New Zealand on Tuesday postponed the reopening of its borders until the end of February over concerns about the spread of the omicron variant.
The country had planned to ease its international border restrictions from January, with all foreign tourists being allowed into the country by April. Non-quarantine travel for New Zealand citizens in Australia, which was supposed to open from January 16, will be pushed back until the end of February.
“There’s no doubt this is disappointing and will upset many holiday plans, but it’s important to set these changes out clearly today so they can have time to consider those plans,” said COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins at a press conference.
Here are the latest major coronavirus developments from around the world:
Oceania
In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged states to avoid further lockdowns due to the omicron variant. While cases have gone up, hospitalizations in the country have remained relatively low.
“We have got to get past the heavy hand of government and we have got to treat Australians like adults. We’re not going back to lockdowns. We’re going forward to live with this virus with common sense and responsibility,” said Morrison.
Americas
The omicron variant has now become dominant in the United States, accounting for about 73% cases. An unvaccinated man in Texas has become the first casualty in the country to die of the variant.
Health authorities are worried about the quick spread of the variant, and are concerned numbers might soar during the holiday season.
President Joe Biden is set to urge citizens to get vaccinated, in a speech scheduled for Tuesday. Late Monday, the White House announced that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The White House said the president has since tested negative twice and will test again on Wednesday.
Europe
The number of COVID cases in Germany has increased by 23,428, with 462 more deaths, said the Robert Koch Institute.
The RKI subsequently recommended “maximum contact restrictions” that should “start immediately” and be continued until mid-January. It also urged the reduction of travel to the “absolutely necessary.”
In the southern city of Mannheim, 13 police officers were injured on Monday night as protesters reacted angrily to an attempt by authorities to end an unauthorized march against restrictions.
One officer was hospitalized after protesters, who had gathered without the necessary approval from the relevant authorities, resisted efforts by police to end their demonstration.
Despite the current fall in patients in intensive care units in Germany, health authorities are bracing for an uptick in cases as they expect the omicron variant to dominate in January.
German consumer sentiment worsened for the second month in a row due to the new variant, said a key survey by pollster GfK. The poll said the forward-looking barometer fell to -6.8 from a revised figure of -1.8 for December.
“The high incidence of the virus due to the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic with further restrictions and higher prices are increasingly weighing on the consumer climate,” said consumer expert Rolf Bürkl.
Due to rising cases, Spain’s Catalonia province has announced plans to place restrictions on public life. The number of people in restaurants, cultural and leisure facilities will be limited, and a nighttime curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. will be put in place. Clubs, bars and dance clubs will be closed.
If approved by Catalonia’s Supreme Court, the rules will come into place from Friday, for an initial period of 15 days.
Asia
People over the age of 30 in Pakistan will now receive booster vaccine doses, as authorities try to contain the spread of the new omicron variant.
People over 50, health care workers and those with compromised immunity were already eligible for booster jabs. Pakistan has seen a steady decline in cases recently, and detected its first case of omicron last week.
India recorded 200 cases of the new variant on Tuesday, from across 12 states. The capital city, New Delhi, and the western state of Maharashtra made up most of the cases, said the Health Ministry.
The number of omicron cases have doubled over the last week, but there have been no deaths reported so far.
Middle East
Kuwait will now make it compulsory for travelers arriving into the country to get a COVID booster shot, if more than nine months have passed since their vaccination.
The government has said arriving travelers will also have to quarantine at home for 10 days unless they can produce a negative RT-PCR test taken not more than 72 hours prior to their arrival.
Global
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, has called upon nations to redouble their efforts in ending the pandemic. He said countries should rein in holiday season celebrations because large gatherings would allow a greater spread of the omicron variant.
“We have to focus now on ending this pandemic,” he said, adding that it was better to “celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later.” He told reporters that 2022 must be “the year we end the pandemic.”
tg/rt (dpa, AFP, AP, Reuters)
Coronavirus digest: New Zealand delays reopening over omicron
Source: Pinoy Pop News
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