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LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The UK on Thursday set another daily Covid-19 daily infections record, fuelled by the Omicron variant. Some 119,789 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a day after figures exceeded 100,000 for the first time at 106,122. The UK is among the worst hit countries in Europe with a virus death toll of 147,720. The Office for National Statistics estimated that nearly 1.4 million people in UK households had […]
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Fifty-five people have tested positive for Covid-19 aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship that set sail Saturday from the southeastern US state of Florida, the company said. The infections on the “Odyssey of the Seas” involved passengers and crew members, even though 95 percent of the people on board were vaccinated against the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean said late Wednesday. Out of an abundance of caution the ship did not […]
PHL FDA chief says EUA granted to Pfizer for administration to kids aged 5 to 11; vaccination could start in January next year depending on supplies (Eagle News) – The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Pfizer vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 years old in the country. FDA Director-General Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that they have already approved the emergency use authority (EUA) for the administration […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said Thursday that a third, or “booster”, dose of its Covid-19 vaccine Vaxzevria “significantly” lifted antibody levels against the Omicron strain in a laboratory study. “Vaxzevria significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529) following a third dose booster,” the company said in a statement citing the study. “The third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly […]
by Issam AHMED Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday authorized Pfizer’s anti-Covid pill for high-risk people aged 12 and up, as a surge of cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant threatened holiday plans and Americans struggled to find tests. Paxlovid, which comprises two types of tablet, was granted an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a clinical trial showed it to reduce […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization on Tuesday approved a Covid vaccine made by US pharma giant Novavax for emergency use, after the European Union medicines regulator gave it the green light. The European Medicines Agency had assessed and approved Nuvaxovid on Monday. It is made from a more conventional technology than others already approved, which has led officials in Brussels to express hope that this will help persuade those hesitant about […]
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday Israelis over the age of 60 and medical teams will be eligible for a fouth Covid vaccination, following the recommendation of an expert panel. “The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and we are continuing to pioneer with the fourth dose as well,” he said in remarks relayed by his office, calling on […]
Travellers to Hong Kong from Britain will have to initially quarantine in a government camp from Tuesday, joining 12 African nations and the United States on the city’s strictest entry tier. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong has maintained some of the world’s toughest quarantine restrictions, measures that have kept infections at bay but left the finance hub isolated. Those policies have been tightened further since the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant, which has […]
by Jan HENNOP There is “no answer yet” on whether vaccine makers will have to adapt their Covid shots to counter the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant, Europe’s medicines watchdog chief said on Tuesday. The highly-mutated variant, now present in dozens of countries, appears to be more contagious than previous strains and is driving new waves of infections globally. Scientists are also examining whether it is more resistant to vaccines than previous strains. But the head of […]
by Issam Ahmed with AFP bureaus President Joe Biden on Tuesday told Americans worried about the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant that the country was “prepared” to fight it, as Israel — which pioneered the use of Covid vaccine boosters — announced fourth shots for those over 60 and health workers. Omicron, now present in dozens of countries, appears to be more infectious than earlier coronavirus strains, despite early indications that it does not cause […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — The Chinese city of Xi’an began testing millions of residents for the coronavirus on Tuesday after the detection of more than 40 new cases raised concerns of wider transmission ahead of a busy travel season. China, where the virus was first detected, has slowed new cases to a trickle since the middle of last year through border restrictions, targeted lockdowns and lengthy quarantines as it pursues a zero-Covid strategy. But the […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The fast-spreading Omicron variant is now the main coronavirus strain in the United States, accounting for 73.2 percent of new cases over the past week for which data is available, health authorities reported Monday. The spike, which was tallied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on data for the week ending on Saturday. During the prior week period, Omicron accounted for only 12.6 percent of US […]
