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Covid live: Thailand to speed up booster jab roll-out; SA president Ramaphosa has ‘mild symptoms’ after positive Covid test | Covid live: Thailand to speed up booster jab roll-out; SA president Ramaphosa has ‘mild symptoms’ after positive Covid test |
(32 minutes later) | |
Thailand halves to three months time between administering second shot and a booster; 69 year-old South African president tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday | Thailand halves to three months time between administering second shot and a booster; 69 year-old South African president tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday |
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic the president of one of the largest Native American– run non-profits has warned that health and economic disparities are still seriously affecting Indigenous communities, despite some progress achieved by the Biden administration. | |
Josh Arce, president of the Partnerships with Native Americans (PWNA), told the Guardian in an interview that challenges affecting Indigenous groups ranged from health inequities such as high rates of diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses to inadequate infrastructure such as running water and reliable electricity. Nearly all of these problems were worsened by the pandemic. | |
“The issues are, by and large, some of the same issues that we’ve been confronted with but they’ve been really highlighted and exacerbated by Covid-19 throughout the past two and a half years,” said Arce, who added that such challenges “really permeate all aspects of Native life and communities”. | |
For centuries, Indigenous communities in the US have faced challenges in public health, education, infrastructure and other areas, an aftershock of violent colonization and widespread racism. | |
While the Biden administration has marked some progress, such as the appointment of Native American Deb Haaland as secretary of the Interior, an achievement that Arce noted was critical and brought hope to Native communities, Arce warned that more action is needed to ensure more progress for Indigenous communities in the US. | |
Read more of Gloria Oladipo’s report here: Native American communities lashed by Covid, worsening chronic inequities | |
India has reported its lowest tally of active Covid-19 cases in 18 months, but a sharp drop in the use of protective face masks is causing concern after a rise in the number of infections with the Omicron variant. | India has reported its lowest tally of active Covid-19 cases in 18 months, but a sharp drop in the use of protective face masks is causing concern after a rise in the number of infections with the Omicron variant. |
Many people have been standing or sitting close to each other without masks, or covering only their chins, at big rallies held by political parties in several states before elections. Something similar happened before the Delta variant ravaged India from April. | Many people have been standing or sitting close to each other without masks, or covering only their chins, at big rallies held by political parties in several states before elections. Something similar happened before the Delta variant ravaged India from April. |
Cases have come down sharply since then, with an active Covid-19 total of 91,456 as of early Monday, the lowest in 561 days, according to the health ministry. | Cases have come down sharply since then, with an active Covid-19 total of 91,456 as of early Monday, the lowest in 561 days, according to the health ministry. |
Krishna N Das and Chandini Monnappa report for Reuters that cases of the Omicron variant though have risen to at least 36 in India, and accounted for 3% of the virus sequences analysed in the country in the past two weeks, with Delta accounting for the rest. Health authorities have been urging people to cover their mouths in public. | Krishna N Das and Chandini Monnappa report for Reuters that cases of the Omicron variant though have risen to at least 36 in India, and accounted for 3% of the virus sequences analysed in the country in the past two weeks, with Delta accounting for the rest. Health authorities have been urging people to cover their mouths in public. |
“The falling graph of mask use could cost us,” top Indian health official Vinod Kumar Paul told a recent news briefing. “Mask is a universal vaccine, works on every variant.” | “The falling graph of mask use could cost us,” top Indian health official Vinod Kumar Paul told a recent news briefing. “Mask is a universal vaccine, works on every variant.” |
France will be hit by a sixth Covid-19 wave next month due to the emergence of the new, more contagious, Omicron variant of the disease while the country is still in the midst of the current, Delta-fuelled, fifth wave of the pandemic, according to a leading French hospital executive. | France will be hit by a sixth Covid-19 wave next month due to the emergence of the new, more contagious, Omicron variant of the disease while the country is still in the midst of the current, Delta-fuelled, fifth wave of the pandemic, according to a leading French hospital executive. |
“We haven’t said a word on the sixth wave, which is Omicron, which will come later, in January,” Martin Hirsch, head of Paris’s AP-HP hospitals group, Europe’s largest hospital system, told RTL radio according to Reuters. | “We haven’t said a word on the sixth wave, which is Omicron, which will come later, in January,” Martin Hirsch, head of Paris’s AP-HP hospitals group, Europe’s largest hospital system, told RTL radio according to Reuters. |
Pakistan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, in the country’s most populous city of Karachi, the country’s National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Monday. | Pakistan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, in the country’s most populous city of Karachi, the country’s National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Monday. |
“The NIH has been able to confirm … that a recently suspected sample from Karachi is indeed the ‘Omicron variant’,” the NIH said in a Tweet. “This is the first confirmed case but continued surveillance of suspected samples is in place to identify the trends.” | “The NIH has been able to confirm … that a recently suspected sample from Karachi is indeed the ‘Omicron variant’,” the NIH said in a Tweet. “This is the first confirmed case but continued surveillance of suspected samples is in place to identify the trends.” |
Authorities in the south Asian nation had begun investigating a first suspected case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus last week, a health ministry official told Reuters on Thursday. | Authorities in the south Asian nation had begun investigating a first suspected case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus last week, a health ministry official told Reuters on Thursday. |
After a provincial official in southern Sindh province initially said the variant had been identified in a private hospital patient, the NIH had then said they were still carrying out sequencing to confirm the case was that of Omicron. | After a provincial official in southern Sindh province initially said the variant had been identified in a private hospital patient, the NIH had then said they were still carrying out sequencing to confirm the case was that of Omicron. |
Pakistan this month placed travel restrictions on several countries in southern Africa in the wake of the discovery of the variant. | Pakistan this month placed travel restrictions on several countries in southern Africa in the wake of the discovery of the variant. |
Andrew Sparrow has launched our UK Covid and politics live blog here, so he will be picking up further UK developments there. | Andrew Sparrow has launched our UK Covid and politics live blog here, so he will be picking up further UK developments there. |
I’ll be continuing here with the latest coronavirus news from around the globe. | I’ll be continuing here with the latest coronavirus news from around the globe. |
Stephen Reicher, professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews, urged people to “think carefully” about their social contacts in the run-up to Christmas. PA Media quotes the member of government advisory body the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) told ITV’s Good Morning Britain saying: | Stephen Reicher, professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews, urged people to “think carefully” about their social contacts in the run-up to Christmas. PA Media quotes the member of government advisory body the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) told ITV’s Good Morning Britain saying: |
We won’t get any official figures on the impact of England’s new “work from home if possible” directive on transport for a few hours yet, but ITV’s London political correspondent Simon Harris has just posted a picture of his very empty commute this morning. | We won’t get any official figures on the impact of England’s new “work from home if possible” directive on transport for a few hours yet, but ITV’s London political correspondent Simon Harris has just posted a picture of his very empty commute this morning. |
Some follow-up on the latest Omicron concerns in Wales, where Cathy Owen reports for WalesOnline that health minister Eluned Morgan has warned new restrictions might be needed. Owen writes: | Some follow-up on the latest Omicron concerns in Wales, where Cathy Owen reports for WalesOnline that health minister Eluned Morgan has warned new restrictions might be needed. Owen writes: |
In response to Boris Johnson’s televised statement yesterday, first minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said: | In response to Boris Johnson’s televised statement yesterday, first minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said: |
Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf has been on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme today, and said that it was “inevitable” that first minister Nicola Sturgeon would announce further anti-Covid measures when she addresses the Scottish parliament tomorrow. | Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf has been on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme today, and said that it was “inevitable” that first minister Nicola Sturgeon would announce further anti-Covid measures when she addresses the Scottish parliament tomorrow. |
Sturgeon has said that following yesterday’s television address by the UK’s prime minister, Scotland would also be expanding its booster programme. The BBC quote her saying: | Sturgeon has said that following yesterday’s television address by the UK’s prime minister, Scotland would also be expanding its booster programme. The BBC quote her saying: |
Thailand will halve to three months the time between administering a second Covid-19 vaccine shot and a booster, a health official said on Monday, to try to strengthen immunity in anticipation of a local spread of the Omicron variant. | Thailand will halve to three months the time between administering a second Covid-19 vaccine shot and a booster, a health official said on Monday, to try to strengthen immunity in anticipation of a local spread of the Omicron variant. |
Reuters report that Thailand has so far detected eight imported cases of the Omicron variant but has yet to see community transmission, according to its health ministry. Omicron has been reported in dozens of countries. | Reuters report that Thailand has so far detected eight imported cases of the Omicron variant but has yet to see community transmission, according to its health ministry. Omicron has been reported in dozens of countries. |
“Because Omicron is now widespread, the booster third shot would help lessen the severity of symptoms and reduce the death rate,” said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesperson for the government’s Covid taskforce. | “Because Omicron is now widespread, the booster third shot would help lessen the severity of symptoms and reduce the death rate,” said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesperson for the government’s Covid taskforce. |
Taweesin said recipients of a second shot in August or September could get boosters right away at any vaccine centre nationwide. More than 43 million people – or 60% of people in Thailand – have received two doses of a vaccine so far. | Taweesin said recipients of a second shot in August or September could get boosters right away at any vaccine centre nationwide. More than 43 million people – or 60% of people in Thailand – have received two doses of a vaccine so far. |