LIVE: Two SA returnees test Covid positive in Bengaluru; Omicron reaches UK

Two linked cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in Britain connected to travel to southern Africa, health minister Sajid Javid said on Saturday

3:33 AM

Study on 2 booster candidates to anticipate omicron-like mutations: Moderna

US-based pharmaceutical company is studying two booster candidates designed to anticipate mutations similar to the Omicron Coronavirus (COVID-19) variant.

On Friday, the US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna stated that it is examining two booster shots candidates. The examination is being done to check mutations similar to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, reported Sputnik.

The Omicron COVID-19 variant was found first in South Africa this week.

3:33 AM

Study on 2 booster candidates to anticipate omicron-like mutations: Moderna

US-based pharmaceutical company is studying two booster candidates designed to anticipate mutations similar to the Omicron Coronavirus (COVID-19) variant.

On Friday, the US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna stated that it is examining two booster shots candidates. The examination is being done to check mutations similar to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, reported Sputnik.

The Omicron COVID-19 variant was found first in South Africa this week.

3:00 AM

World races to contain new COVID threat, the omicron variant

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has raced to contain a new coronavirus variant potentially more dangerous than the one that has fuelled relentless waves of infection on nearly every continent.

 

A World Health Organization panel named the variant omicron and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the predominant delta variant, which is still a scourge driving higher cases of sickness and death in Europe and parts of the United States.

2:40 AM

Africa's Covid-19 cases near 8.62 mn: Africa CDC

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 8,616,912 as of Friday afternoon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

 

The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union (AU), said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 222,301, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Some 8,064,499 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far, according to the CDC.

2:31 AM

Pfizer, BioNTech not sure on vaccines' effectiveness on new COVID variant 'Omicron'

The pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech on Saturday issued a statement stating that they are not sure whether their vaccines would be able to help in the treatment of the new COVID-19 variant 'Omicron'.

 

The companies also promised to develop a new vaccine against the variant in about 100 days, Sputnik reported.

 

This came after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it identified a new COVID-19 strain, the B.1.1.529 that was initially found in southern Africa. WHO named the variant with the Greek letter 'Omicron'.

 

2:16 AM

South African Health Minister calls travel bans by countries over new COVID variant 'Omicron' as unjustified

South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla on Friday termed the countries' decision of imposing restrictions on travellers from the country amid concerns over the detection of 'Omicron' COVID-19 variant as 'unjustified' and said there is no proof that the new COVID variant is more dangerous or resistant to vaccines.

 

The reaction came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as 'Omicron' and alarmed the siren among countries of the new variant.

 

As reported by Sputnik, Joe Phaahla said that the reaction of countries in Europe and other regions to the emergence of a new coronavirus strain is "unjustified," as currently there is no proof that it is more dangerous or resistant to vaccines.

2:16 AM

Number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil rises by 12,392 to over 22.06 million

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 12,392 to 22,067,630 within the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Friday.

 

According to the ministry, the death toll has risen by 315 to 613,957 people within the same period of time.

 

More than 21.28 million patients have recovered since the start of the outbreak.

1:58 AM

Singapore reports 1,090 new Covid-19 cases

Singapore has recorded 1,090 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total tally to 259,875, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement.

 

Of the new cases recorded on Friday, 1,064 were reported in the community and 22 in migrant worker dormitories while four were imported cases, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

A total of 1,233 cases are currently hospitalised. Of these, 214 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 33 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 52 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 54.2 per cent, said the MOH.

 

1:49 AM

New Covid-19 variant 'Omicron' triggers global alarm, market sell-off

The discovery of a new coronavirus variant named Omicron triggered global alarm on Friday as countries rushed to suspend travel from southern Africa and stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic suffered their biggest falls in more than a year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Omicron may spread more quickly than other forms, and preliminary evidence suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection.

1:48 AM

WTO postpones major meeting amid fears of new Covid-19 variant

The World Trade Organization (WTO) became the first major diplomatic casualty of the new coronavirus variant on Friday when it postponed its first ministerial meeting in four years due to the deteriorating health situation, Geneva-based sources said. Ministers from WTO members were due to gather next week for a meeting widely seen as a test of the WTO's relevance.

 

1:47 AM

AstraZeneca examining impact of new Covid-19 variant on vaccine

AstraZeneca said on Friday it was examining the impact of a new coronavirus variant that is spreading rapidly in South Africa on its vaccine and its antibody cocktail, adding it was hopeful its combination drug would retain efficacy.
 

The WHO on Friday designated a new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, detected in South Africa with a large number of mutations, as being "of concern".

 

1:46 AM

UK investigates new Covid variant, 6 African countries on travel ban see red

The UK's health authorities have confirmed that a new and most significant variant of COVID-19 is officially under investigation in the country as the World Health Organisation categorised it as a variant of concern and named it Omicron.

1:45 AM

India releases list of 'at-risk' countries after new Covid variant found

Scheduled international flights to and from India will be resumed from December 15 after 20 months of coronavirus-induced suspension, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Friday.

 

The Health Ministry on Friday said the countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel have been put in the 'at-risk' category.

 

1:45 AM

WHO designates new Covid strain as variant of concern, names it 'Omicron'

The new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, first detected from South Africa this week, was on Friday designated as a “Variant of Concern” by the World Health Organisation, which named it “Omicron”.

 

A “variant of concern” is the WHO's top category of worrying Covid variants.