Covid-19 Omicron Variant Dec 31st Highlights: Delhi sees 1,796 new Covid cases, highest since May 22

Sikkim had to come to terms with a resurgent coronavirus in 2021, as the Himalayan state clocked a disturbing cumulative positivity rate of over 10 per cent, stretching its healthcare apparatus and blowing a hole into its mainstay tourism sector. The administration swung into action, reimposing tough containment and surveillance measures, and augmenting testing and inoculation as the second wave of the pandemic swept through the scenic landscapes. Sikkim recorded a sombre five-fold increase in the positivity rate in the past nine months, while the death toll trebled from 136 at the end of March to 409 till December 30, officials said. The state's Covid tally stood at 32,493. Its back to the wall for the greater part of the year, the Sikkim government decided upon phase-wise easing of the curbs from October, but with strict health protocols in place. Doors were reopened for tourists, too, from the first week of October, aiming at salvaging the state's battered economy to some extent. Travellers lapped up the opportunity, as the border state saw a footfall of more than 22,000 domestic visitors and over 650 foreigners in the month, officials said. In a shot in the arm for the sector, private carrier SpiceJet started daily direct flight services between Delhi and Pakyong Greenfield Airport in Sikkim, and also resumed flights from Kolkata, which were abruptly suspended in June 2019. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions restarted operations and economic activities recommenced in a regulated manner from October. (PTI)

Israel is extending its offer of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to elderly people in care facilities, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Friday, citing their high exposure and vulnerability to infections. On Thursday, the Health Ministry's director-general, Nachman Ash, approved fourth doses for people with weakened immune systems and the administering of those shots began on Friday. An Israeli hospital administered fourth shots to a test group of health workers on Monday, in what it called the first major study into whether a second round of boosters will help contend with the Omicron coronavirus variant. Results are expected within two weeks. A Health Ministry expert panel last week recommended that Israel offer a fourth shot of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to medical workers and those over 60 or with compromised immune systems. (Reuters)

New coronavirus infections soared again in Australia on Friday to a record of more than 32,000, just days after surpassing 10,000 for the first time. Experts say the explosion is being driven by the highly contagious omicron variant and a recent relaxation of restrictions in Sydney and other areas. More than 15,000 of the new cases were reported in Sydney. Another 5,000 cases came from elsewhere in New South Wales state, while almost 6,000 were confirmed in Victoria state, home to the second largest city of Melbourne.

While hospitalisations and deaths have been increasing from the surge, so far they haven't reached comparative levels seen in previous outbreaks. And many cities were planning to go ahead with New Year's Eve celebrations, including the famous fireworks display from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Authorities were expecting far smaller crowds than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as 1 million revelers would crowd inner Sydney. Prime Minister Scott Morrison remained upbeat despite the rising virus numbers and the many natural challenges the nation has recently faced. “Despite the pandemic, despite the floods, the fires, continuing drought in some areas, the cyclones, the lockdowns, even mice plagues, Australia is stronger today than we were a year ago. And we're safer,” Morrison said in a New Year's Eve message. “We have one of the lowest death rates and the highest vaccination rates from COVID anywhere in the world,” he said. (AP)

The Omicron variant of coronavirus is largely resistant to antibodies from people who recover from COVID-19 infection, and those vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Cell, also shows that several antibodies used to treat COVID-19 will be ineffective against Omicron. However, a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and mixing Pfizer and AstraZeneca preventives may protect well against the variant. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be spreading faster than any previous variant and may soon dominate globally, the researchers said. In the study, they used non-hazardous virus-like particles that carry the Omicron spike protein and are well suited for analysis of virus entry and its inhibition. The spike protein is used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter and infect cells. Currently, combinations of the antibodies Casirivimab and Imdevimab, and Etesevimab and Bamlanivimab are used to treat COVID-19. However, the researchers showed that these antibodies are largely ineffective against the Omicron spike. Only one antibody, Sotrovimab, inhibited the Omicron spike, they said. “Our cell culture studies suggest that most antibodies currently available for COVID-19 therapy will be ineffective against Omicron,” said study first author Markus Hoffmann from German Primate Center. “Sotrovimab is an exception and could become an important treatment option for Omicron-infected patients,” Hoffmann said. The researchers further investigated whether patients infected in Germany during the first wave of the pandemic had produced antibodies that protect against the Omicron variant. While the antibodies inhibited the spike of the virus responsible for the first wave, the researchers had little effect against the Omicron spike. They assume that these individuals do not have robust immune protection against the Omicron variant, although an inhibition by T cells, which are also produced during infection, remains to be analysed. (PTI)

A US woman was quarantined in an aeroplane bathroom for three hours after testing positive for COVID-19 halfway through a flight from Chicago to Iceland, according to media reports. Marisa Fotieo, a teacher from Michigan, said her throat began to hurt halfway through the trip on December 19 so she went to the bathroom to perform a rapid Covid test which confirmed she was infected, WABC-TV reported. Before the flight, Fotieo told CNN she took two PCR tests and about five rapid tests, all of which came back negative. But about an hour and a half into the flight, Fotieo started to feel a sore throat. “The wheels started turning in my brain and I thought, 'OK, I'm going to just go take a test.' It was going to make me feel better,” Fotieo said. “Immediately, it came back positive.” Fotieo is fully vaccinated and has received the booster. She tests consistently since she works with an unvaccinated population. When she got her results in the aeroplane bathroom, over the Atlantic Ocean, she said she started to panic. “The first flight attendant I ran into was Rocky. I was hysterical, I was crying,” Fotieo said. “I was nervous for my family who I just had dinner with. I was nervous for the other people on the plane. I was nervous for myself.” The flight attendant Fotieo ran into helped calm her down, the report added. “Of course, it's a stress factor when something like this comes up, but that's part of our job,” the flight attendant told CNN. The flight attendant said she did what she could to try to rearrange seats so Fotieo could be seated in a spot alone, but the flight was full. (PTI)

Arunachal Pradesh on Friday reported three new COVID-19 cases, one more than the previous day, with the tally rising to 55,339, a health department official said. The death toll remained at 280 as no fresh fatality due to the infection was recorded in the last 24 hours, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said. One more person recuperated from the disease during the period, taking the total number of recoveries to 55,038. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state stood at 99.46 per cent. Arunachal Pradesh now has 21 active Covid-19 cases, the SSO said. The Capital Complex Region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 13, followed by Namsai at three, Lohit and West Kameng at two each and Tawang at one. Altogether, 12,04,943 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, including, 149 on Thursday, Jampa said, adding that the positivity ratio was at 2.01 per cent.

State Immunisation Officer Dr Dimong Padung said 14,61,096 people have been inoculated thus far. (PTI)

China is on high alert against COVID-19 as the New Year holiday looms, with the city of Xian under lockdown while several New Year's Eve events in other cities have been cancelled and some provinces urged restraint in travel during the festive season. China reported 166 locally transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Thursday, according to the National Health Commission, with 161 from Xian, which is fighting the worst outbreak for a Chinese city this year. The number of domestically transmitted infections in Xian have exceeded 1,200 during the Dec. 9-30 period. While the case load pales in comparison with many outbreaks overseas, China has insisted on stamping out infections quickly, especially ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. “With the arrival of the New Year and the Lunar New Year, the number of people returning home from abroad will increase and the movement of people within China will rise,” He Qinghua, an official at the National Health Commission, said on Wednesday. “Coupled with the emergence of new variants such as Omicron, these scenarios will increase the risk of the epidemic spreading,” He said. The popular Happy Valley amusement park in Beijing has cancelled an event to ring in the new year, while the Happy Valley park in the eastern city of Nanjing has dropped a drone show and fireworks from its line-up of celebrations for New Year's Eve. In the financial hub Shanghai, the Great World amusement park said it will not organise special events such as stage performances, while no count-down will take place in core districts along Huangpu river. (Reuters)