Covid, coronavirus news summary 2 January 2022: Omicron symptoms, tests, vaccines, flight cancellations...

No vaccine? Over a million more deaths

Dr Gupta asks the question: what if the covid vaccine didn’t exist?

Health Secretary Cardona, "We can reopen schools safely"

US Health Secretary Miguel Cardona told CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday that measures are in place for schools to reopen after the Christmas break, in spite of calls for children to study remotely while Omicron cases surge. "We've had an Omicron surge but I still believe very firmly, very passionately - not only as an educator but as a parent, that our students belong in the classroom and we can do it safely. We have better tools than we had in the past to get it done. We know what works and I believe even with Omicron, our default should be in-person learning for all students across the country.

"We have access to vaccinations for students ages five and up, we have testing that's a different pool of tests than what we are seeing now where we are seeing people scrambling for tests - we are seeing districts implementing strategies now to do surveillance testing to ensure that classrooms are safe. We understand that there may be bumps in the road tomorrow. Some schools may have 5-10% of their staff unavailable due to Covid-19. We have to stay vigilant, we have to stay focused and we have to work together to give our students a chance to learn in the classroom".

Riot police disperse anti-lockdown protesters in Amsterdam

Riot police with batons and shields broke up a crowd of several thousand who had gathered in Amsterdam on Sunday to protest against Covid-19 lockdown measures and vaccinations.

Public gatherings of more than two people are prohibited under restrictions imposed by the Netherlands in an effort to prevent the Omicron variant of the coronavirus overwhelming an already strained healthcare system.

At least 30 people were detained after scuffles, during which four officers were injured, police said in a statement. Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema had issued an emergency ordinance, empowering police to clear the central Museum Square, after the protesters defied a ban on public gatherings. The protesters, who mostly did not wear masks or abide by social distancing rules, ignored an order not to hold a march and walked along a main thoroughfare, playing music and holding yellow umbrellas in a sign of opposition to government measures.

The Netherlands was plunged into a sudden lockdown on 19 December with the government ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places until at least 14 January.

"We must learn to evolve with Covid" - NYC Mayor Eric Adams

New York City's new mayor Eric Adams spoke about the challenges that lie ahead as Covid-19 continue to surge. The daily average in NYC over the past seven days is just under 30,000, with 2383.45 new cases per 100,000 reported per day. 

"Covid is a formidable opponent and it continues to evolve, and we must pivot and evolve with it, but you can't do it viewing yourself from within the crisis. We have to see ourselves past the crisis. Closing down our city would be just as dangerous as Covid. Our focus is on keeping our economy operating. We've spent $11 trillion on Covid and we don't have another $11 trillion. So our lives can't be based on what's the new variant".

Sewage water testing to gauge Covid-19 levels

US Health Authorities are ramping up testing sewage sample for traces of Covid-19 to get a clearer idea of how the virus is spreading in communities - especially in areas where many residents cannot afford regular testing. Waste water analysis has increased during the pandemic. Trend analysis released by the Nationwide Wastewater Monitoring Network shows that Covid-19 levels in the US are higher now than they been at any point during the pandemic.

Biobot's data can be downloaded here

Daily cases in France jump by 60,000

France reported 58,432 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Sunday - a figure much lower than the previous four days, when daily additional infections were over 200,000, On days following a public holiday - as New Year's Day was - new reported cases tend to dip, so the sharp drop does not necessarily indicate a change of trend. The seven-day moving average of new cases in France, which smoothes out daily reporting irregularities, reached a new all-time high of 162,041, - jumping almost fivefold in a month.

Fauci responds to CDC's change to isolation guidelines

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he is awaiting further updates after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended shorten quarantine and self-isolation period from 10 days to five days if patients don't have symptoms - and if they wear a mask around others for at least five more days.

Fauci told CNN's State of the Nation program, "With the sheer volume of new cases that we are having and we expect to continue, with Omicron, one of the things we want to be careful of is that we don't have so many people out and about. Obviously if you have symptoms you should not be out but if you are asymptomatic and infected, we want to get people back into their jobs - particularly those with essential jobs, to keep our society running smoothly. I think that was a very prudent and good choice on the part of the CDC. In the second half of a 10-day period, which would normally be a 10-day isolation period, the likelihood of transmissibility is considerably lower," he explained. For that reason, the CDC made the judgment that it would be relatively low risk to get people out. You're right, people are getting concerned about why not test people at that time? I, myself, feel that that's a reasonable thing to do. I believe that the CDC soon will be coming out with more clarification of that, since it obviously has generated a number of questions about at that five-day period, should you or should you not be testing people? There will be further clarification of that coming very soon".

Breaking | Israel offering 4th vaccine shot

Israel will offer a fourth dose of covid-19 vaccine to people over 60 and to medical staff, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Sunday amid a surge in Omicron variant infections, saying the country's top medical officer had approved the shot.

Sachs' Omicron 'work from home' message

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is encouraging its eligible U.S. staff to work from home until 18 January, a company spokesperson said, as it followed a number of its rivals in altering return-to-office plans as the Omicron variant spreads.

Goldman's offices will continue to remain open with previously announced covid-19 safety protocols, the spokesperson added. Those measures are: a vaccine requirement, booster

requirement for all eligible populations effective 1 February bi-weekly testing effective 10 January, and mandatory masks.

Financial firms have been grappling with when they can realistically get back to business-as-usual, and how to communicate to staff and retain workers amid the uncertainty. A number of other banks had asked staff to work remotely due to the latest surge in cases.

Goldman was among the Wall Street banks that had pushed hardest to bring staff back into offices. Since August, the bank has required vaccinations for all staff and visitors entering its offices in the United States, and staff received covid tests onsite once a week.

Omicron narrative

The common narrative at the moment regarding the Omicron spread is that although it is highly infectious, the symptoms are mild.

As Bobby Umar points out here, although that is a positive message, there is a danger that we ignore that there are still very serious impacts of the latest variant.

Covid messages thanks

Illinois congressman Chuy García has posted a tweet thanking everyone for the support he and his wife have been given while recovering from covid.

Unvaccinated US travellers added to French quarantine list

France has put the United States on its covid-19 travel "red list", meaning unvaccinated people coming into the country will have to quarantine for 10 days.

The rules will not change for fully vaccinated people coming into France from the United States: they still have to show proof of a negative test before boarding their flight.

The move puts the United States, where new infections are topping 300,000 a day due to the Omicron variant, on the same list as countries such as Russia, Afghanistan, Belarus and Serbia.

France is also grappling with record levels of new infections, with 200,000 cases reported daily over the last four days.

Photo: Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS

Fauci warns of danger of hospitalization surge due to Omicron

Top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said there was still a danger of a surge in hospitalization due to a large number of coronavirus cases even as early data suggests the Omicron covid-19 variant is less severe.

"The only difficulty is that if you have so many many cases, even if the rate of hospitalization is lower with Omicron than it is with Delta, there is still the danger that you will have a surging of hospitalizations that might stress the healthcare system," Fauci said in an interview on Sunday with CNN.

Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP

Over 3,600 flight cancellations to start off 2022

More than 3,600 flights were cancelled around the world on Sunday, more than half of them US flights, adding to the toll of holiday week travel disruptions due to adverse weather and the surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant.

Over 3,600 flights had been cancelled by afternoon GMT on Sunday, including over 2,100 entering, departing from or within the United States, according to a running tally on the tracking website FlightAware.com. Including those delayed but not cancelled, more than 6,400 flights were delayed in total.

Among the airlines with maximum cancellations were SkyWest and SouthWest with each having over 400 cancellations, the FlightAware website showed.

The Christmas and New Year holidays are typically a peak time for air travel, but the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in covid-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and crew quarantine.

Transportation agencies across the United States were also suspending or reducing services due to coronavirus-related staff shortages.

Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP

US NEWS

Which states are offering unemployment benefits to workers who refuse vaccines?

Five states have enacted laws to provide unemployment compensation to workers who refuse to comply with employer vaccine requirements.

Full story

Expert calls for throat swab testing for Omicron

Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding has called for increased throat swab testing to detect Omicron cases, as the new variant can avoid detection via rapid nasal swabs.

UK to order schoolchildren to wear masks

The UK has been reluctant to issue mask mandates during the pandemic but with children due to return to schools next week amid a surge in infections driven by the Omicron variant, classes have been instructed to wear masks.

Omicron could lead Israel to herd immunity

A surge of Omicron infections could see Israel reaching herd immunity, the country's top health official said on Sunday as daily cases continued to climb.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant has brought a surge in coronavirus cases across the globe. Worldwide infections have hit a record high, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between Dec. 24 and 30, according to Reuters data.

Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal.

Until late December, Israel managed to stave off Omicron to some degree but with infection rates now gaining pace, daily cases are expected to reach record highs in the coming three weeks. This could result in herd immunity, said director-general of the health ministry, Nachman Ash.

"The cost will be a great many infections," Ash told 103FM Radio. "The numbers will have to be very high in order to reach herd immunity. This is possible but we don't want to reach it by means of infections, we want it to happen as a result of many people vaccinating," he said.

Around 60% of Israel's 9.4 million population are fully vaccinated.

What parents should know about sending kids back to school during Omicron

Millions of American kids will head back to classrooms in the coming days -- just as the Omicron variant is fueling record new covid-19 case counts.

And that has many parents wondering what's safe as the most contagious variant yet sweeps the US.

"We fear that it's going to get a lot worse, between getting together for the holidays and then getting back to school," said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer at Texas Children's Pediatrics & Texas Children's Urgent Care in Houston.

NYC hospitals under stress from unvaccinated covid patients

According to New York City Council member Mark Levine, unvaccinated people are 32 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people, leading to a surge in cases at NYC hospitals.

South Africa says Omicron wave "has passed"

All eyes are on South Africa for clues as to how long the Omicron wave may persist and there is good news from the country where the variant was first detected, with experts stating the worst of the wave has passed with no "big spike in deaths," per the New York Times.

COVID-19

Coronavirus US: what are the experts' recommendations for a safe trip?

The Omicron variant has shown the world that the pandemic is far from over. Many had their holiday travel disrupted by exposures, infections, delays, and cancellations as the country broke daily case records over the holidays.

England reports 162,572 new cases, another record

England reported a record high daily total of 162,572 new cases of covid-19 on Saturday, up from 160,276 the previous day, official data showed.

The daily update also showed 154 new deaths from the virus in England within 28 days of a positive test, down from 178 on Friday.

The data normally also includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but did not on Saturday because of differences in reporting schedules over the New Year weekend.

The daily number of confirmed infections across the United Kingdom repeatedly broke records in December as the Omicron variant spread rapidly. However, hospitalisations and deaths have remained at lower levels than during previous waves.

France sixth country to report 10 million covid infections

France became the sixth country in the world to report more than 10 million covid-19 infections since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to official data published on Saturday.

French health authorities reported 219,126 new confirmed cases in a 24-hour period, the fourth day in a row that the country has recorded more than 200,000 cases.

France joined the United States, India, Brazil, Britain and Russia in having had more than 10 million cases.

Saturday's figure was the second highest after the 232,200 record on Friday when French President Emmanuel Macron warned the next few weeks would be difficult.

In his New Year's Eve address, Macron did not mention a need for more restrictive health measures than those already announced, adding that the government should refrain from further limiting individual freedoms.

2,500 NYD flights cancelled

A combination of poor weather and rising covid cases among cabin crews saw more than 2,500 flights cancelled in the US on New Year's Day.

Counting cases no longer right strategy - US expert

Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at University of California, says using case counts as an indicator for how to tackle the covid-19 pandemic may no longer be the right strategy, amid the spread of the more infectious but less severe Omicron variant.

According to Dr Gandhi, in quotes published inThe Guardian, surging case numbers “are causing a lot of panic and fear, but they don’t reflect what they used to, which was that hospitalizations would track with cases”.

She explained that the Omicron variant of covid-19 is leading to fewer hopitalizations and deaths because the largely-vaccinated population has a greater level of immunity than previously, and “there are now five laboratory studies that show that it doesn’t seem to infect lungs very well”.

Dr Gandhi added: “Once you have accepted the virus is endemic, just like influenza, then you never track cases because we never screen like this for any other viruses, we track what is causing disease and getting people hospitalized."

Covid-19 live blog: hello & welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage for today, Sunday 02 January, 2022, of the spread of the covid-19 Omicron variant.

The highly contagious new strain has led to travel chaos over the festive period, with airlines forced to cancel thousands of flights as rising coronavirus case figures cause staff shortages.

We will be keeping across all the major news, guidance and opinion related to the pandemic and bringing it to you here.