Tag: coronavirus

Coronavirus news and updates for Monday, December 27, 2021

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Monday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

9:55 p.m.: Australia’s Victoria and Queensland states reported record levels of new daily coronavirus infections on Tuesday as pressure on testing centers prompted calls for wider use of rapid antigen tests.

Queensland state reported 1,158 cases, the first time the state has seen more than 1,000 cases in a day, but hospitalizations remained low. The state has more than 4,000 active cases of which 257 are reported to be the omicron variant.

State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced Tuesday that travelers from out of state no longer will have to have a PCR test five days after arrival. D’Ath said of the tens of thousands who had crossed the state’s borders recently, only 0.6 percent had tested positive on day five.

“Anyone who is waiting in lines now for the day five test . . . will not be required to get day five tests from now,” she said. “We thank everyone for doing the right thing. We have made sure we’ve done this in a safe and responsible way but from now, that no longer applies.”

Victoria state reported 2,738 new cases Tuesday, beating the previous state record of 2,297 cases in mid-October.

Australia’s most-populous state, New South Wales, saw a slight fall in case numbers but that corresponded with fewer tests around Christmas Day. The state reported 6,062 new infections Tuesday, down from 6,324 a day earlier.

New South Wales Heath Minister Brad Hazzard said the requirement for travelers to Queensland to have a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure was putting unnecessary strain on testing facilities. He said in enforcing the requirement, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was “perverting the purposes of pathology testing.”

“If Queensland thinks people are arriving free of COVID, that’s not necessarily true,” Hazzard said. “These tests have been done three or four days before arriving. It’s counterproductive.

“This rule is contributing to the breakdown of the biggest pathology system in the country. We are not getting the turnaround times we need.”

Long lines were reported at testing centers around Sydney on Tuesday.

Australian federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has called for rapid antigen tests to replace PCR tests for most interstate travelers, to relieve pressure on testing centers.

“Using that rapid antigen test ahead of interstate travel is a better approach than the more expensive and time consuming PCR test,” Frydenberg told the ABC. “I think that’s a sensible balance recognizing that people want some level of surety about their health status before they travel.

“But at the same time they want to avoid the long queues and long waiting times coming with the PCR tests.”

9:20 p.m.: Visitor restrictions are being implemented at a couple hospitals in Nova Scotia in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Nova Scotia Health says in a release the restrictions at Glace Bay Hospital and Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital took effect Monday, as the province recorded 581 new cases of COVID-19.

At Glace Bay Hospital, it says inpatients can have one consistent visitor.

At Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital, inpatients can no longer receive visitors.

At both hospitals, one designated support person is allowed to visit per day for certain patients such as those in palliative care, patients nearing end of life and outpatients, including those arriving at the hospital for procedures who need support due to physical, intellectual, cognitive and emotional conditions.

Nova Scotia Health says these decisions are “being made to control and contain the spread of COVID-19, keep COVID-19 out of hospitals, and keep patients, health care workers, and all Nova Scotians safe.”

It notes that the restrictions will remain in place at both hospitals until Jan. 3.

Also on Monday, Nova Scotia health authorities reported an outbreak at the Halifax Infirmary site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, noting that fewer than five patients were “impacted.”

9:00 p.m.: Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday as airlines called off more than 1,000 U.S. flights because crews were sick with COVID-19 during one of the year’s busiest travel periods, and storm fronts added to the havoc.

Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been common this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and carriers have struggled to make up ground this year, when air travel rebounded faster than almost anyone had expected. The arrival of the omicron variant only exacerbated the problem.

“During the pandemic, we have seen experienced airline personnel leave the industry and not return across the globe,” said John Grant, senior analyst at travel industry research firm OAG. “Filling those skill gaps was already a challenge in the recovery before the latest variant.”

Read the full story here: Omicron and bad weather disrupt U.S. flights for fourth day in a row

8:25 p.m.: Award-winning musical “Come From Away” has permanently shut down its Toronto production as the number of Omicron cases skyrocket in the city.

In a press release Monday evening, Mirvish announced that after 855 performances, the Canadian musical has ended its run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre as of Wednesday Dec. 22.

“Despite our best efforts, within a week of reopening an outbreak in the backstage company forced us to cancel four performances, with the hope that we would resume on December 28,” David Mirvish said in the release.

“But during this short break, it became bluntly apparent that it would be impossible to continue when this incredibly contagious variant has sent case numbers soaring.”

Read the full story here: ‘Come From Away’ permanently shuts down in Toronto after 855 performances, says it’s ‘impossible to continue’

7:45 p.m.: Despite the wintry weather, a lineup snaked along Dundas Street East on Monday as hundreds waited to get their COVID-19 booster vaccines inside Filmore’s strip bar before dancers took the stage.

Recorded music played as people doffed their outerwear and rolled up their sleeves to receive either a Moderna or Pfizer booster shot at makeshift vaccine stations. The main stage inside “Toronto’s party place” was converted into an after-care area.

The low-barrier, pop-up vaccine clinic, the result of a partnership between sex work advocacy organization Maggie’s, Filmore’s Gentleman’s Club and University Health Network, targeted marginalized people who face difficulties accessing vaccines.

Another such clinic will run next Monday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Zanzibar on Yonge Street.

Read the full story here: Toronto strip club offers COVID boosters to marginalized residents

7:17 p.m.: British Columbia health officials reported 6,288 COVID-19 cases for a three-day period.

A news release Monday says the case numbers are “preliminary.”

Officials say hospitalization, death and vaccination numbers related to COVID-19 will be given Wednesday.

They say there were 2,552 cases on Christmas Eve, 2,023 on Christmas Day and 1,713 on Boxing Day.

Health experts have said COVID-19 case numbers are likely to be higher than reported because several hospitals and sites have reached testing limits.

Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry had said testing sites across B.C. were seeing long lines and waits, and urged people not to get tested unless they needed to.

7:00 p.m.: U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

The decision also was driven by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, propelled by the Omicron variant.

Read the full story here: U.S. officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine

6:00 p.m.: Grade 10 student Elena Rinne can’t help but look at the new daily COVID-19 case counts hovering around 10,000 and worry.

She’s worried about going back to school next week, and having to eat lunch with 200 other students in an enclosed cafeteria.

She’s worried about the lack of safety protocols and social distancing at her school, where some of her peers and teachers are unvaccinated, and students often flout masking requirements.

But she’s also worried about the possibility of schools being shut down, and the impacts that could have on the mental health of her classmates and on her friends “who are not safe at home and need school as an escape.”

For Rinne, it feels like early 2020 all over again.

Read the full story here: Back to school in Ontario? Rising case counts make some hesitate but others say in-person learning is needed

5:00 p.m.: Prince Edward Island is reporting 156 new cases of COVID-19 over the holiday break.

Chief medical officer Dr. Heather Morrison says health officials confirmed 52 cases on Friday, five cases on Saturday and 99 cases on Sunday.

The newest cases are all under investigation and contact tracing is underway.

Officials reported 43 new recoveries Monday, bringing the active infection count to 309.

Officials say public exposure and flight exposure notifications will be paused due to widespread community transmission of the disease.

Island residents are now urged to assume all public spaces are potential exposure sites.

4:17 p.m.: New Brunswick is set to tighten restrictions to stem the surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Officials say the restrictions will include a 50 per cent capacity limit on restaurants, stores, bars, gyms and other establishments starting Monday at 11:59 p.m.

They say capacity limits will also be placed on public gatherings and faith venues, which takes the province back to Level 2 of its winter plan.

Officials reported 639 new cases of COVID-19 over the holidays and four deaths.

They say 309 of the new cases were reported on Saturday, 179 on Sunday and 151 on Monday.

Officials say 35 people were in hospital due to COVID-19, including 14 in intensive care.

4:00 p.m.: Manitoba health officials reported eight new COVID-19 related deaths and 2,154 cases for a three-day period since Christmas Eve.

A news release from the province Monday says that about 75 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in Manitoba are now suspected to be the Omicron variant.

It says it will now screen only “certain samples” for Omicron and case numbers for the variant will not be given.

The province reported 785 cases on Christmas Day, 694 on Boxing Day and 675 on Monday.

Health experts have said that there may be more cases than reported because a number of sites and hospitals have reached testing limits.

The province says updated vaccine data is expected to be available Wednesday.

3:30 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador has reached record breaking single-day case counts of COVID-19 as officials report over 300 new infections discovered over the holidays.

Provincial health officials say a total of 357 infections have been confirmed in the last three days.

They say 89 cases were confirmed on Saturday, 135 cases Sunday and 133 cases were discovered Monday.

Previously, the highest single-day case count was 100 reported on Dec. 23.

There is currently one person in hospital due to the disease.

The province now has 677 active cases of COVID-19, which breaks the record set on Feb. 20 of 434 active infections.

1:28 p.m.: Thousands of flights were canceled Monday, continuing an ugly weekend for holiday travel.

Of more than 2,500 planes grounded globally as of noon Eastern time Monday, almost 1,000 were within, into or out of the United States, according to Flight Aware. Since Friday, more than 4,000 flights within the U.S. have been canceled.

The familiar explanation is bad weather, particularly in the Western U.S. where winter storms have shut down roadways and airways.

The National Weather Service warned Monday of “significant snowfall” along the West Coast mountain ranges and a pair of storm systems that will bring snow and “an icy wintry mix” to the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast.

“Travel delays due to icy conditions are possible in these regions, both on the ground and in the air,” forecasters said.

And in a more common refrain for 2021, omicron has wreaked havoc on the airlines as well, with hundreds of flights being canceled due to crew members calling out sick with COVID-19.

12:15 p.m.: Quebec’s health minister is asking everyone to limit their contact with others after the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 rose by 141 over a four-day period.

Christian Dubé reported on Twitter Monday that 320 people were admitted to hospital while 179 were released between Dec. 22 and 26.

Health authorities reported 8,231 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths over the last 24 hours.

Experts have said that many public health units have reached their testing capacity, which means that the number of cases may be higher.

Meanwhile, Quebecers between 60 and 64 who got a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine became eligible for a third shot starting Monday.

Premier François Legault, who is 64, is scheduled to receive his third dose at a Montreal vaccine clinic later in the day.

11:34 a.m.: Nova Scotia health authorities say there is a COVID-19 outbreak at a Halifax hospital.

They said today in a statement that the outbreak is at the Halifax Infirmary site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre.

They did not give details on how many patients have tested positive but said fewer than five have been “impacted.”

They say everyone is being monitored and infection prevention and control measures are being put in place.

Authorities are also reporting 581 new cases of COVID-19.

Of the new infections reported Monday, authorities say 420 cases are in Central Zone.

10:25 a.m.: Ontario is reporting 9,418 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

There are 480 people hospitalized with the virus and 176 people are in ICU due to COVID-19. The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 168.

In Ontario, 26,494,532 vaccine doses have been administered, with over 45,000 doses administered on Boxing Day. Additionally, 90.7 per cent of Ontarians aged 12+ have had one dose and 88.0 per cent have had two doses.

7:47 a.m.: Israel has begun trials of a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine in what is believed to be the first study of its kind.

The trial began at Sheba Medical Center, outside Tel Aviv, with 150 medical personnel who received a booster dose in August receiving a fourth shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The staff receiving the additional dose were tested and found to have low antibody levels.

The trial came as Israeli officials have considered rolling out a second tranche of booster shots to its population as the country grapples with rising infections with the new omicron variant.

Prof. Jacob Lavee, former director of the heart transplant unit at Sheba, said “hopefully, we’ll be able to show here… that this fourth booster really provides protection against the omicron, which is highly needed.”

Monday 7:45 a.m.: Australia’s New South Wales state reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant.

The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.

New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, reported 6,324 new infections Monday, a fall of 70 from the record number a day before. There were 524 people in hospitals, including 55 in intensive care.

New measures came into force in New South Wales on Monday, including limits of one person per 2 square meters (22 square feet) in bars and restaurants and required “check-ins” with QR codes in hospitality venues.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the state government is considering lifting the requirement for health workers to isolate after being exposed to COVID-19 because of staff shortages.

Read Sunday’s coronavirus news.

Coronavirus Today – Nov 30


By Anne Blythe

Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, brought out her charts and graphs on Tuesday to update North Carolinians on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That latest COVID news, even as the Omicron variant adds new mystery about how long the pandemic will last, was dwarfed by Cohen’s announcement that she is stepping down as DHHS secretary at the end of December.

North Carolina Health News will have more extensive coverage of her decision to resign in the morning.

At the briefing with Gov. Roy Cooper and reporters, Cohen talked about the questions scientists will be trying to answer over the next few weeks about the newest COVID-19 variant.

“All viruses change over time and COVID-19 is no exception,” Cohen said during the Tuesday afternoon briefing. “The latest variant Omicron was recently designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. We still have a lot to learn about Omicron.”

Many questions remain: Is the new variant more contagious? Does it make people sicker? What impact will it have on the treatments and immunity?

“Cases with the Omicron variant have not yet been detected here in North Carolina or elsewhere in the United States,” Cohen said. “But many experts believe it is likely already here. While there’s no need for alarm, we do need to closely monitor the science and data on this new variant.”

The Omicron variant can be picked up by a standard PCR test, the same test that’s been used all through the pandemic, according to Cohen. 

“Interesting part about the Omicron variant, it does give off a particular signal on the PCR test,” Cohen said. “It does help our lab folks actually hone in on which sample they should be sequencing. So I do think there we’re going to be looking for this particular signal that it gives off on a PCR test, and doing a lot more samples of that, do the sequencing.

“All of the samples that come at least to the state lab, we sequence every single one of those positives,” she said. “That’s a small fraction of the tests that are done here in North Carolina, we have many labs that have been helping us with testing.”

Though North Carolina has seen its COVID-19 caseload drop significantly since a high in September, when the Delta variant was causing severe illness and hospitalization, there has been a slight increase over the past few weeks in the number of people visiting emergency departments with symptoms of the virus.

North Carolina reported 1,755 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. There have been more than 1.5 million cases reported during the pandemic.

There were 1,121 people hospitalized with illness related to the virus on Tuesday.

Since the start of the pandemic, 18,740 people in North Carolina have died from the virus.

Cooper and Cohen stressed COVID-19 vaccines are the best tool for moving beyond the pandemic.

In North Carolina, 68 percent of the 18-and-older population is fully vaccinated, according to the DHHS dashboard. Though parents have started getting children 5 and older vaccinated, the state still has a ways to go to get those numbers where Cooper and public health officials would like to see.

Up to 13 percent of the children ages 5 to 11, who only became eligible in early November, have received a COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina.

“Getting children vaccinated helps keep them healthy and protected from COVID-19. It’s why I got my daughters vaccinated right away,” Cohen said. “With the holidays approaching and people gathering, don’t wait to vaccinate.”

Coronavirus by the numbers

According to NCDHHS data, as of Tuesday afternoon:

  • 18,740 people total in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
  • 1,534,005 have been diagnosed with the disease. Of those, 1,131 are in the hospital. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day and does not represent all of the North Carolinians who may have been in the hospital throughout the course of the epidemic.
  • North Carolina has tracked COVID-19 re-infections in the case counts from March 1, 2021 through Sept. 20, 2021. All told, North Carolina has tracked 10,812 reinfections, 200 of those were in people who were previously vaccinated. Ninety-four people who were reinfected with COVID-19 have died. 
  • 1,489,392 people who had COVID-19 are presumed to have recovered. This weekly estimate does not denote how many of the diagnosed cases in the state are still infectious. Nor does it reflect the number of so-called “long-COVID” survivors who continue to feel the effects of the disease beyond the defined “recovery” period.
  • To date, 20,272,361 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 2020, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state. Most recently, 9.4 percent of those testing were testing positive. 
  • People ages 25-49 make up the largest group of cases (39 percent). While 12 percent of the positive diagnoses were in people ages 65 and older, seniors make up 74 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. 
  • 310 outbreaks are ongoing in group facilities across the state, including nursing homes and correctional and residential care facilities, that’s up from 107 outbreaks in early August.
  • As of Wednesday, 288 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state. 
  • As of Nov. 30, 6,423,443 North Carolinians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Ninety-one percent of people over the age of 65 have been completely vaccinated, while 57 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated. 1,525,741 boosters have been administered.
  • Children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination during November. A total of 120,103 first doses have been given to those children, a total of 13 percent of that population.

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

X

Republish this article

As of late 2019, we’re changing our policy about reprinting our content.

You are free to use NC Health News content under the following conditions:

 

You can copy and paste this html tracking code into articles of ours that you use, this little snippet of code allows us to track how many people read our story.

Please do not reprint our stories without our bylines, and please include a live link to NC Health News under the byline, like this:

 

By Jane Doe

 

North Carolina Health News

 

Finally, at the bottom of the story (whether web or print), please include the text:

 

North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org. (on the web, this can be hyperlinked)

by Anne Blythe, North Carolina Health News
November 30, 2021

1

Pfizer Covid pill: FDA authorizes first oral antiviral Paxlovid to treat coronavirus infection

This is the 1st antiviral Covid-19 tablet approved for sick persons to just take at property, ahead of they get sick sufficient to be hospitalized.

High-hazard persons age 12 and more mature who weigh at minimum 88 lbs . and have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test are suitable for this treatment and will want to have it approved by a doctor.

The pill “should really be initiated as soon as doable right after analysis of Covid-19 and within just five times of symptom onset,” in accordance to an Food and drug administration statement.

Paxlovid combines a new antiviral drug named nirmatrelvir and an older just one known as ritonavir and is administered as three tablets specified 2 times a working day for five days.

Last week, Pfizer launched updated final results that confirmed the cure slice the chance of hospitalization or dying by 89{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} if provided to high-chance adults in a couple days of their very first signs. If presented within just the initial five days of signs, the efficacy was comparable: 88{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Finding a Covid-19 test is a struggle right now in the US as Omicron and holiday plans collide

“Modern authorization of PAXLOVID represents an additional incredible case in point of how science will enable us finally defeat this pandemic, which, even two a long time in, carries on to disrupt and devastate life throughout the planet. This breakthrough treatment, which has been demonstrated to considerably lessen hospitalizations and fatalities and can be taken at home, will alter the way we treat COVID-19, and hopefully support lessen some of the important pressures facing our health care and hospital techniques,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla explained in a statement. “Pfizer stands ready to start out shipping and delivery in the U.S. instantly to assistance get PAXLOVID into the arms of correct sufferers as immediately as doable.”

In November, the Biden administration announced that it would order 10 million treatment method programs for $5.295 billion. President Biden stated he was inspired by the “promising info” from Pfizer and reported the drug would “mark a considerable move forward in our route out of the pandemic.”

He called Paxlovid a “potentially impressive instrument in our combat in opposition to the virus, which includes the Omicron variant,” but pressured that acquiring vaccinated and getting a booster shot remained “the most significant resources we have to conserve lives.”

The Fda emphasized in a statement that Paxlovid is not for pre- or post-exposure avoidance of Covid-19 and “is not a substitute for vaccination in men and women for whom COVID-19 vaccination and a booster dose are proposed.”

Separately, Merck has asked for crisis use authorization for its antiviral capsule, molnupiravir. It was narrowly advisable by FDA’s advisers in a 13-10 vote at the end of November following details showed it reduce the risk of hospitalization or demise by 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} amid high-hazard grownups. This was lessen than an previously investigation suggesting that selection could be about 50{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. The Food and drug administration has not introduced irrespective of whether it will authorize the treatment.

Remdesivir, offered beneath the manufacturer name Veklury, is the only antiviral accredited by Fda for treatment of Covid-19. It really is specified intravenously, not as a pill that can be taken at house.

Coronavirus Today – Dec 20


By Anne Blythe

The message was dire from Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

“Get boosted,” they repeatedly told North Carolinians on Monday during a briefing with reporters broadcast on PBS North Carolina.

In anticipation of a tremendous surge in COVID-19 cases in early January as the Omicron variant looms large on the horizon, Cohen returned to the Emergency Operations Center podium with a sense of urgency in her last days on the job.

Just a week earlier, Cohen told North Carolinians that she thought her update on the state’s COVID trends, metrics and data would be her final press conference. At the end of the month, she plans to resign from her job and turn over leadership of the state’s pandemic response to Kody Kinsley, the chief deputy secretary at DHHS tapped by Cooper to lead the department as the next secretary of health.

“We thought last week might be your last time at the podium, but this pandemic continues to throw us curveballs,” Cooper told Cohen on Monday after she laid out what she wants North Carolinians to do immediately before Omicron becomes as prevalent here as it is in New York and other parts of the world. 

Cohen issued a secretarial advisory on Monday urging all this winter and holiday season to get vaccinated, boosted and tested, and mask up in public places.

COVID cases are on the rise, and North Carolina health care systems are starting to show strain as influenza circulates and the Delta and Omicron variants pose threats. 

Cohen and Kinsley said they expected to see record numbers of cases in the peak of the expected Omicron surge. Though Cohen was reluctant to put a specific number on what that record might be, she estimated that it could be as high as 10,000 cases a day. She also declined to speculate what peak hospitalization might look like as a result of the Omicron wave. 

North Carolina reported 10,541 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID since Friday, Cooper said. There were 1,630 people hospitalized with severe illness related to COVID, 437 of whom were in intensive care unit beds.

Three days ago, New York reported its highest number of daily COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. North Carolina public health officials are preparing for a similar trend to take hold here in the weeks ahead.

“I have two messages for North Carolinians today,” Cohen said with a more urgent tone in her voice than typical at press briefings. “First, the newest variant of COVID-19, Omicron, is the most contagious we’ve seen yet and will likely set record-high, daily case numbers in the coming weeks. Second, and most importantly. You can act now to best protect yourself and family and friends.”

People who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago are eligible for a booster and should get one as soon as possible. Those who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster two months after receiving their shot. They can also get a Pfizer or Moderna shot to boost their immunity.

‘Do not wait’

The Omicron variant, which has been detected in “most” hospital labs across the state, according to Cohen, is two to three times as contagious as the Delta variant, currently the dominant variant in North Carolina.

“Fortunately, early evidence suggests that illness from the Omicron variant may be less severe,” Cohen said. “However, it still can pose a danger for people who are not vaccinated, and particularly those who are at higher risk of severe disease.”

During the week ending Dec. 11, Omicron accounted for 12.9 percent of all cases in the U.S. and 37 percent of cases in the Southeast. By the conclusion of the week ending Dec. 18, updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Omicron was accounting for 73.2 percent of all cases in the U.S. and 95.2 percent of all cases in the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee).

Instead of throwing hands up in the air, frustrated that the Omicron variant has shown the strength and adaptability of the coronavirus that has disrupted life for 22 months during the pandemic, Cohen urged North Carolinians to take action.

“Do not wait,” Cohen said, stressing each word.

Researchers from Hong Kong found that Omicron reproduces itself up to 70 times more effectively in the upper airway of an infected person than Delta did, making it spread that much more widely when that person coughs or sneezes. The good news is that Omicron doesn’t reproduce as effectively in the lungs, those researchers found. That could be why Omicron appears to cause less severe disease overall, the researchers speculated.

Public health officials in this country, though, say Omicron is too new to the states to predict whether that will remain the case in the weeks ahead.

As health care systems prepare to treat anyone sickened by the Omicron variant, drugs they’ve used in recent months to help stave off severe illness from the previous variants are not likely to offer much help.

‘Diminished’ COVID therapies

Regeneron, a drug company that created monoclonal antibody therapies that can be used for patients at risk of progressing to severe illness, put out a statement that its current drug has “diminished potency versus Omicron.”

New drugs are being developed, but they might not be readily available if an Omicron surge comes as expected in the weeks ahead.

Cohen was asked whether the record number of cases that she expected in North Carolina starting in early January would also mean a record number of hospitalizations.

“I do not yet know what that will translate into in terms of hospitalizations,” Cohen responded. “What we are seeing with Omicron is, it does seem to be less severe. What we don’t know yet is how it’s going to behave here in the United States. With the level of vaccinations that we’ve had, with the kinds of vaccination that we’ve seen before, I don’t know what that will mean. We are certainly planning to see additional strain on our hospitals. That’s why we are working with our hospitals to be ready, and the more we can act right now, that’s what will protect folks.”

“Right now,” though, is four days before Christmas Eve, when many families plan to gather to celebrate the holiday together after being forced to spend it apart in 2020 because of COVID. Some families are reconsidering how they might celebrate the holidays ahead, while others have opted to gather despite the variant. 

“I know people are frustrated and dismayed by this wave of infection right here at Christmas, but it’s important to remember how far we have come in our fight against this disease,” Cooper said. “We know what works. Vaccines, boosters, testing and masks when needed. With every dose, we’re getting closer to turning the tide on this sickness and death brought on by the pandemic.”

Cooper said his family is vaccinated and boosted. They plan to get tested, “then gather for food, prayer, presents and hugs and time with each other.”

Testing in the spotlight again

Kinsley outlined what the state has done in anticipation of Omicron. They have gotten boosters to state-run nursing homes and worked with hospitals to build systems to support them as weary workers and understaffed nursing teams add an even thornier layer for health care systems.

At-home COVID-19 tests. Photo credit: Rose Hoban

Kinsley also said the state is looking ahead to make sure that enough testing supplies are available during the expected surge. Testing for COVID will be a crucial element in schools, businesses and other places.

During the high-water mark of the Delta surge, which occurred in the late summer, North Carolina saw as many as 86,000 tests administered some days.

With public health leaders advising people who plan to gather for the holidays to get tested in advance, a spotlight has been cast again on whether tests are as easy to find as they should be.

Many pharmacies have empty shelves where rapid at-home antigen tests once were stocked. Even if the shelves were stocked, at nearly $25 a box for some brands with only two tests included, the cost of home testing can add up quickly. 

Kinsley stressed that free home-testing is available in North Carolina through DHHS. They’re not the rapid antigen tests, though. The swabs must be sent to a lab to get PCR results, adding a step that could lead to a delay in results.

“Over the last several weeks we’ve pushed out several hundreds of thousands of tests, rapid tests, to our local health departments to make them available in local communities,” Kinsley said. “Of course we have statewide testing vendors that are providing testing in schools.”

Coronavirus by the numbers

According to NCDHHS data, as of Monday afternoon:

  • 19,167 people total in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
  • 1,599,595 have been diagnosed with the disease. Of those, 1,630 are in the hospital. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day and does not represent all of the North Carolinians who may have been in the hospital throughout the course of the epidemic.
  • As of Tuesday, 437 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state. 
  • North Carolina tracked COVID-19 re-infections in the case counts from March 1, 2021 through Sept. 20, 2021. All told, North Carolina tracked 10,812 reinfections, 200 of those were in people who were previously vaccinated. Ninety-four people who were reinfected with COVID-19 have died. 
  • 1,538,231 people who had COVID-19 are presumed to have recovered. This weekly estimate does not denote how many of the diagnosed cases in the state are still infectious. Nor does it reflect the number of so-called “long-COVID” survivors who continue to feel the effects of the disease beyond the defined “recovery” period.
  • To date, 21,190,766 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 2020, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state. Most recently, 9.3 percent of those testing were testing positive. 
  • People ages 25-49 make up the largest group of cases (39 percent). While 12 percent of the positive diagnoses were in people ages 65 and older, seniors make up 74 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. 
  • 263 outbreaks are ongoing in group facilities across the state, including nursing homes and correctional and residential care facilities.
  • As of Dec. 20, 6,539,752 North Carolinians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Ninety-one percent of people over the age of 65 have been completely vaccinated, while 58 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated. 2,184,783 boosters have been administered.
  • Children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination during November. A total of 161,410 first doses have been given to those children, a total of 18 percent of that population.

This story has been updated with new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

X

Republish this article

As of late 2019, we’re changing our policy about reprinting our content.

You are free to use NC Health News content under the following conditions:

 

You can copy and paste this html tracking code into articles of ours that you use, this little snippet of code allows us to track how many people read our story.

Please do not reprint our stories without our bylines, and please include a live link to NC Health News under the byline, like this:

 

By Jane Doe

 

North Carolina Health News

 

Finally, at the bottom of the story (whether web or print), please include the text:

 

North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org. (on the web, this can be hyperlinked)

by Anne Blythe, North Carolina Health News
December 20, 2021

1

Coronavirus Today – Dec 14: One year with the vaccine



By Anne Blythe

On the anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine arriving in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper and his top public health official, Mandy Cohen, took a look back on the coronavirus pandemic with a nod to the future that will place a new secretary of health and human services in the lead role.

After more than 22 months of speaking to North Carolinians and reporters from the podium at the state Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, Cohen gave her final presentation of charts, graphs and data used to guide the response to the pandemic.

Cohen, who has been secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services since 2017, announced several weeks ago that she will resign at the end of this month to try something different. The physician and mother of two daughters has not divulged what that might be.

She has knocked back speculation that she plans to run for the U.S. Senate next year in North Carolina and offered another clue when asked whether she might be working for the Biden administration.

“I want to continue to make sure that I am doing something that can impact the lives and public health of communities, but I don’t believe it will be in a public service role in the future,” Cohen said.

Cooper has tapped Kody Kinsley, the DHHS chief deputy secretary of health, to grab the baton from Cohen and lead North Carolina through the next phases of the pandemic response and recovery.

The handoff to Kinsley, subject to approval by the state Senate, will come as North Carolina tussles with yet another COVID strain — the Omicron variant.

Though first detected in South Africa, Mecklenburg County public health officials reported that the extremely contagious variant was detected in Charlotte earlier this month after a fully-vaccinated UNC-Charlotte student returned from travel out of state. The student had mild symptoms, UNC-C officials told reporters. Though that was the first case detected in North Carolina, public health officials speculate that it is not the only one case here caused by Omicron.

The Delta variant remains dominant in North Carolina, but scientists studying Omicron as it moves swiftly around the world are troubled by its extreme ability to pass easily from person to person.

Cohen was asked what she thought of data coming from South Africa, the first country to report the Omicron variant, that showed infected people were reporting less severe illness than that seen with the Delta variant. Should North Carolina expect a similar pattern?

“What I think about Omicron is that we are still learning,” Cohen responded. “What early data shows us is that it is certainly much more contagious than the Delta variant, but we are seeing that it is less severe.”

Leading epidemiologists expect Omicron to eventually out-compete Delta for dominance in multiple countries. 

“I think we are still trying to understand from the science and the data what is that lower level of severity being driven by,” Cohen said. “Is it because it has largely been infecting folks who are younger who tend to get less severe disease to begin with? Or is it because there are many, many folks who have gotten a vaccine or have had past exposure to COVID already? I think the scientific community is still trying to tease out the why.”

Cohen said with more data and more time to study the patterns of Omicron, it could turn out that the variant causes illness as severe as that seen with the Delta strain.

That uncertainty lingers as Christmas, Kwanza and New Year’s Day approach. COVID cases are on the rise again in North Carolina, according to the DHHS dashboard. On Tuesday, there were 1,932 lab-confirmed cases, one day last week saw 4,153 cases. 

The number of people hospitalized with illness related to COVID has been steadily rising over the past two weeks. On Tuesday, 1,575 people were hospitalized and 439 of them were in intensive care units, according to the dashboard.

Holiday spikes?

Cohen speculated that Thanksgiving gatherings and the colder weather pushing more people indoors, where the virus spreads more readily, contributed to that increase.

In 2020 and early 2021, North Carolina saw a surge in cases after the holidays at the end of the year, straining health care systems and leading to thousands more deaths.

On Dec. 14, 2020, Katie Passaretti, medical director of infection prevention at Atrium Health in Charlotte, became the first person in North Carolina to get a COVID vaccine. 

Since then, more than 6.5 million people have had at least one dose of vaccine, according to the DHHS vaccinations dashboard. Some 1.981 million booster shots have been administered, the dashboard shows.

Cooper and Cohen have consistently touted the vaccines as the best weapon against COVID and a tool that can help North Carolina move beyond the pandemic.

“As new variants emerge and COVID continues to circulate, getting vaccinated and then boosted is the best way to protect yourself and get us out of this pandemic,” Cooper said. “Vaccines and boosters are widely available, and you can make an appointment today to give yourself this protection and more peace of mind.”

In a different place

This year, unlike last year, when vaccines were not widely available, Cooper and Cohen say people can enjoy the holidays with loved ones if they are vaccinated, boosted, getting testing before and after events, and wearing masks when indoors in public settings.

“We are in a different place as we go into this holiday season than we did last year,” Cohen said. “We’re a year into having a powerful tool. The vaccines have really helped us beat back this pandemic.”

Because of the vaccines, Cohen said, North Carolina does not have a statewide mask mandate and other restrictions that were in place this time last year.

“Folks can gather safely if they are getting vaccinated, getting boosted, using tests, using masks,” Cohen said. “There are safe ways to make sure that folks can enjoy the holidays, but I am still worried about our hospital capacity. 

“We are seeing a more contagious version of COVID in the Omicron variant on the horizon. We know we’re going into the winter, which is what the COVID virus likes. It likes the winter, and we know that it’s also flu season. So there are a lot of strains on our hospitals as we go into these winter months.

Flu and COVID circulating

On Tuesday morning, North Carolina reported its first flu death of the season.

Though many symptoms of flu are similar to COVID-19, the adult in the western part of the state who died in the second week of December tested positive for influenza and not COVID.

State officials did not release the person’s name, hometown, county, age or gender, citing privacy concerns for the family.

The somber news prompted Zack Moore, the state epidemiologist, to encourage everyone to not only get vaccinated against COVID, but also get a flu shot.

Flu season in North Carolina begins in October and extends through May.

“This is a sad reminder that flu can be a serious illness and can lead to complications and even death in some cases,” Moore said in a statement. “With flu cases increasing and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever for people to get a flu vaccine this year, as well as a COVID-19 vaccination or booster if they have not already done so.”

North Carolina had an atypically low number of influenza cases in 2020, when many people wore masks because of the coronavirus pandemic and restricted who they gathered with, as well as the number of people.

During the five flu seasons before the pandemic, though, influenza deaths ranged from 186 to 391, according to a DHHS press release.

As the number of COVID cases rise again, health officials are seeing a similar pattern with influenza as the cold weather pushes people indoors more where viruses can spread more quickly in confined spaces.

“Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the midst of the flu season, creating even more demand of our state’s hospital beds,” Kinsley said in a statement.

Seasonal flu shots are recommended annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for anyone 6 months old and older. COVID shots are recommended for children as young as 5 and everyone older than that. The shots can be administered at the same time, according to DHHS officials.

‘Use the tools’

Though children as young as 5 have been eligible for a kid-size dose of vaccine since last month, only 17 percent of the children ages 5 to 11 have had one dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, according to one of the charts Cohen shared at her final briefing. Forty-six percent of children ages 12 to 17 have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and only 56 percent of the population ages 18 to 24 have had a dose.

As COVID cases begin to climb again, children and young adults, the least vaccinated age groups, are bearing the brunt of the infections, Cohen said.

Cohen got her daughters vaccinated in November, the first weekend that children younger than 12 were eligible for shots. She encourages other parents to do the same.

Though many people have tired of the pandemic, the presence of COVID remains a factor in how people gather.

“As we went through the data today, everyone should be on guard,” Cohen said. “The virus is still here. But we have tools in order to beat back this pandemic, vaccines being our tools. What I hope folks take away from our message today is get vaccinated and get boosted as soon as possible. There are other tools. Make sure you are getting tested as you go to your family gatherings for the holidays. Test yourself before and after travel and wear masks, absolutely, when you are indoors and in public settings. 

“I think everyone knows what to do at this point. We just have to use the tools that we know work.”

Coronavirus by the numbers

According to NCDHHS data, as of Tuesday afternoon:

  • 19,033 people total in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
  • 1,577,154 have been diagnosed with the disease. Of those, 1,575 are in the hospital. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day and does not represent all of the North Carolinians who may have been in the hospital throughout the course of the epidemic.
  • As of Tuesday, 439 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state. 
  • North Carolina tracked COVID-19 re-infections in the case counts from March 1, 2021 through Sept. 20, 2021. All told, North Carolina tracked 10,812 reinfections, 200 of those were in people who were previously vaccinated. Ninety-four people who were reinfected with COVID-19 have died. 
  • 1,515,240 people who had COVID-19 are presumed to have recovered. This weekly estimate does not denote how many of the diagnosed cases in the state are still infectious. Nor does it reflect the number of so-called “long-COVID” survivors who continue to feel the effects of the disease beyond the defined “recovery” period.
  • To date, 20,893,384 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 2020, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state. Most recently, 9.2 percent of those testing were testing positive. 
  • People ages 25-49 make up the largest group of cases (39 percent). While 12 percent of the positive diagnoses were in people ages 65 and older, seniors make up 74 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. 
  • 263 outbreaks are ongoing in group facilities across the state, including nursing homes and correctional and residential care facilities.
  • As of Nov. 30, 6,510,428 North Carolinians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Ninety-one percent of people over the age of 65 have been completely vaccinated, while 58 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated. 1,981,998 boosters have been administered.
  • Children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination during November. A total of 150,476 first doses have been given to those children, a total of 17 percent of that population.

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Coronavirus News Updates: 77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron, says WHO Director-General

!1 New UpdateClick here for latest updates

Wrap Up: All you need to know

  • 8 new cases of Omicron found in Maharashtra; none had history of overseas travel
  • Schools for classes 1 to 7 to reopen in Mumbai on Dec 15, in Pune on Dec 16
  • Kolkata book fair from Jan 31 amid strict COVID measures
  • Assam reports 141 new COVID-19 cases, two more deaths
  • 20 fresh COVID-19 cases, one more death in Punjab
  • Gujarat reports 55 COVID-19 cases, 1 death
  • 13 Pakistani migrants granted Indian citizenship in Jaipur
  • Nashik sees 52 COVID-19 cases, 1 death, 28 recoveries

Enforcement Directorate, probing alleged 100-crore extortion case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, has now summoned IPS officer G Shreedhar in connection to the case on Dec 17. Shreedhar is presently posted as superintendent of police, Akola

– ED

Kerala reports 3,377 new COVID19 cases, 4073 recoveries and 28 deaths in the last 24 hours

We need to remember that strength we have today (of vaccine development & production) won’t fulfill our needs just for today. If some other pandemic, zoonotic disease, infection comes next, I’ve appealed to them that we need all these platforms strong & resilient..

– Dr VK Paul

The current strategy and effective strategy is to ensure that the adult population of India is covered with the two vaccines that are in our program-Covishield & Covaxin, & now a DNA vaccine may also be added to an extent

– Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, in Bhubaneswar(Odisha)

Congress issues whip to its Rajya Sabha members to be present in the House tomorrow

We won 11 seats, we’ve asked for recounting in Mysuru. We had expected to win 13-14 seats. We’ll discuss the results in our party meet. We’re happy with results. We had 6 seats last time, compared to that, we got 5 more seats this time

– Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on MLC results

Evidence suggests small decline in vaccine efficacy – WHO

Haryana logs 23 COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths

WHO is concerned that such programmes will repeat the COVID19 vaccine hoarding we saw this year, & exacerbate inequity. It’s clear that as we move forward, boosters could play an important role, esp for those at highest risk of severe disease death

– Tedros A Ghebreyesus, DG, WHO

77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron & the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant

– Tedros A Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO

Farmer organisations had sought an appointment for a meeting. So, 20th December has been fixed for this purpose. We will have a meeting with the farmer organisations on the 20th, regarding farm loans and other issues. A decision will be taken

– Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi

Punjab Government has taken a major decision. A General Caste Commission is being set up in the state. The decision will be passed by the State Cabinet day after tomorrow

– Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi

JPMorgan tells unvaccinated Manhattan staff to work from home

JPMorgan Chase & Co on Tuesday instructed unvaccinated staff in Manhattan to work from home, a further sign that banks and other financial firms are tightening protocols as COVID-19 infections rise and the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads. The U.S. bank, one of the most aggressive in bringing employees back to the office, had previously allowed unvaccinated staff to work in its Manhattan offices provided they were tested twice a week.

Limited Iran access giving ‘blurred image,’ says UN nuclear chief

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview to The Associated Press, Rafael Mariano Grossi said he wanted to tell Iran that there was “no way around” his inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency if the Islamic Republic wanted to be “a respected country in the community of nations.”

PM asks BJP CMs to carve a niche for their govts in some or other sector of governance, seeks top priority for ‘ease of living’: Statement

At meeting of BJP CMs, PM Narendra Modi calls for governance to be data driven to ensure last mile delivery, speed and transparency

Tamil Nadu reports 649 new COVID19 cases, 695 recoveries and 09 deaths in the last 24 hours

Delhi reports 45 fresh coronavirus cases, zero deaths

Delhi | The Omicron patient discharged today came from Zimbabwe on Dec 2 & had a slight throat discomfort & weakness initially, but returned completely healthy after 10 days

Omicron patients have mild symptoms, stable oxygen rates, & no need for ICU: LNJP-MD, Dr. Suresh Kumar

Amazon tells India antitrust body revoking 2019 Future Group deal would send negative message to foreign investors

Amazon tells India regulator — Future deal with Reliance “will further restrict competition in the Indian retail market”

Reports Reuters

State Cabinet has decided to provide 25,000 newly constructed houses in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali, to Economically Weaker Section (EWS)

– Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, in Chandigarh

Three fresh COVID-19 cases in Nagaland, 1 more fatality

Punjab Lok Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today warned Punjab Police officials against intimidating his party workers at behest of some local Congress leaders, saying he’d take all necessary measures to come down heavily on such hooligans in uniforms

– Amarinder Singh’s office

Rajasthan Government announces an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore for the family of Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh

He lost his life in the Tamil Nadu Chopper Crash on December 8th.

Over 6 crore people inoculated with both doses of COVID-19 vaccine in UP

Reports PTI

Our main agenda was Opposition unity in a state-wise manner. This was the first meeting, we’ll meet again tomorrow, Sharad Pawar will be there

– Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, after meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi

Maharashtra reports eight new Omicron cases

Pfizer says that clinical trials confirmed its anti-Covid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths among at-risk people by almost 90{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} when it was taken in the first few days after symptoms appear

In the context of emerging pandemics, our platforms have to be resilient and quick to be able to respond to new types of requirements of vaccines

– Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, at CII Partnership Summit

Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow, 15th December

November trade deficit at $22.91 bn

China detects 2nd case of omicron variant

International travel is completely dependent on the spread of the Omicron variant. Prior to covid, our highest capacity was close to 4.2 lakh passengers daily, now we are ranging between 3.7 lakh to 3.95 lakh

– Jyotiraditya Scindia, Civil Aviation Minister

Nov exports up 27.64{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} on yr, imports rise 57.17{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}

During the visit, the President will also hold a delegation-level meeting with Bangladesh President. PM Sheikh Hasina will call on President Kovind. Bangladesh Foreign Min Dr AK Abdul Momen will also call on the President

– Foreign Secy HV Shringla on President’s Bangladesh visit

Beginning tomorrow, President Kovind will be paying a state visit to Bangladesh. Visit will be from 15-17 Dec. This visit is in context of 50th Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka at which Bangladesh Pres has invited Pres Kovind to represent India as guest of honour

– Foreign Secy

Axis Bank names Ashish Kotecha Additional Non-Executive Director

Reports ET Now

No matter how much BJP tries, they are going to get a big zero in the Punjab elections. Congress is going to fail in Punjab, he (Charanjit Singh Channi) is more of a ‘drama minister’ than the Chief Minister

– Harshimrar Kaur Badal, MP Shiromani Akali Dal

COVID-19 pandemic combined with short-sighted policy decisions of this govt has ushered in period of uncertainty for economic revival of country

– Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in Lok Sabha

Serum Institute working to develop COVID vaccine booster shot which is more effective against Omicron

– Adar Poonawala

UK PM Johnson warns ministers of ‘huge spike’ in Omicron COVID cases

4th EU-India Competition Week

4th EU-India Competition Week took place online on 13-14 Dec. This annual discussion showcased the commitment of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition & Competition Commission of India to step up their cooperation and technical exchanges on competition policy and law: EU

Tamil Nadu Chopper Crash : Group Captain Varun Singh’s medical condition continues to be critical but he is stable

He is on life support system in Bengaluru Command Hospital: IAF officials

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao meets Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at the latter’s residence in Chennai.

CBI apprehends Deputy Chief Electrical Engineer of Northeast Frontier Rly Ranjeet Kumar Borah in Rs 15-lakh alleged bribery case: Officials

Compulsory pre-booking of RT-PCR

Starting Dec 20th, all international travelers from ‘at-risk’ countries, arriving at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad will have to compulsorily prebook an RT-PCR test.

Zero budget natural farming should become mass movement and people should be made aware of its benefits: PM Narendra Modi

There has been an 83{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} surge in new cases on the continent this week compared to the previous week. This is the fastest surge recorded since May last year.

– Dr Moeti Tshidi

Fourth Wave in Africa

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an Afghan National from Delhi in connection with the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin from Gujarat’s Mundra Port. The Afghan National was arrested on December 12: NIA

Parliament passes bill to extend up to five years tenure of Enforcement Directorate chief

Everyone knows that Congress & BJP have an internal understanding to finish the JDS party. They’ve somewhat succeeded in coordinating with each other in all of the 6 constituencies we had contested in.

– Former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy, on Karnataka MLC election results

PM will address farmers during valedictory session of National Summit on Agro & Food Processing on De 16 in Anand, Gujarat via video conferencing. Summit brings in focus on natural farming. Farmers will be provided all requisite info detailing the benefits of natural farming methods

Fake news reports allegedly quoting an audio message in the name of Controller of Exam, CBSE are being circulated claiming that due to an error in class 12 Accountancy Term 1 paper, “upto 6 grace marks” will be given. Contents in news reports published are baseless & false: CBSE

Number of tourists to Varanasi in 2019-20 doubled compared to 2014-15: PM Narendra Modi as he highlights development works in the city

The search action has resulted in seizure of unaccounted cash of more than Rs 4 crores. Further investigations are in progress: CBDT

UK High Court begins hearing fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s appeal against extradition to India

Kashi’s energy is intact and it also keeps expanding. Yesterday, Kashi dedicated the grand Vishwanath Dham to Mahadev.

– PM Narendra Modi addresses the 98th anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan, in Umraha