COVID-19 News And Updates

Doctors say any delay in new measures against Omicron coronavirus variant risks adding to UK’s high death toll Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Downing Street should not wait for hospitals to start being overwhelmed by Omicron coronavirus cases before moving to “plan B”, senior doctors and NHS leaders have warned. Any delay in ramping up measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 would be “bizarre” and risk further adding to Britain’s already high death toll from the disease, one leading doctor said. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Mark Meadows makes stunning admission in new memoir obtained by Guardian, saying a second test returned negative Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19 three days before his first debate against Joe Biden, the former president’s fourth and last chief of staff has revealed in a new book. Mark Meadows also writes that though he knew each candidate was required “to test negative for the virus within seventy two hours of the start time … Nothing was going to stop [Trump] from going out there”. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Head of replacement workforce tells inquest of ‘desperation’ as residents couldn’t be identified amid Covid outbreak Get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates Staff brought in to replace workers at a Melbourne aged care home during a Covid outbreak in 2020 had trouble identifying residents, and one senior nurse was so worried about patient safety he refused to return for another shift, an inquest has been told. Nurse Angela Cox was brought in to lead a fresh workforce when all staff at St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner were stood down as Covid-19 close contacts. She contracted the virus while working there. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Upper house MPs spend 21 hours debating controversial legislation, which will now return to the lower house Get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing A final vote on the Victorian government’s Covid pandemic legislation could still be days away, after upper house MPs sat through the night debating it. Debate on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill began in the Legislative Council about 3pm Tuesday and ended more than 21 hours later about 12.15pm on Wednesday. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

US, Japan and Singapore tighten rules for travellers but WHO says ‘blanket bans’ won’t contain the new Covid strain Follow updates in the pandemic here See all our coronavirus coverage here The World Health Organization has said those not fully vaccinated who are vulnerable to Covid-19, including over-60s, should delay travel to areas with community transmission, as more countries imposed curbs to combat the spread of the new Omicron variant. The moves came as the WHO said “blanket bans” would not contain the strain of the virus which it previously warned presents a “very high” risk globally. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Research suggests serious bouts of illness with virus may significantly damage long-term health Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Patients who survive severe Covid are more than twice as likely to die over the following year than those who remain uninfected or experience milder virus symptoms, a study says. The research, published in Frontiers in Medicine , suggests that serious coronavirus infections may significantly damage long-term health, showing the importance of vaccination. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Scientists are working full tilt to answer these vital questions that may give clues as to what is to come Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage As new cases of Omicron continue to emerge in the UK, scientists are working full tilt to answer two vital questions: when did the variant arrive and is it spreading? While at first glance those queries may seem less important than those around vaccine effectiveness or disease severity, the answers may give important clues as to what is to come. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

First minister says none of the nine people found to have been infected with new variant required hospital care Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage All nine cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland trace back to a “single private event” held on 20 November, Nicola Sturgeon has told the Holyrood parliament in her weekly Covid update. The first minister told MSPs that all nine were tested on or around 23 November and that none had so far required hospital care, nor had they any recent travel history to the countries in southern Africa where the variant was originally detected. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Government to go ahead with move from February after consulting scientists and legal experts Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Austria is pushing ahead with plans to make vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory among its wider population from February, the country’s coalition government has announced after consulting scientists and legal experts. “We didn’t want a vaccine mandate, let me make that explicit,” the minister for EU and constitutional affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, said. “But 20 months on from the start of the pandemic we are in a situation that is dramatic if you look at intensive care units at hospitals.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

House to introduce stopgap bill to extend government funding Schumer and McConnell still in talks of raising US debt limit Sign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by email It’s Tuesday, and the clock is ticking toward the latest deadline – Friday 3 December – for the federal government to run out of funding. And then we have the small matter of the debt limit , the arbitrary borrowing cap that is raised each year to prevent the US from defaulting on its debts – a move that would cause economic catastrophe . The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen , has said the US can meet its obligations till 15 December or so. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

In London and Manchester more people have face coverings but some complain of being ‘controlled’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The new masks mandate on public transport and in shops in England was patchily observed in London and Manchester on Tuesday morning, judging by a Guardian snapshot survey. But as the public balanced frustration at new restrictions with hope they could prevent another lockdown, there were clear signs far more people were covering their faces. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Lara Logan compares top US infectious diseases expert to Dr Josef Mengele who experimented on Jews in concentration camps A Fox News commentator has stoked outrage by comparing Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, to Josef Mengele, the Nazi “ Angel of Death ”. Lara Logan , a host on the Fox Nation streaming service, was discussing Omicron on Fox News Prime Time on Monday night. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Two cases of the new Covid variant found in the Netherlands predate last week’s alert from South Africa The Omicron variant of Covid-19 was present in Europe at least 10 days ago, even before South African health experts alerted the world to their concerns around the transmissibility of the newly identified variant. The Dutch health authority said it had found the Omicron variant in two local cases going back 11 days, showing it was already in western Europe’s heartland before the reports came out of South Africa on 24 November. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As the UK accelerates its Covid vaccination programme, some have already had difficulties Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK has announced it is to accelerate its booster programme in order to increase protection against Covid amid concern over the Omicron variant. The government accepted advice from the vaccines watchdog, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to cut the gap between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster from six to three months and for it to be made available to younger age groups more quickly. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Boris Johnson faces minor rebellion in Commons vote on measures to curb spread of Omicron variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Some Tory MPs fear that tougher Covid rules that come in to force in England on Tuesday are a “gateway to lockdown over Christmas”, as they prepare to mount a small rebellion in the vote on new measures to tackle the Omicron variant. A handful of Boris Johnson’s backbenchers plan to oppose the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing to settings such as shops and public transport for the next three weeks, and as many as a few dozen are likely to vote against tightening up isolation rules until March. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

It’s funny that so many of those who bang on about the ‘war effort’ seem unable to do something minor for the public good While the scientists work out how bad the Omicron variant is or isn’t , the government has reimposed mask-wearing in shops and on public transport for at least the next three weeks. Consequently, a number of prams have been swiftly emptied of all toys. Across the airwaves – and up and down the train carriages and the supermarket aisles – you can find multiple refuseniks who suffer from the pandemic version of that old sexual problem: being “too big for condoms”. To those who have reacted to the precautionary mask-wearing mandate with histrionics and aggression, I think we have to say, very clearly: DO BUCK UP. This really isn’t the attitude that won us the war. Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Why did the nation let its guard down this autumn, get back on the tube and into football grounds? Because we felt it was worth it It is incredible to think of where we were this time last year: nearly a month into a national lockdown, with the prime minister’s promise of Christmas bubbles planned for but never quite believed, and the atmospheric sense that every stranger represented a threat. We talked a lot about hugs, and stayed miles apart in the Tesco Metro. It was, in short, like living in a 1950s sci-fi dystopia, a subdued life of managed disturbance, just before something absolutely terrible happens. Now all our thoughts are on the Omicron strain , and the gear change, from complacency to deja vu, is pretty lurching. The new daily case rates this time last year were averaging nearly 16,000; this week’s daily average is around 43,000 . It’s an imperfect, even daft comparison, since the vaccine was yet to be cleared, let alone administered, and we hadn’t mingled for nearly a m

Stock markets dip as CEO says firms may struggle in targeting both new strain and existing Covid variants The chief executive of the US drugmaker Moderna has predicted that existing vaccines will be less effective against Omicron than they have been against the Delta version, sending global stock markets sharply lower. Stéphane Bancel said while it would take two weeks to get data on how the existing vaccines perform against the new Covid variant – and whether it causes severe disease – it would take several months to tweak the current vaccines to tackle Omicron. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

‘Best hope’ for containing the new variant is worldwide vaccine campaign where rates are low, public health experts say As new cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant are uncovered across the globe and threaten to spread in America, US officials are reacting by urging vaccinations and boosters instead of imposing restrictions which have increasingly provoked political fights. But the US should quickly invest in other tools as well, experts said, including testing, genomic sequencing and surveillance, better communication, and a strong focus on global vaccine equity to prevent the emergence of new variants. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Health chief says reducing social contacts and getting booster jabs could help keep new variant’s spread at bay Top UK health official cautions against festive season social events As rules on face masks return, what exactly is the law? View from South Africa: milder symptoms but not to be underestimated Entry bans spread as China pledges 1bn vaccine doses for Africa See all our coronavirus coverage Good morning. We’ve got another day where politics will be largely dominated by news and debate about the measures being taken in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant. There will be a debate and vote in the Commons, statements from the Scottish and Welsh governments, and a press conference from Boris Johnson this afternoon, focusing on booster vaccines. And this morning Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has been on the Today programme. The new Covid restrictions for England announced by the government were relatively minimal com

UK Health Security Agency chief says restricting socialising can help curb spread of Omicron variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Christmas parties and other social events in the festive period should not go ahead if they are not necessary in order to help slow the spread of the new Covid variant, one of the UK’s most senior health officials has suggested. Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, urged everyone in the UK to cut down their social contact – even if only by a little – as fears grow that existing vaccines will prove less effective against Omicron than against other variants. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

British Medical Association and Trades Unions Congress add to calls for No 10 to step up preparations Doctors and trade unions have joined forces with families bereaved by Covid to highlight issues ranging from border controls to the supply of face masks that they want addressed by next year’s public inquiry into the UK’s handling of the pandemic. The British Medical Association, Trades Union Congress, the Independent Sage group of scientists and human rights campaigners are presenting a united front with Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice to increase pressure on Downing Street to step up preparations for the inquiry. Pandemic preparations Public health measures Support for NHS staff, hospitals and care homes Border controls PPE and procurement Vulnerable households 111 services Support for frontline workers Inequalities related to race, disability and regions Differences between devolved nations Prisons and immigration centres Migrants and refugees and the homeless.

Concerns over new Covid travel restrictions have hit near-term bookings but summer sales still holding up, says carrier EasyJet said near-term bookings had weakened since the new Omicron variant was identified amid concerns over travel restrictions, but it still expects passenger numbers to return to close to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the summer. The airline reported a loss before tax of £1.1bn for the year to 30 September, wider than the £835m loss made in 2020, but the figure was better than analysts had expected. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

New data from England shows that of those pregnant women in hospital with Covid, 98% are unvaccinated Lucy Chappell is the chief scientific adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care As an obstetrician, I know first-hand the highs and lows that women experience when having a baby. It can be hugely rewarding for many and a daunting experience for some. Over the past months, the pandemic has added a great deal of uncertainty to the experience of pregnant women and those considering becoming parents. We know how dangerous the virus can be for pregnant women. The data published over recent months has been heartbreaking. Between July and October in England, one in five Covid patients receiving NHS treatment through a special lung-bypass machine were pregnant women who had not had their first jab. Around one in five women who are hospitalised with the virus need to be delivered preterm to help them recover – and one in five of their babies need care in the neonatal unit. New

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news FT: Moderna chief predicts existing vaccines will struggle with Omicron Japan’s Nikkei falls 1.6%; European markets to drop Australian dollar drops to one-year low Covid news live: Hong Kong widens ban on non-resident arrivals, mask mandates return in England Covid: as rules on mask wearing in England return, what exactly is the law? The oil price has dropped to its lowest level since mid-September, on renewed worries that Omicron could slow the global recovery. Brent crude is down 2.8% at $71.40 per barrel, an 11-week low. It plunged over 10% on Friday, when concerns about the variant first hit markets, before stabilising yesterday. Cautious positivity soon gave way to pessimism in late Asia trading on comments from the Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel to the FT, who predicted existing vaccines would struggle with the Omicron variant and who warned it would take months for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture enough ja

The Parkers Arms in Lancashire is fully booked for Christmas but its owner fears new variant could flatten festive spirit Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Parkers Arms in rural Lancashire is freezing cold and cannot take bookings over the phone, at least for now. Four days ago, Storm Arwen took out the power lines and telephone wires linking this rural Lancashire gastropub to the outside world. Its ever-optimistic proprietor, Stosie Madi, expects normal service to resume by the weekend at the pub in Newton-in-Bowland. But now – like the rest of the hospitality sector – she has a new worry on her mind: the Omicron variant of Covid-19 . Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Hong Kong and Ecuador join ranks of countries imposing new restrictions, cases rise in Australia and Canada, but stock markets bounce back Follow updates in the pandemic here See all our coronavirus coverage here More countries have imposed travel restrictions on visitors from other parts of the world in order to try to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, as China pledged to send 600m vaccine doses to Africa. As the number of cases of Omicron continued to grow around the world, Hong Kong widened its ban on non-residents entering the city on Tuesday to include visitors who have been to Australia, Canada, Israel or six European countries in the past 21 days. Non-resident arrivals from four southern African nations have already been barred. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

While anecdotal accounts suggest the variant may cause less severe illness and it will take weeks for definitive data Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage As the world scrambles to contain the new variant, some are hopefully seizing on anecdotal reports from South Africa that it may cause only mild illness. But although previous variants of the coronavirus have been associated with different symptoms and severity, it would be dangerous to assume that Omicron is a viral pussy cat, experts say. At a briefing convened by South Africa’s Department of Health on Monday, Unben Pillay, a GP from practising in Midrand on the outskirts of Johannesburg, said that while “it is still early days” the cases he was seeing were typically mild: “We are seeing patients present with dry cough, fever, night sweats and a lot of body pains. Vaccinated people tend to do much better.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Prime minister says ‘we’re not going back to lockdowns’ ahead of national cabinet meeting Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates Get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing Scott Morrison has urged state premiers to “not get spooked” by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and hold their nerve on internal border closures, while attempting to assure Australians their plans for a more normal Christmas remain on track. The prime minister will meet with premiers and territory chief ministers at a national cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon, as NSW Health said it had detected a likely fifth case of the new variant in the state. The Northern Territory confirmed a case on Monday. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Time is needed for informed economic judgments on new Covid development Amateur virology is all the rage in the City. Analysts who would normally be more at home inputting some seasonally adjusted labour market data into a spreadsheet now find they can’t explain what is likely to happen to the economy without understanding how viruses spread. When news emerged of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 last week it was the signal for financial markets everywhere to take a tumble. That was an entirely rational response: stock markets were not prepared for a potentially dangerous new strain of the virus and the sensible thing to do was to mark down share prices. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Sajid Javid has announced changes to the UK's coronavirus vaccine booster programme, including advising that all adults in the country should be offered third doses from just three months after their second vaccinations. Speaking in the Commons, the health secretary outlined this and other changes aimed at speeding up booster vaccinations as the government scrambles to limit the spread of the new Omicron variant UK’s minimum gap for Covid booster jabs to be halved to three months Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Watchdog advises widening of booster vaccination scheme to tackle new coronavirus variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage All adults in the UK should be offered booster jabs from just three months after their second vaccinations as the government’s advisers speeded up the programme to limit the spread of the Omicron variant. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) announced that the waiting time was being cut for all adults, with priority for booking to be decided by the NHS. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Masks alone are not enough to protect those most at risk. Now millions are wondering how they’ll get through the winter Faux ruffled hair. Solemn tone. Boris Johnson’s emergency address this weekend about the new Omicron variant felt like a return to the old days of the pandemic. The measures announced, though, were hardly significant: for example, introducing mandatory masks in shops and on public transport only brings England in line with what the other home nations have long been doing, and hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants aren’t included in the new rules. This is far removed from the long discussed “plan B” – including working from home guidance and Covid passports – that some leading medics have been calling on ministers to implement for more than a month, but that is being resisted by Tory backbenchers. Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist and author of Crippled: Austerity and the Demonisation of Disabled People Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardia

WHO says new variant poses ‘very high’ global risk President to deliver remarks; no cases identified in US so far Sign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by email Ahoy there, live blog readers. Let’s strap in for the week, shall we? Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks at the White House twice today. He’s sure to field questions about supposedly impending economic doom but the main purposes of the remarks will be the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant (first, at 11.45am ET) and issues with the supply chain (second, at 3.45pm ET). Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

US dictionary publisher says searches for the word soared from the pre-pandemic days of 2019 From questions over mandates to concerns over global distribution, “vaccine” has been the clear word of the year, according to dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. The choice of word of 2021 was a seemingly obvious one for the US publisher, which said searches for “vaccine” on its website increased by 601% compared to last year, amid a broad rollout of vaccinations for Covid-19. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As new travel restrictions come into effect, we answer the key questions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The government has announced travel measures to tackle the new Omicron coronavirus variant. From 4am on November 30, anyone who enters the UK must take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until they have received a negative result. Prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced the measures at a press conference at the weekend, just weeks after international travel rules were eased to allow cheaper lateral flow tests. complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England self-isolate take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after you arrive (lateral flow tests will not be accepted). You cannot use an NHS test for this. You must use a private test provider. Take a Covid-19 test (antigen test, LAMP test or PCR test) in the three days before you return. If your test result

Exclusive: Some may predate earliest cases of new variant found in South Africa last week Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Scientific advisers are bracing themselves for hundreds of UK cases of the Omicron Covid variant to be confirmed in the next week or so, the Guardian has learned. Some of them may predate the earliest cases of Omicron found in South Africa last week but could still be linked to travellers returning from the country, it is understood. Evidence of community transmission also emerged on Monday. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Big chains say enforcing fresh restrictions amid Omicron variant can be a ‘trigger for abuse’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Retailers have said they cannot be expected to police the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing in shops in England from Tuesday as enforcing the rules can be a “trigger for abuse”. Richard Walker, the boss of the Iceland grocery chain, said he was “supportive” of the change in mask policy introduced in response to the Omicron variant , but added: “My store colleagues can’t be expected to police those who refuse.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Return of mandatory face coverings broadly welcomed, but with calls for measure to be properly policed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Transport operators, unions and passenger groups have backed the return of mandatory mask-wearing on buses and trains in England – but raised concerns about enforcement. Passengers will need to wear masks on public transport across the country from Tuesday under measures to combat the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, bringing England back into line with the rest of the UK. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Bank of England’s October figures follow frenzied few months when stamp duty breaks led to rush to buy The number of mortgages approved for UK house purchases fell to its lowest level in 16 months in October as the “distortive effect” of the stamp duty holiday came to an end. Figures from the Bank of England showed that 67,200 new homebuyer mortgages were approved during the month, down from 71,851 and well below the high of 104,547 recorded in November 2020. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford call for Cobra meeting and tougher travel rules amid spread of Covid variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson has been urged to introduce far tougher travel restrictions on travellers from abroad by the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, as six new cases of the Omnicron variant emerged in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, and Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, also urged Johnson to host an urgent meeting of Cobra, the UK government’s emergency planning committee, to agree a common approach. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Contact tracers establish link to primary school after identifying cases in nearby church and KFC Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Pupils and staff at a primary school in Brentwood are being tested for the Omicron Covid-19 variant amid a widening outbreak in the Essex town linked to cases in Nottingham and travel to southern Africa. Essex county council contact tracers established the link to Larchwood Primary school after identifying cases of the “variant of concern” on Sunday in the nearby Trinity Church and a branch of the KFC fried chicken restaurant on Brentwood High Street. One class is undergoing remote learning. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Covid has shown that the market cannot solve a global crisis. Now countries such as Britain must realise that too Late on Friday, with only days to go until its 12th summit was due to commence, the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that its most important meeting of the year couldn’t proceed. With alarm spreading about the Omicron Covid-19 variant, the WTO’s host country, Switzerland, closed its borders to southern Africa and introduced quarantine restrictions for visitors from Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong, where cases have been detected, making travel for many government delegations impossible. The summit, billed as critical for an institution in crisis, is now indefinitely postponed. The irony, not lost on many delegates from Africa, Asia and Latin America, is that global trade rules overseen by the WTO are actually at the heart of the dreadful situation the world is now confronting. Nick Dearden is director of Global Justice Now Continue reading... Coronavirus | The G

The UK health minister, Edward Argar, has said he expects cases of the new Omicron Covid variant to rise after a number of infections were confirmed in Britain. New restrictions are being imposed this week in an attempt to limit the spread of the variant, first identified in South Africa, which scientists fear could be highly transmissible and  evade some vaccine protections . Argar reiterated comments that ministers were hopeful that 'swift, precautionary steps' would mean no extra measures would be needed to combat the new variant. Six Omicron cases found in Scotland as ministers resist calls for tougher rules Coronavirus live news Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Gallup survey reveals the two countries have the world’s highest levels of trust in scientists, with 62% saying they trust them ‘a lot’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage As the Covid-19 pandemic raged, New Zealanders and Australians developed the world’s highest levels of trust in scientists, newly released survey data has found – and those trust levels soared as the global crisis evolved. The Wellcome Global Monitor, conducted by Gallup, surveyed 119,000 people across 113 countries. It found 62% of the two countries’ citizens said they trusted scientists “a lot”, compared with a global average of 41%. While trust in scientists had increased around the world since 2018, the portion who said they trusted scientists a lot jumped 15 percentage points in Australia and New Zealand, compared with nine points elsewhere. In 2018, western Europe had had the highest levels of trust in scientists, but they were overtaken in the past two years. Continue reading..

Latest updates: Edward Argar says ‘we would expect to see the number of cases rise’ as Scotland announces six Omicron cases Six Omicron cases found in Scotland as ministers resist calls for tougher rules The government has announced that, in England, it will be compulsory to wear masks in shops and on public transport from tomorrow. This will move England closer to the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where rules on mask wearing have constitently been tougher than in England. But, as the Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith points out, in England there are plenty of venues where masks remain voluntary. We think we should be encouraging people to wear masks when we’re all mixing indoors, as much as possible. So we would recommend that people do wear masks when they’re out and about, specially when they’re moving around venues. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Scottish government says four of the cases were in the Lanarkshire area, with two in Greater Glasgow and Clyde Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Six cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been confirmed in Scotland, Scottish health officials have said. It trebles the number of cases found around the UK, as ministers face calls for tougher rules on mask use and travel tests. Four cases are in the Lanarkshire area, with two found in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, Scotland’s health department said in a statement . The three cases identified before this had all been in England. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

UN agency urges acceleration of vaccination of high-priority groups to tackle spread of variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid-19 surges could have “severe consequences” in some areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The UN agency, in technical advice to its 194 member states, urged them to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups and ensure mitigation plans are in place” to maintain essential health services. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Woman and man left hotel where they were in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Dutch military police say they have arrested a married couple who left a hotel where they were in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 and were attempting to flee the country. The couple were arrested “in an airplane that was about to depart”, the police force, known as the Marechaussee, said in a statement. It was unclear whether they had tested positive for the new Omicron coronavirus variant. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Introduction: Asia-Pacific markets have dropped on Omicron fears Airline stock hit…but Europe set to rally as oil recovers What does appearance of Omicron variant mean for the double-vaccinated? On Friday, FTSE 100 hit by biggest fall since June 2020 amid new variant fears Covid live news: Omicron variant detected in Canada as Japan closes borders to new foreign arrivals South Africa’s rand has recovered some of Friday’s losses, when it tumbled to a one-year low after the new Covid-19 variant spooked investors. Reuters has the details: South Africa’s rand firmed early on Monday, recovering from last week’s plunge to its lowest since October 2020 on concerns around the discovery of a COVID-19 variant in the country that has been described as the most concerning. Stock markets also recovered, after hospitality shares fell sharply on the news a host of countries would bar travel from southern Africa, hitting hopes of a

Bodies in 28 countries file appeal for waiver of intellectual property agreement and end to ‘grossly unjust’ distribution of jabs Nursing unions in 28 countries have filed a formal appeal with the United Nations over the refusal of the UK, EU and others to temporarily waive patents for Covid vaccines, saying this has cost huge numbers of lives in developing nations. The letter, sent on Monday on behalf of unions representing more than 2.5 million healthcare workers, said staff have witnessed at first hand the “staggering numbers of deaths and the immense suffering caused by political inaction”. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

South African president and WHO’s Africa chief urge against travel bans, saying they ‘attack global solidarity’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage G7 health ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Monday about the new Omicron Covid-19 variant spreading across the world and forcing border closures, as experts race to determine the level of threat posed by the new strain. The meeting was called by G7 chair Britain, which is among a steadily growing number of countries that have detected cases of the heavily mutated new variant. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Scott Morrison brings forward national cabinet meeting to discuss Australia’s response and potential further restrictions Follow our live blog for the latest Covid developments Omicron: everything you need to know about new Covid variant Download the free Guardian app ; get our morning email briefing New South Wales is investigating the possibility of further cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 as the premier, Dominic Perrottet, has warned against “knee-jerk” reactions to the new strain. The NSW health department said on Monday that urgent genomic testing was underway to determine if two passengers who arrived on a flight on Sunday and tested positive to Covid had the new variant. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Stamp duty holiday also spurred sales with one in 14 homes set to change hands in 2021, says online property portal Zoopla This year’s property market is poised to become the busiest for 14 years, with one in 16 privately owned homes on course to change hands by the end of December, according to new data. The property website Zoopla also said the annual rate of UK house price growth was running at 6.9% – up from 3.5% in the same month last year – and that the average cost of a home had risen by £15,500 over the past 12 months. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has expressed disappointment at countries that have imposed travel bans on southern African countries after the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant. Omicron, named a 'variant of concern' by the World  Health  Organization on Friday, saw its first cases in  South Africa , Botswana and Hong Kong and is potentially more contagious than previous variants, although experts do not know yet if it will cause more severe illness Coronavirus: latest global updates Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Passengers on flight with two passengers who tested positive to the new coronavirus variant told to isolate for two weeks. Follow all the news live Australia confirms first Omicron cases Victoria, Queensland fume over federal climate intervention Omicron: everything you need to know about new Covid variant Download the free Guardian app ; get our morning email briefing Over on ABC News Breakfast, Bill Shorten responded to the current deputy prime minister: What really frustrates me is that this Government’s constantly surprised. Like every day is Groundhog Day with them. What I’m referring to is - if we’re going to bring travellers in, and I really support Australians being able to come home, we need to have an effective quarantine system. There will be new variants and they’ll continue on. And you know, the economy won’t work, society won’t accept it if we just keep shutting the show down. So, I think that there will be a tempered, sober approach to the assessment of what

We find out how much protection Covid vaccines may offer amid speculation new variant could be more resistant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The emergence of Omicron has prompted widespread speculation that it may be more resistant to Covid-19 vaccines than existing variants, including Delta. But what does that mean for the average double-vaccinated person? All the vaccines currently available in the UK work by training the immune system against the coronavirus spike protein – the key it uses to infect cells by binding to the ACE2 receptor. Omicron possesses more than 30 mutations in this protein, including 10 in the so-called “receptor-binding domain” (RBD) – the specific part that latches on to this receptor. Delta has two RBD mutations. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Essex council’s focus on visitors to KFC branch on 19 November raises questions over how long variant has been in country Officials investigating one of the first cases in the UK of the Omicron coronavirus variant are searching for potential contacts as far back as nine days ago, raising questions over how long the new variant has been in the country. Essex county council said targeted testing was focused on customers, staff and delivery drivers at a branch of the KFC fast food chain in Brentwood on 19 November and those who attended a church two days later. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Change to criteria could happen as soon as Monday as No 10 tries to combat variant’s spread Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Covid booster vaccination scheme could be significantly expanded as early as Monday as ministers try to combat the seemingly inevitable spread of the Omicron variant, with secondary school pupils being told to wear masks in communal areas. The government’s vaccines watchdog, which held an emergency meeting over the weekend, could advise the use of boosters for younger people, as well as a cut in the current six-month wait between second and booster doses, it is understood. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Swiss skiing holidays in doubt as country joins Spain in tightening travel rules to contain Omicron variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Tour operators are scrambling to rearrange Swiss skiing holidays after the country joined Spain in tightening travel restrictions amid rising concerns about the spread of the new Omicron Covid variant. From Saturday night, Switzerland mandated 10 days of quarantine for all new arrivals, in effect wrecking skiing holidays in the Swiss Alps until further notice. Travel firms are also wrestling with Spain’s ban on non-vaccinated arrivals that will affect British holidaymakers from Wednesday 1 December. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Everything you need to know about the latest Covid variant worrying scientists, and how it affects UK travel Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Since the announcement of the first cases in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong earlier this week, additional cases have been reported in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Australia and the UK. All of these cases were in individuals who had recently arrived from South Africa, Mozambique or Egypt. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

A new variant identified in southern Africa is causing global panic – but its real impact will be shown by the data scientists are racing to establish Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Omicron, the name of the new Covid-19 variant that is sending worrying signals from southern Africa, sounds like something from Transformers. It has caused panic across the world, among governments, the public and the stock markets. After adding a number of southern African countries to the red list, the UK government has reimposed mandatory masks in England from Tuesday , and will require anyone travelling to the country from abroad to take a PCR test . Omicron is probably the first variant to have scientists worried since Delta became the predominant strain in every country last summer. But how bad it is? What does it mean for future lockdowns – and future deaths? Scientists are waitin

Collins and Fauci emphasise need for vaccines and boosters Israel bans foreign visitors as Omicron fears rise Coronavirus: live coverage Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, has said the US has “the potential to go into a fifth wave” of coronavirus infections amid rising cases, stagnating vaccination rates, and underwhelming administration of boosters. Fauci’s comments to CBS’s Face the Nation in an interview to be broadcast in full on Sunday , come as countries scramble to guard against the newly discovered Omicron variant, amid fears of heightened transmissibility and vaccine resistance. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Speaking on Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, the health secretary said the government's measures, including compulsory masks on public transport and in shops, were 'proportionate and balanced' Sajid Javid: we’re nowhere near imposing social distancing Covid rules Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

While Boris Johnson talks of ‘building back better’, the reality is growing poverty and hunger – and a government that is fuelling them In December 2019, Boris Johnson was electioneering in Salisbury , where he visited a butcher’s shop and local military veterans’ centre. The same city is also the home of the Trussell Trust, which runs the UK’s largest network of food banks – and Johnson was asked whether anything in the Conservative party’s manifesto might reduce the need for the kind of help it provides. He answered in the affirmative , claiming that helping people with living costs was a personal “crusade”, paying tribute to “everybody who gets involved with running food banks”, but also insisting that “it is wrong that people should be dependent on them”. He then mentioned “cutting national insurance for everyone”, before his punchline: “It is imperative in my view that the next government, if I’m lucky enough to be leading it, tackles the cost of living for everybody in this coun

Police increase security around several politicians and anticipate protests after result on Sunday Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage People in Switzerland are voting on a Covid vaccine certificate law, after a campaign characterised by unprecedented levels of hostility in a country renowned for its culture of compromise. As in much of Europe, Switzerland has seen growing anger over restrictions aimed at reining in the pandemic, and pressure to get vaccinated. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Red-listing of 50 African countries and use of phone monitoring technology among measures approved by Israel Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Israel has approved barring entry to all foreign nationals, as countries around the world tighten controls against the worrying new coronavirus strain. In the most far-reaching effort to keep the Omicron variant at bay, Israel’s coronavirus cabinet had authorised a series of measures, the health ministry said, including banning entry by foreigners, red-listing travel to 50 African countries, and making quarantine mandatory for all Israelis arriving from abroad. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Sharing vaccines with poorer countries is the right thing and the self-interested thing to do. The west needs to stop being so short-sighted Mandatory face masks are back in England. The fear factor has returned. After months of assuming the Covid-19 pandemic was all but over, the UK government has imposed new restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Financial markets didn’t wait for the announcement from Downing Street. It is far too early to know how big a threat the new strain poses but investors assumed the worst as soon as the reports arrived from southern Africa. Share prices fell heavily, with airline stocks the hardest hit as travel bans were re-introduced. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

No plans to make people wear masks in pubs or ask them to work from home, health secretary says, despite Omicron fears Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The government is “nowhere near” having to reimpose mandatory social distancing and home working to mitigate the threat from the Omicron Covid variant, Sajid Javid has said, adding that he hoped other new measures could be removed within weeks. Beginning a morning of media interviews after Boris Johnson announced rules to combat the variant , including compulsory masks on public transport and in shops, the health secretary called the plans “proportionate and balanced”. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Putting many low-quality studies together cannot provide reliable answers about masks and ivermectin In The Adventure of the Copper Beeches , Sherlock Holmes says: “Data! Data! Data! I can’t make bricks without clay.” Recent claims of massive benefits from wearing masks and using ivermectin against Covid-19 depended on mainly low-quality clay. Meta-analysis is a technique for pooling the results from many studies, but it cannot make silk purses out of sows’ ears. A recent British Medical Journal review looked at six, fairly porcine, studies concerning mask-wearing and estimated an impressive 53% reduction in risk. But the single randomised controlled trial estimated the smallest effect: a reduction of about 18% (-23% to 46%) in Sars-CoV-2 infections. The “heaviest” studies, an analysis of US states and a survey of about 8,000 Chinese adults in early 2020, observed rather than experimented and its editorial highlights the risks of confounding variables influencing both wearing

The teams in Africa who detected the new Covid genome moved quickly. Their actions should not result in economic loss • Coronavirus – latest updates • See all our coronavirus coverage One of the positive experiences during two years of pandemic gloom has been the speed of scientific progress in understanding and treating Covid. Many effective vaccines were launched in less than a year and rapid large-scale trials found a cheap and effective drug, dexamethasone, that saved thousands of lives . The global scientific community has also carried out “genomic surveillance” – sequencing the genome of the virus to track how it evolves and spreads at an unprecedented level: the public genome database has more than 5.5m genomes. The great value of that genomic surveillance, underpinned by a commitment to rapid and open sharing of the data by all countries in near-real time, has been seen in the last few days as we’ve learned of the Covid variant called Omicron . Continue reading... Corona

It’s the first post-Brexit Christmas and things have changed, so check costs, restrictions and forms to fill in As Covid restrictions continue, many families with relatives abroad will be prevented from giving presents in person again this Christmas and, instead, have to send them through the post. As this is Britain’s first post-Brexit Christmas, the rules for sending items to the EU have changed, and you now need to state the value of what you are sending. Then you can look for the best-priced option – and also make sure the goods are not prohibited from the post. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

‘Crisis’ in maternity care leaves expectant mothers facing difficult births in hospital or without support at home A severe shortage of midwives has led to home birth services being closed or reduced by a number of hospital trusts across the UK, with pregnant women frequently left in limbo as to where they will be able to give birth. The Observer has found more than 20 trusts that have had disrupted home birth services in the past three months. Eight confirmed their services remain suspended due to staff shortages. They include East Kent Hospitals, Swansea Bay University Health Board and NHS Dumfries and Galloway – all of which report that the situation is under constant review. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Among my neighbors in the bluest region of the bluest county of the bluest state in America, many don’t trust big pharma or the government – or simply choose to put themselves first Is there a relationship between Covid and politics? Sure seems so. By the end of October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of counties Donald Trump won by wide margins had died from Covid. That was more than three times higher than the Covid death rate in heavily Biden counties, of 7.8 per 100,000. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian