Covid news live: Omicron ‘raging around the world’, Fauci says; Belgian protests turn violent | World news

The EU’s drug regulator will resolve on Monday whether or not to approve a Covid jab by Novavax, which makes use of a extra standard expertise that the US biotech agency hopes will scale back vaccine hesitancy, AFT reviews.

Novavax’s jab, a protein-based vaccine of the type used world wide to guard towards many childhood diseases, can be the fifth coronavirus shot authorised for the European Union.

Approval would even be a lift for the Maryland firm, whose jab has been affected by delays.

The European Medicines Company (EMA) mentioned its human medicines committee would maintain a rare assembly to resolve on Novavax on Monday, and “will talk the result”.

The EU has already signed a deal to purchase as much as 200 million doses of the two-shot vaccine pending approval by the watchdog. Novavax says its vaccine confirmed 90.4% efficacy towards Covid-19 in a North American trial.

Chief govt Stanley Erck mentioned the agency “seems ahead to offering a further vaccine choice in Europe, constructed on a confirmed, well-understood expertise platform”. The vaccine “might assist deal with main obstacles to international vaccination, together with international distribution challenges and vaccine hesitancy”, Erck added.

Indonesia and the Philippines have already authorised the Novavax jab, whereas Japan has agreed to purchase 150 million doses.

Novavax says it has additionally filed for approval in Britain, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and with the World Well being Group.

The primary dying of a kid with Covid-19 in New Zealand has prompted requires Māori kids to be prioritised within the subsequent stage of the vaccine rollout, because the nation grapples with racial inequalities compounded by the pandemic.

A Māori boy, underneath the age of 10 and who had examined optimistic for the virus, died final week, changing into the youngest New Zealander to die with Covid, the Ministry of Well being confirmed.

It’s unclear whether or not Covid-19 was the reason for the boy’s dying, as New Zealand information all deaths of individuals thought of lively Covid instances in its official depend. It’s the nation’s forty ninth dying of a Covid-positive individual for the reason that begin of the pandemic. Māori make up an estimated 17.1% of the inhabitants however they’ve accounted for 32% of all Covid-19 associated deaths.

Our reporter in New Zealand, Eva Corlett, has the total story right here.

As issues warmth up over in Downing Avenue over alleged lockdown breaches by senior ministers again in Might final yr, the Guardian can share {a photograph} of Boris Johnson pictured with wine and cheese alongside his spouse and as much as 17 workers within the Downing Avenue backyard.

The leaked photograph raises questions over No 10’s insistence a “work assembly” was going down. Johnson’s spokesman has mentioned Downing Avenue workers had been working within the backyard within the afternoon and night.

On the time social mixing between households was restricted to 2 individuals, who might solely meet outdoor and at a distance of at the very least 2 metres. In workplaces, steerage mentioned in-person conferences ought to solely happen if “completely vital”.

View the controversial snap from our earlier story right here.

US senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker have confirmed they’ve examined optimistic for Covid-19, because the US offers with one other surge in instances and the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Warren, 72, a progressive Democrat who ran for the presidential nomination in 2020, tweeted that she was vaccinated, had acquired her booster shot and was experiencing gentle signs in a breakthrough case of the virus.

“Fortunately, I’m solely experiencing gentle signs and am grateful for the safety supplied towards critical sickness that comes from being vaccinated and boosted,” the Massachusetts senator wrote, utilizing the event to additionally urge anybody not vaccinated to take action.

Booker, a Democratic senator for New Jersey who additionally ran for president in 2020, mentioned in an announcement on Sunday he had examined optimistic for Covid after feeling signs a day earlier.

“Thankfully, my signs are comparatively gentle. I’m past grateful to have acquired two doses of vaccine and, extra not too long ago, a booster – I’m sure that with out them I’d be doing a lot worse. I encourage everybody who’s eligible to get vaccinated and boosted,” he mentioned.

Learn the total story right here.

Belgian police intervened to disperse stone-throwing youths on Sunday after the most recent protest march in Brussels turned violent towards anti-coronavirus measures.

The group of round 3,500 primarily younger, black-clad and hooded protesters marched from the Gare du Nord railway to a park within the metropolis’s European quarter, AFP reported.

The protesters clashed with riot officers defending the path to EU headquarters, the place officers had been assembly African leaders.

The stone- and bottle-throwers had been dispersed again into the Jubilee Park by riot police, and plain garments officers made a number of arrests, an AFP journalist noticed.

Belgium is recording round 10,000 new Covid instances per day because the Omicron variant spreads in Europe, and authorities have once more begun to tighten public well being guidelines.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s authorities will meet on Wednesday to resolve on any new measures, and the neighbouring Netherlands has already ordered a Christmas lockdown.

Belgium has run a comparatively profitable vaccine marketing campaign and has begun issuing booster photographs, however a vocal minority is cautious of obligatory jabs and certificates or opposes lockdown measures.

Hey and welcome again to our Covid weblog this Monday.

I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be bringing you all the most recent developments from the world over.

First up, let’s begin with some phrases of warning from the White Home’s prime medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci.

The infectious illness knowledgeable mentioned the Omicron variant is “raging world wide,” in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, including that “the actual drawback” for the US hospital system is that “we have now so many individuals on this nation who’re eligible to be vaccinated who haven’t but been vaccinated.”

Fauci repeated such dire predictions on CNN’s State of the Union.

“One factor that’s clear is [Omicron’s] extraordinary functionality of spreading, its transmissibility functionality,” he mentioned. “It’s simply raging by means of the world.

“This virus is extraordinary. It has a doubling time of anyplace from two to 3 days in sure areas of the nation, which implies it’s going to take over.”

On Sunday, Belgian police had been pressured to intervene to disperse stone-throwing youths throughout a protest march in Brussels.

The group of primarily younger hooded protesters clashed with riot officers within the newest protest towards anti-coronavirus measures.

Right here’s a round-up of all of the developments you will have missed.

• The Netherlands entered a strict lockdown that meant the closure of non-essential shops, eating places, hairdressers, gyms, museums and different public locations till 14 January to push again the brand new wave.
• Germany adopted France and tightened restrictions from Britain, mandating a 14-day quarantine for incoming travellers to keep away from an Omicron wave.
• Stress builds on UK prime minister Boris Johnson after the Guardian printed an image of him with wine and cheese within the No 10 backyard, suggesting a social occasion, throughout a strict UK lockdown. No 10 insists the assembly was for work.
• Poland confirmed seven Omicron instances in complete as an official warned the variant is spreading at “unprecedented price”. An extra 15,976 Covid instances had been recorded.
• Peru, the nation with the best Covid deaths per capita and sixth-highest complete dying toll, detected its first 4 Omicron instances.
• The UK recorded above 80,000 new every day instances for less than fourth time since pandemic started, and clocked one other 12,000 Omicron instances – taking the tally to over 37,000. Well being secretary Sajid Javid refused to rule out new restrictions on the Sunday broadcast spherical. Instances are up 72% in a single week.
• Anthony Fauci, the highest US infectious illnesses knowledgeable, mentioned the Omicron variant has “extraordinary spreading capabilities” and is “raging by means of the world”.
• Eire mentioned Omicron is now the dominant pressure of Covid after an estimated 52% of its instances – 5,124 new instances on Sunday – had been from the extremely mutated variant.
• The pinnacle of Germany’s home intelligence company warned of political violence from the nation’s anti-vaccine motion with its connections to the far-right.
• Iran detected its first case of Omicron.
• Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, mentioned on Sunday the nation is in a fifth Covid wave and urged individuals to step up vaccinations.
• US Senator Elizabeth Warren examined optimistic for Covid after a routine take a look at. She has gentle signs.
• 30,000 individuals in Vienna, Austria commemorated the nation’s 13,000 individuals who have died from the virus with a “sea of lights” march.
• Italy detected 24,259 new Covid infections, a 62% climb on the 15,010 new instances on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• Sri Lanka would require Covid vaccine certificates for entry to public locations from New 12 months’s Day.
• Russia recorded 27,967 new Covid infections, a 13% slide on the 32,031 new instances on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• France reported 48,473 new Covid infections, a 15% climb on the 42,252 new instances detected on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• Brazil’s well being regulator Anvisa requested for higher legislation enforcement safety on Sunday after a flurry of threats following its determination to approve Covid vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11. President Jair Bolsonaro, who has performed down the virus’s dangers, has publicly pressured the company over the choice.

Hey and welcome again to our Covid weblog this Monday.

I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be bringing you all the most recent developments from the world over.

First up, let’s begin with some phrases of warning from the White Home’s prime medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci.

The infectious illness knowledgeable mentioned the Omicron variant is “raging world wide,” in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, including that “the actual drawback” for the US hospital system is that “we have now so many individuals on this nation who’re eligible to be vaccinated who haven’t but been vaccinated.”

Fauci repeated such dire predictions on CNN’s State of the Union.

“One factor that’s clear is [Omicron’s] extraordinary functionality of spreading, its transmissibility functionality,” he mentioned. “It’s simply raging by means of the world.

“This virus is extraordinary. It has a doubling time of anyplace from two to 3 days in sure areas of the nation, which implies it’s going to take over.”

On Sunday, Belgian police had been pressured to intervene to disperse stone-throwing youths throughout a protest march in Brussels.

The group of primarily younger hooded protesters clashed with riot officers within the newest protest towards anti-coronavirus measures.

Right here’s a round-up of all of the developments you will have missed.

• The Netherlands entered a strict lockdown that meant the closure of non-essential shops, eating places, hairdressers, gyms, museums and different public locations till 14 January to push again the brand new wave.
• Germany adopted France and tightened restrictions from Britain, mandating a 14-day quarantine for incoming travellers to keep away from an Omicron wave.
• Stress builds on UK prime minister Boris Johnson after the Guardian printed an image of him with wine and cheese within the No 10 backyard, suggesting a social occasion, throughout a strict UK lockdown. No 10 insists the assembly was for work.
• Poland confirmed seven Omicron instances in complete as an official warned the variant is spreading at “unprecedented price”. An extra 15,976 Covid instances had been recorded.
• Peru, the nation with the best Covid deaths per capita and sixth-highest complete dying toll, detected its first 4 Omicron instances.
• The UK recorded above 80,000 new every day instances for less than fourth time since pandemic started, and clocked one other 12,000 Omicron instances – taking the tally to over 37,000. Well being secretary Sajid Javid refused to rule out new restrictions on the Sunday broadcast spherical. Instances are up 72% in a single week.
• Anthony Fauci, the highest US infectious illnesses knowledgeable, mentioned the Omicron variant has “extraordinary spreading capabilities” and is “raging by means of the world”.
• Eire mentioned Omicron is now the dominant pressure of Covid after an estimated 52% of its instances – 5,124 new instances on Sunday – had been from the extremely mutated variant.
• The pinnacle of Germany’s home intelligence company warned of political violence from the nation’s anti-vaccine motion with its connections to the far-right.
• Iran detected its first case of Omicron.
• Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, mentioned on Sunday the nation is in a fifth Covid wave and urged individuals to step up vaccinations.
• US Senator Elizabeth Warren examined optimistic for Covid after a routine take a look at. She has gentle signs.
• 30,000 individuals in Vienna, Austria commemorated the nation’s 13,000 individuals who have died from the virus with a “sea of lights” march.
• Italy detected 24,259 new Covid infections, a 62% climb on the 15,010 new instances on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• Sri Lanka would require Covid vaccine certificates for entry to public locations from New 12 months’s Day.
• Russia recorded 27,967 new Covid infections, a 13% slide on the 32,031 new instances on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• France reported 48,473 new Covid infections, a 15% climb on the 42,252 new instances detected on Sunday two weeks in the past.
• Brazil’s well being regulator Anvisa requested for higher legislation enforcement safety on Sunday after a flurry of threats following its determination to approve Covid vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11. President Jair Bolsonaro, who has performed down the virus’s dangers, has publicly pressured the company over the choice.