Czech Republic scraps mandatory Covid jabs as daily cases hit record
The Czech government has scrapped a decree making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for key professionals and over-60s to avoid “deepening fissures” in society, while the daily tally of new cases hit a record high.
The prime minister Petr Fiala said his new centre-right government did not see reasons for compulsory inoculation as the previous administration had planned in some sectors.
“This does not change our stance on vaccination. It is still undoubtedly the best way to fight Covid-19 ... however, we do not want to deepen fissures in society,” Fiala told a news conference on Wednesday.
In December, the previous government ordered Covid-19 vaccinations from March 2022 for hospital and nursing home staff, police, soldiers and some other professions, as well as those aged over 60. That decision brought protests against the measures.
The policy turn comes as a wave of the Omicron variant hits the country of 10.7 million people. The health ministry said 28,469 new cases were reported for Tuesday, a record daily number since the start of the pandemic and more than double the 12,371 reported the same day last week.
Like other central European nations, the government expects about 50,000 daily cases by the end of the month.
In preparation, asymptomatic essential healthcare workers and social service personnel who test positive may be allowed to continue working. Businesses want the list extended.
Fiala’s government has also shortened quarantine and isolation times, while launching mandatory testing of employees at companies from this week.
Hospitalisations, which peaked in the latest Delta wave at more than 7,000 in early December, dropped to 1,635 on Tuesday from 1,761 reported for Monday.
The country has reported 36,937 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic, one of the world’s worst rates per capita.
New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said restrictions will be tightened if there is a community transmission of Omicron.
Ardern made the remarks during a press conference on Thursday in which she provided an update on the country’s traffic light system.
When Omicron enters the community behind the border, the whole country will move into red within 24 to 48 hours, stuff.co reports.
The prime minister previously told her MPs that Omicron is a “different foe” and will result in case numbers not seen in New Zealand before. However, she added that the variant “is not insurmountable” and long lockdowns should not be needed.
Two new Omicron cases have been reported in Auckland.
Testing in New Zealand for Covid will be free, and rapid antigen tests will be used more widely, Ardern added.
Moving across to Europe, Austria has also recorded a record daily rise in Covid infections with 27,641 cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Austrian Agency for Health (AGES).
It marks an incident rate of 1,439 per 100,000 of the population.
Mexico is also reporting a record daily increase of more than 60,000 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, health ministry data showed on Wednesday, as the country steps up testing for the virus.
In the past 24 hours, more than 150,000 test results were logged, the ministry’s data showed, far more than Mexico was registering at the start of the month.
With 60,552 new infections, the number of overall cases since the pandemic began increased to 4,495,310 while 323 more deaths brought the overall death toll to 302,112.
Brazil has reported 204,854 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, breaking the country’s previous record for the second day in a row, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry also reported 338 new Covid-19 deaths.
The previous record of 137,103 cases of the coronavirus was reported on Tuesday.
The South American country has now registered 23,416,748 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 621,855.
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you on the blog as we unpack all the latest Covid developments from across the world.
I’ll be reporting to you from Sydney and my colleagues from London will take over a little later in the day.
Here’s a snapshot of how Covid is unfolding across Australia.
The NSW Covid numbers are in and sadly another 25 Covid positive people in the state have died, with 30,825 new infections recorded.
NSW has also recorded a slight reduction in the number of people hospitalised, with 2,781 patients now in Covid wards, compared with 2,850 yesterday.
Victoria’s number are also in and sadly 15 more people with Covid-19 have died with 21,966 new infections recorded. There are now 1,206 hospitalisations, an increase from yesterday’s 1,152.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has just granted provisional approval to two oral Covid-19 treatments, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) and Lagevrio (molnupiravir).
The interval for a booster shot will be reduced to three months in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT amid unprecedented strain on hospitals as Omicron cases surge.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev believes some more players at the Australian Open may have Covid-19 but they may have gone undetected because they weren’t tested, AAP reports.
Here’s a round-up of Wednesday’s top international Covid news.
Denmark reported a record 38,759 infections, a 37% jump on two weeks ago.
Algeria announced it’s closing schools for ten days over rising cases.
Germany reported a record 112,323 cases as Omicron continues to batter Europe.
Bulgaria reported its highest Covid tally of the whole pandemic, with 11,181 new infections, a 65% jump on the 6,766 cases recorded on Wednesday two weeks ago.
France detected over 400,000 new cases for the second day in a row.
Japan is is set to widen Covid restrictions to cover half its population as the Omicron variant drives record infections.
Northern Ireland will cut self-isolation from seven to five days from Friday, following suit from new isolation rules in England.
England will soon scrap virtually all Covid measures, the health secretary confirmed.
St Petersburg in Russia detected record cases, as the country clocked over 33,000 infections.
Hana Horka, a Czech folk singer, died on Sunday after deliberately exposing herself to Covid. Her son said she was a victim of the antivax movement.
The US government will make 400m non-surgical N95 masks free to the public from next week, the White House said.
Children aged 5-11 in Malaysia will be jabbed starting February with the Pfizer vaccine.
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic is the controlling shareholder in a Danish biotech firm aiming to develop a Covid treatment that doesn’t involve vaccination.
In the US,Starbucks has suspended the requirement for its 220,000 employees to be vaccinated or regularly tested after a Supreme Court ruling.
US actor John Malkovich was turned away from a luxury hotel in Venice, Italy last week after failing to present a valid Covid vaccination pass.
Portuguese voters with Covid or isolating will be allowed to vote in person on 30 January.
Authorities in Beijing, China announced another piece of infected international mail, local media reported, amid doubts from experts, who say such events are extremely rare.
That’s all from me, Jem Bartholomew, in London for today. Now over to my colleague Samantha Lock in Australia. Bye for now.
The US government will make 400m non-surgical N95 masks from its strategic national stockpile available for free to the public starting next week, the White House said.
The masks will be available in high street pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens. It’s part of an effort to stamp out the rise of the Omicron variant across the nation.
Health experts recommend an N95, rather than a cloth mask, to stop the spread of the highly-mutated Omicron variant.
Denmark reports record high daily Covid infections of almost 40,000
Denmark reported a record high of 38,759 new Covid infections, a 37% jump on the 28,283 cases detected on Wednesday two weeks ago.
The Copenhagen Post reports this alarming stat based on per capita data: “Were Denmark as populated as the UK, its count would be 420,000.” A further 16 people died from virus-related reasons.
It comes after Denmark on Monday ended restrictions on cinemas, museums and cultural institutions after in measures a month intended to clamp down on Omicron, with public venues reopening on a day Denmark also broke its record-case tally.
Children aged 5-11 in Malaysia will be vaccinated starting February, authorities said.
The dosage for children in this age bracket is lower, around one-third the dosage given to over-12s, and only the Pfizer-BioNTech will be used following evidence it’s safe and effective.
Clinical trials found that the risk of symptomatic infection in vaccinated children is reduced by 90%, the country’s vaccine committee said in a statement. (The decision to vaccinate this age bracket was already taken on 6 January.)
Meanwhile, Malaysia reported 3,245 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours, the New Straits Times reports, largely flat on the 3,270 cases on Wednesday two weeks ago.
A further 9 new Covid-related deaths were announced, halving the 18 reported two weeks ago today and climbing the national death toll to 31,818, the 29th highest worldwide.
People wearing protective face masks cross a street in Bukit Bintang shopping district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photograph: Hussain Hasnoor/Reuters
Algeria closes schools for 10 days to combat Covid
Algeria announced it will close schools for ten days over rising Covid cases.
Elementary and high scools will shut from Thursday, president Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Wednesday, but universities will decide for themselves whether to close.
Reuters reports the details:
Algeria is battling infections from both the delta variant infections and the fast-spreading omicron variant. On Wednesday, heath officials reported a daily record of 1,359 omicron cases and 12 deaths.
Tebboune urged officials to set a “robust testing structure” in public heath facilities and in private laboratories.
In December, Algeria started requiring a vaccine passport to enter many public venues, seeking to boost the country’s low inoculation rate and overcome vaccine hesitancy that has left millions of vaccines unused. Less than a quarter of Algeria’s population has had even one vaccine dose.
A man has his body temperature checked before receiving a vaccine dose in Algiers, Algeria on Monday. Photograph: Billal Bensalem/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
More on the fallout from UK health secretary Sajid Javid’s confirmation earlier today that England will scrap virtually all Covid restrictions, which drew scorn from experts.
Health professionals questioned the move:
Saffron Cordery, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, pointed to the high number of Covid-19 patients in hospital “at a time when the NHS is already at full stretch and contending with the toughest winter on record”, and some regions were still seeing increased infection numbers.
Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said ministers would “regret sending the wrong signal to the public for political expediency”.
Likewise, unions expressed concern:
Unison, the UK’s largest health union, warned that ditching plan B “in one fell swoop” risked jeopardising progress made. Christina McAnea, the union’s general secretary, said: “Rather than allowing a free-for-all, ministers should be urging caution and encouraging continued mask-wearing on transport, in public places and in schools, where it can still make a real difference.”
Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “While the trend amongst secondary aged children is down, it is however uncertain, due to the short time schools have been back since the Christmas holidays, that this trend will continue. Such uncertainty could lead to a pronounced risk of increased disruption with children and staff having to isolate.”
The British Medical Association has warned that lifting all Covid restrictions in England risks a resurgence in infections, more people ending up in hospital and more cases of long Covid.
“Today’s announcement from the prime minister risks creating a false sense of security when the levels of infection and illness remain high, and the NHS is still under crippling pressure”, said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA’s chair of council , in a highly critical response to Boris Johnson’s statement.
“This decision clearly is not guided by the data. When Plan B was introduced in December, there were 7,373 patients in hospital in the UK . The latest data this week shows there are 18,979. Case rates too are nearly twice as many.
“The pressures on the NHS are clear for everyone to see. We have a record backlog of 6m patients [in England] at a time when hospitals are cancelling operations, Trusts are declaring critical incidents and ambulance delays are jeopardising public safety. Removing all restrictions risks a rebound in the number of infections across society, would inevitably increase hospitalisation rates, further destabilise patient care and drive up the rate of staff absences and the number of people with long Covid,” he added.
Nagpaul said that ending mask-wearing and the duty to isolate after displaying symptoms of Covid were particularly reckless.
“It is vital that the government acts according to the data and takes a measured approach. Removing effective infection control measures like mask-wearing on public transport and indoor crowded spaces will inevitably increase transmission and place the public at greater risk, especially for those who are vulnerable. We recognise the implications of restrictions on our society, but equally we have seen the impact of the failure to control the virus on the economy, business and education.
“The announcement by the prime minister that he will seek to end self-isolation rules is premature, especially given the statement by the World Health Organisation earlier today that the pandemic is far from over amidst high global case rates and the risk of new variants emerging.”
Hana Horka, a Czech folk singer, died on Sunday after deliberately exposing herself to Covid, her family said.
Horka, 57, wanted to prove recovery from Covid so she could obtain a health pass to visit venues.
Horka, vocalist for the band Asonance, voluntarily exposed herself to the virus when her vaccinated husband and son caught it before Christmas, her son Jan Rek told public radio iRozhlas.cz. “She decided to continue to live normally with us and preferred to catch the disease than to get vaccinated,” Rek said.
Rek blamed the death on a local anti-vaccine movement, saying its leaders had “blood on their hands”. Read the full story here.
France detected 436,167 new Covid cases on Wednesday, a dramatic 117% jump from the already-high 202,293 new cases recorded on Wednesday three weeks ago.
It comes after France on Tuesday reported its record daily tally for the pandemic, at 464,76 infections, edging close to half a million. It keeps French Covid infections above 400,000 for the second day in a row.
A further 231 people died from Covid-related causes in French hospitals, Reuters reports.
Earlier this month French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans for a vaccine passports were approved by parliament, part of a strategy he characterised as intended to suppress Omicron’s spread and “piss off” unvaccinated people.
French President Emmanuel Macron at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday. Photograph: Julien Warnand/EPA
Northern Ireland to cut isolation period from 7 to 5 days
Northern Ireland, UK will cut the self-isolation period from seven to five days from Friday, first minister Paul Givan said on Twitter.
From 21st January Department of Health has confirmed self isolation period in Northern Ireland will reduce from 7 days to 5. Today I’ve been engaging with colleagues & officials on what Covid measures can be lifted at tomorrow’s Executive. I’m hopeful we can make progress.
The move follows guidance announced earlier this week in England, UK for five full days’ isolation – provided people test negative by lateral flow on quarantine days five and six. The change reflects latest medical evidence, policymakers said, and is expected to combat staff shortages.
The US charted the path on 5-day isolation periods – cut from 10 days – last month but the decision drew scorn from experts for not baking in a test-to-release component.
Northern Ireland reported a further six people had died from Covid-related reasons on Wednesday, plus another 4,451 new infections.
St Petersburg detects record cases as Russia clocks over 33,000 daily cases
Russia reported 33,899 fresh Covid infections over the past 24 hours, the Moscow Times reports, a 117% surge on the 15,632 new cases on Wednesday two weeks ago.
Russia’s last wave peaked in early November, with cases gradually dropping week on week, but infections began jumping again in early January driven by Omicron.
St Petersburg, Russia’s second-biggest city behind Moscow by population, set a new record high on Wednesday – with 4,382 new cases. (Tuesday saw the city report 3,958 cases.)
Russia reported a further 698 deaths on Wednesday. Russia has the world’s second-highest death toll from the virus, behind only the US, with Reuters estimating deaths of over 670,000 people.
It comes after Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Tuesday he was extending work-from-home rules and guidance to protect elderly people until April 1 amid the Omicron climb.
“Given the rapid and wide spread of Omicron, it is clear that the workload of outpatient clinics will increase sharply,” Sobyanin said.
A woman walks past piles of melting snow in Malaya Konyushennaya Street on St Petersburg, Russia on 12 January. The city recorded a daily record of new Covid cases on Wednesday. Photograph: Alexander Demianchuk/TASS
