.
The ministry also encouraged African nations to order India’s Covid-19 vaccines through COVAX, the World Health Organization’s global vaccine sharing program, or bilaterally.
“We express our solidarity with the countries, particularly in Africa, who have so far been affected by the Omicron variant,” the MEA said.
The MEA said the government has approved all orders placed so far by COVAX for supplies of Covishield, a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford and produced by the Serum Institute of India, to African nations such as Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea and Lesotho.
Supplies of the India-made Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin have also been approved for Botswana.
To date, India has supplied more than 25 million doses of its domestically developed vaccines to 41 countries in Africa through donations and COVAX supplies.
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At least 17 countries and territories have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant
From CNN’s Tim Lister, Hira Humayun and AnneClaire Stapleton
At least 17 countries and territories have confirmed Omicron variant cases, according to analysis and data compiled by CNN.
Spain and Austria both reported their first cases of the Omicron variant in the past 24 hours, while Germany confirmed its first infection with no overseas travel history.
These countries and territories have confirmed Omicron infections:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Botswana
Canada
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Hong Kong
Israel
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
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The 3 critical questions scientists are trying to answer about the Omicron variant
From CNN's Ralph Ellis and Susannah Cullinane
Americans face at least two weeks of uncertainty before major questions may get answered about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Health experts urge the public to be cautious and patient as scientists try to find out whether Omicron — deemed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization — is more transmissible and dangerous than other forms of the novel coronavirus and whether existing vaccines work against it.
Omicron variant cases have been detected in numerous countries, including Canada. No cases have been found in the United States, but many experts says it’s inevitable.
The overall global risk related to the newly discovered B.1.1.529 strain of the coronavirus “is assessed as very high,” WHO said in a technical brief Monday.
Warnings about the renewed threat from the Omicron variant come as Americans have become weary of nearly two years of precautions and are returning from a Thanksgiving break that saw air travel at close to pre-pandemic levels.
• Do Omicron’s mutations make it more transmissible?
• Is it more severe or dangerous or deadly than other variants?
• Is it more resistant to vaccines?
It could be weeks before we have the answers.
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said Monday that people should get vaccinated or get booster shots — and keep adhering to public health safety measures.
With much about Omicron still unknown, officials say vaccinations and boosters remain the best protection available.
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At least 70 countries and territories have imposed travel restrictions in response to Omicron
From CNN’s Tim Lister, Hira Humayun and AnneClaire Stapleton
At least 69 countries and territories have imposed travel restrictions in response to the spreading Omicron variant, according to analysis and data compiled by CNN.
Here’s the list:
Angola
Argentina
Australia
Austria*
Bahrain
Belgium*
Brazil
Bulgaria*
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Croatia*
Cuba
Czech Republic*
Denmark*
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia*
Fiji
Finland*
France*
Germany*
Greece*
Guatemala
Hong Kong
Hungary*
India
Indonesia
Ireland*
Israel
Italy*
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Latvia*
Lithuania*
Luxembourg*
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta*
Morocco
Netherlands*
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland*
Portugal*
Qatar
Republic of Cyprus*
Romania*
Russia
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia*
Slovenia*
South Korea
Spain*
Sri Lanka
Sweden*
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
*European Union member state
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What we know about the Omicron variant so far
From CNN's Maggie Fox
The first sample of the Omicron or B.1.1.529 lineage was taken November 9, according to WHO. It got noticed because of a surge of cases in South Africa.
Also, genetic sequencing showed it carried a large number of troubling mutations on the spike protein — the knoblike structure on the surface of the virus that it uses to grapple onto the cells it infects.
Some of those mutations were already recognized from other variants and were known to make them more dangerous, including one called E484A — a slightly altered version of a mutation called E484K that may make the virus less recognizable to some antibodies — immune system proteins that are a frontline defense against infection and that form the basis of monoclonal antibody treatments.
It also carries a mutation called N501Y, which gave both Alpha and Gamma their increased transmissibility. Just last week, Scott Weaver of the University of Texas Medical Branch and colleagues reported in the journal Nature that this particular mutation made the virus better at replicating in the upper airway — think in the nose and throat — and likely makes it more likely to spread when people breathe, sneeze and cough.
Like Delta, Omicron also carries a mutation called D614G, which appears to help the virus better attach to the cells it infects.
What worries scientists is the number of mutations affecting the spike protein. That’s because most of the leading vaccines target the spike protein. Vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and other companies all use just small pieces or genetic sequences of the virus and not whole virus, and all of them use bits of the spike protein to elicit immunity. So a change in the spike protein that made it less recognizable to immune system proteins and cells stimulated by a vaccine would be a problem.
So far, there’s no evidence this has happened but there is no way of knowing by looking at the mutations alone. Researchers will have to wait and see if more breakthrough infections are caused by Omicron than by other variants.
The other fear is that the mutations might help make the virus less susceptible to monoclonal antibody treatments. However, WHO says it’s unlikely these mutations would affect other Covid-19 treatments, including antiviral drugs in development and the steroid dexamethasone.
CDC: All vaccinated US adults should get a Covid-19 booster shot because of the Omicron variant
From CNN's Maggie Fox
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strengthened recommendations for booster doses of coronavirus vaccine Monday, saying all adults should get boosted six months after the second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s or Moderna’s vaccine or two months after the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
It’s a slight but significant tweak to the wording of guidance issued earlier this month when the CDC endorsed an expanded emergency use authorization for boosters from the US Food and Drug Administration.
“Today, CDC is strengthening its recommendation on booster doses for individuals who are 18 years and older,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
“Early data from South Africa suggest increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, and scientists in the United States and around the world are urgently examining vaccine effectiveness related to this variant. I strongly encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to vaccinate the children and teens in their families as well because strong immunity will likely prevent serious illness.”
Previously, the CDC said people should get a booster if they are 50 and older, or 18 and older and living in long-term care. Otherwise, it advised that anyone 18 and older may get a booster. Now the word “should” applies to everyone 18 and older.
It will take a few weeks of testing to know for sure whether the Omicron variant is more transmissible than Delta, and whether it evades the protection offered by natural infection or vaccines. Scientists will also be looking to see if it causes more severe disease or evades the effects of treatments.
