This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/dec/11/covid-live-booster-significantly-reduces-risk-of-omicron-symptoms-taiwan-detects-first-case-of-variant
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 18 | Version 19 |
|---|---|
| Covid live: 633 new Omicron cases detected in UK with overall daily infections at 54,073 | Covid live: 633 new Omicron cases detected in UK with overall daily infections at 54,073 |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| UK health officials urge those eligible to get third vaccine dose; Taiwan and Mauritius detect first cases of new variant | UK health officials urge those eligible to get third vaccine dose; Taiwan and Mauritius detect first cases of new variant |
| People in the UK should be able to get their Covid-19 jabs while doing their Christmas shopping, Labour said, as the opposition party calls for a “national effort” to increase the rate of booster shots. With recent research from UK scientists finding that booster shots are likely to be effective against the Omicron variant, Labour is urging ministers to open more vaccinations sites and to open up booking slots to all double-jabbed adults. Pop-up vaccination centres in supermarkets and shopping centres should be set-up so people can get their third shot while on the high street doing their Christmas shopping, the party has suggested. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting is pressing the government to “pull out all the stops” to meet the prime minister’s target of having offered a booster jab to all those aged over 18 by the end of January, PA reports. | |
| Brazil has registered 53 new Covid-19 deaths, the country’s health ministry said on Saturday, bringing fatalities in the country to a total of 616,744. | |
| The country had 3,355 new cases of coronavirus over the last 24 hours, reaching a total of 22.19 million, Reuters reports. | |
| Australia has said it will shorten the wait time for people to receive Covid-19 booster vaccines following a rise in cases of the Omicron variant. | |
| It had previously said it would offer a booster to everyone over-18 and who had their second dose of the vaccine six months prior, Reuters reports. | |
| But with rising cases of the Omicron variant, Australia’s health minister, Greg Hunt, said the time interval will be shortened to five months after the second dose. | |
| “A booster dose, five or more months after the second dose, will make sure that the protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer lasting and should help prevent spread of the virus,” Hunt said in a statement. | |
| Brazil’s supreme court justice, Luis Roberto Barroso, has ruled the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country. | Brazil’s supreme court justice, Luis Roberto Barroso, has ruled the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country. |
| President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied requests of state health regulator Anvisa to demand vaccination proof from visitors, Reuters reports. | President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied requests of state health regulator Anvisa to demand vaccination proof from visitors, Reuters reports. |
| But Barroso said in his decision that Brazil needs to avoid supporting what he called “anti-vaccine tourism.” | But Barroso said in his decision that Brazil needs to avoid supporting what he called “anti-vaccine tourism.” |
| The justice said the requirement for proof of vaccination can be waived only when the traveller comes from a country where no vaccines are available or the individual was prevented from vaccination due to health reasons. | The justice said the requirement for proof of vaccination can be waived only when the traveller comes from a country where no vaccines are available or the individual was prevented from vaccination due to health reasons. |
| The government has delayed for a week a regulation that would require non-vaccinated visitors to quarantine for five days due to a cyberattack on the health ministry on Friday. | The government has delayed for a week a regulation that would require non-vaccinated visitors to quarantine for five days due to a cyberattack on the health ministry on Friday. |
| You can follow the latest Covid developments in Australia in our dedicated blog: | You can follow the latest Covid developments in Australia in our dedicated blog: |
| Israeli researchers said they found that a three-jab course of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine provided significant protection against the Omicron variant, Reuters reports. | Israeli researchers said they found that a three-jab course of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine provided significant protection against the Omicron variant, Reuters reports. |
| The findings were similar to those presented by BioNTech and Pfizer earlier in the week, which were an early signal that booster shots could be key to protect against infection from the newly identified variant. | The findings were similar to those presented by BioNTech and Pfizer earlier in the week, which were an early signal that booster shots could be key to protect against infection from the newly identified variant. |
| The study compared the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses five to six months earlier with the same number of individuals who had received a booster a month before. | The study compared the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses five to six months earlier with the same number of individuals who had received a booster a month before. |
| “People who received the second dose five or six months ago do not have any neutralisation ability against the Omicron. While they do have some against the Delta (strain),” Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba, told reporters. | “People who received the second dose five or six months ago do not have any neutralisation ability against the Omicron. While they do have some against the Delta (strain),” Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba, told reporters. |
| The first six cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Turkey, health minister Fahrettin Koca was reported as saying on Saturday by state broadcaster TRT Haber. | The first six cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Turkey, health minister Fahrettin Koca was reported as saying on Saturday by state broadcaster TRT Haber. |
| Five of the cases were in the western city of Izmir and one in Istanbul, but none of those affected needed hospital treatment, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. | Five of the cases were in the western city of Izmir and one in Istanbul, but none of those affected needed hospital treatment, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. |
| Three West Indies cricketers and a member of the team management have tested positive for Covid-19 after they arrived in Pakistan for the upcoming tour. | Three West Indies cricketers and a member of the team management have tested positive for Covid-19 after they arrived in Pakistan for the upcoming tour. |
| There was confusion on Saturday about which age groups in England are now eligible to book a booster jab with the NHS, after an apparent glitch allowed younger people to book before they were expected to qualify. People aged 30 and over in England were expected to be able to book a Covid-19 booster from Monday as long as it has been three months since their second vaccine dose, but many 30-somethings reported on social media that they had been able to book their appointments already. | There was confusion on Saturday about which age groups in England are now eligible to book a booster jab with the NHS, after an apparent glitch allowed younger people to book before they were expected to qualify. People aged 30 and over in England were expected to be able to book a Covid-19 booster from Monday as long as it has been three months since their second vaccine dose, but many 30-somethings reported on social media that they had been able to book their appointments already. |
| The NHS website still said on Saturday evening that “the NHS is working on plans to offer a booster dose to everyone aged 18 to 39 years old”, and that people should note that this service is not yet available to book via their portal. | The NHS website still said on Saturday evening that “the NHS is working on plans to offer a booster dose to everyone aged 18 to 39 years old”, and that people should note that this service is not yet available to book via their portal. |
| “Please wait to be contacted by the NHS,” a disclaimer on the website added. | “Please wait to be contacted by the NHS,” a disclaimer on the website added. |
| Almost twice the number of coronavirus patients could be admitted to hospital in England compared with last year due to the Omicron variant, new modelling suggests. | Almost twice the number of coronavirus patients could be admitted to hospital in England compared with last year due to the Omicron variant, new modelling suggests. |
| Experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have calculated figures which propose that a large wave of infections could occur over the next few months if tougher Covid measures are not brought in, PA reports. | Experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have calculated figures which propose that a large wave of infections could occur over the next few months if tougher Covid measures are not brought in, PA reports. |
| The study projects a median peak of 7,190 daily hospital admissions in England in the worst case scenario – which could see the variant evading vaccines at a high rate as well as low effectiveness against the variant from boosters. | The study projects a median peak of 7,190 daily hospital admissions in England in the worst case scenario – which could see the variant evading vaccines at a high rate as well as low effectiveness against the variant from boosters. |
| The most optimistic scenario (low rate of the variant evading vaccines, high effectiveness of boosters) “is projected to lead to peak daily hospital admissions around 60% as high as the peak in January 2021 in England”. | The most optimistic scenario (low rate of the variant evading vaccines, high effectiveness of boosters) “is projected to lead to peak daily hospital admissions around 60% as high as the peak in January 2021 in England”. |
| This would mean a median peak of 2,410 daily admissions compared with 3,800 daily admissions in January this year, the study said. | This would mean a median peak of 2,410 daily admissions compared with 3,800 daily admissions in January this year, the study said. |
| France has also reported 120,383 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic, Reuters reports. | France has also reported 120,383 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic, Reuters reports. |
| France has reported 53,720 new coronavirus cases. The country has had more than 8.1 million cases overall. | France has reported 53,720 new coronavirus cases. The country has had more than 8.1 million cases overall. |