Travellers from outside EU require negative Covid-19 test to enter France Issued on: 01/12/2021 - 09:00Modified: 01/12/2021 - 14:37 The French government on Wednesday made a negative Covid-19 test mandatory for all travellers arriving from outside the EU, while Japan imposed a one-month suspension on all new incoming flight bookings in a bid to prevent the fast-spreading Omicron variant from taking a hold in the country. The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa last week, and has since spread to dozens of countries worldwide. The World Health Organization has warned that the new strain poses a "very high" global risk, and has urged governments to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups. 14:10 Paris time: Travellers from outside EU require negative Covid-19 test to enter France Travellers arriving into France from outside the European Union must have a negative Covid-19 test, regardless of their vaccination status, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. The move is part of a bundle of measures aimed at tackling a new surge in infections as worries caused by the newly detected Omicron variant loom. Talking to journalists after a government meeting, Attal said that decisions regarding travel within the EU would be coordinated by European leaders later this week. 13:22 Paris time: EU to make vaccines available for children as of December 13 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Covid-19 vaccines will be made available across the bloc for children aged between five and 11 as of December 13. The EU executive is urging all 27 member states to step up their vaccination campaigns as Europe faces what Von der Leyen described as “a severe double challenge”. “On one hand, we are amid the fourth wave... On the other hand, we are facing a new threat that is the new variant Omicron,” she said. 13:00 Paris time: Ghana, South Korea, Ireland report first Omicron cases Ghana, South Korea and Ireland on Wednesday joined the growing list of countries to report their first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. 12:10 Paris time: Portugal steps up Covid-19 restrictions Portugal on Wednesday tightened its passenger controls in airports, seaports and land borders, by requiring negative coronavirus tests for most incoming visitors in a bid to shield itself from the Omicron variant. It also reintroduced mandatory face mask measures in enclosed spaces and a requirement for people to show proof of coronavirus vaccinations or Covid-19 recovery tests to enter restaurants, cinemas, gyms and hotels. 11:58 Paris time: Denmark says person infected with Omicron attended large concert A person who has tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant in Denmark attended a large concert over the weekend, health officials said Wednesday. The concert was held in the city of Aalborg and was attended by almost 2,000 people. According to Danish broadcaster DR, everyone who attended the concert has now been urged to get tested. It was not immediately clear whether the concert-goer was one of the four Omicron cases that Denmark has already confirmed, or whether it was a new case. 11:50 Paris time: Norway reports its first Omicron cases Norway has identified its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the Oeygarden municipality said in a statement, adding that both of the people infected had been on a trip to South Africa. Norway on Friday decided to impose a quarantine on any travellers arriving from South Africa or neighbouring countries, following a similar decision by neighbouring Denmark and many other countries around the world. 11:00 Paris time: Germany reports highest Covid-19 death toll in nine months Germany on Wednesday reported 446 Covid-19 related deaths - the highest daily figure since mid-February – bringing the country’s total death toll to 101,790. Gernot Marx, president of the DIVI association for intensive care medicine, warned that the country could still have 6,000 people in intensive care by Christmas, which would be above the peak of last winter. “The situation is really becoming increasingly tight,” Marx told ZDF television, calling for the government to consider a temporary lockdown. “We need to save the clinics from collapse.” 09:45 Paris time: ‘Rapid increase in coronavirus cases in South Africa’ Since South Africa detected the new Omicron variant last week, the number of new Covid-19 cases in the country has surged. In some areas, hospitalisations have as much as tripled in the past few days. In the video below, FRANCE 24’s South Africa correspondent Nadine Theron reports on the latest developments. ‘Rapid increase in coronavirus cases' 09:10 Paris time: Nigeria confirms first Omicron cases Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, confirmed its first cases of the new Covid-19 variant on Wednesday, among three passengers who had arrived from South Africa. “Omicron is widespread globally... Therefore, it is a matter of when, not if, we will identify more cases,” Ifedayo Adetifa, the head of Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control, said. Nigeria is home to around 210 million people and has launched vaccination campaigns but vaccination rates remain low, with just over 6.5 million people given one shot and about 3.5 million people two shots. 08:40 Paris time: Germany says four Omicron cases detected among vaccinated people Four people in southern Germany have tested positive for the Omicron variant even though they were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Three of the infected people returned from a business trip to South Africa on November 26 and November 27 respectively, and the fourth person is a family member of one of the returnees, the public health office in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said, adding that all four had showed moderate symptoms and were in quarantine. 08:30 Paris time: Japan halts new incoming flight bookings Japan’s transport ministry said it has asked airlines to stop taking new incoming flight bookings for one month as of December 1 over Omicron concerns. Existing bookings will not be affected by the suspension. Japan has so far reported two confirmed cases of Omicron. Earlier this week it tightened its border measures, banning entry of all non-citizens coming from 10 southern African nations. https://www.france24.com/en/health/...g-vaccinated-japan-halts-new-incoming-flights ---------- wrbtrader
Omicron news out of Israel... The Pfizer vaccine is nearly as effective in preventing infection and serious symptoms with Omicron as with Delta. However the unvaccinated have a 2.4 times greater chance of developing serious symptoms with Omicron. COVID: First signs that vaccine protects against Omicron – health minister So far, Israel has registered four cases infected with the new variant, while general morbidity remains low. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-we...icacy-against-omicron-expected-tuesday-687392 There are indications that individuals fully vaccinated against corona within six months or with the booster are also protected against the Omicron variant, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Tuesday, after another two cases were identified, bringing the total to four. “In the coming days we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron, but there is already room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with a vaccine still valid or with a booster will also be protected from this variant,” Horowitz said while visiting the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba with Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman. “The vaccine is really crucial right now,” said Horowitz. “Anyone who is exposed to the variant without a vaccine will put themselves at unnecessary risk.” Later in the evening, a report by Channel 12 said the Pfizer vaccine is just slightly less effective in preventing infection with Omicron than with Delta – 90% as opposed to 95% – while it is as effective – around 93% – in preventing serious symptoms at least for those vaccinated with a booster. According to the report, the ability of the variant to infect is higher than Delta but not as much as feared – around 1.3 times higher. At the same time, those not inoculated have a 2.4 times greater chance of developing serious symptoms, a significant figure. A spokesperson for the Health Ministry said the ministry was not yet in possession of the data published by Channel 12. Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis said the first data about the efficacy of the corona vaccines against Omicron were expected to be shared with Israel by South Africa on Tuesday. However, the ministry had not yet received the information as of press time. “The greatest concern for us is the very rapid spread of this variant in South Africa,” Alroy-Preis told the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee, describing how the daily cases there rose from 200 cases to 2,000 cases in 10 days. “From what we hear, those vaccinated do not have significant symptoms, it is a mild disease, but for now this is preliminary information,” she noted. “Today there will be the first data on the efficacy of the vaccine.” Alroy-Preis explained the necessity of employing the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) tracking system to locate those who were in contact with individuals infected with the variant or suspected to be infected. “The Shin Bet system is one of our tools to identify and interrupt the transmission chains,” she said. “The time it has bought for us is helping us to vaccinate the population and get our citizens to be in a more protected situation.” As of Tuesday morning, the technology had been used to track the contacts of 13 people – two infected with Omicron and 11 possibly infected. Exactly 186 individuals were identified, 42 of whom are suspected of being infected. In order to verify their situation, they need to undergo a corona test, and if found positive, the results need to undergo genetic sequencing to check whether they are carrying the variant or a different strain. If the number of people to track goes up to a few hundred, Alroy-Preis noted, there won’t be a way to use the tracking technology anymore. Two cardiologists from Sheba Medical Center were verified as infected with the Omicron variant, a spokesperson for the hospital confirmed. He said they were experiencing “very light symptoms.” One of the doctors, in his mid 40s, brought the variant into Israel upon returning from a medical conference in London. He tested negative when he boarded the airplane from the United Kingdom to Israel and on arrival, but a few days later began experiencing symptoms. Once he tested positive, his results were sequenced and on Tuesday he was confirmed positive for the variant. Before entering isolation, the doctor had performed several cardiac catheterizations and attended at least two other large events. He was also in contact with the second cardiologist, in his 70s, who is now also infected with the variant. Both doctors were fully vaccinated with three shots of the Pfizer corona vaccine. The hospital spokesperson said that anyone the doctors were in contact with has been informed, but there are no additional suspicious cases at the medical center at this time nor news of any related outbreaks. At Soroka, Horowitz said again that the situation in Israel is under control and there is no need to panic. “We will not close the country and will maintain life as normal as possible,” he noted. “There is currently no intention to impose restrictions on life within Israel, and we will do everything possible to ensure that this continues.” Horowitz also emphasized that the ban on foreign tourists is only temporary, and will not be automatically renewed. In the meantime, the number of new cases in Israel remains stable. Exactly 636 new virus carriers were identified on Monday. A week earlier they were 716. The total number of active cases on Tuesday stood at 5,600. In addition, there were 117 patients in serious condition, the lowest since July. Finally, the R rate measuring how many people each virus carrier infects slightly decreased on Tuesday, when it stood at 1.03.
How effective is that? What are the numbers? Show your scientific peer reviewed publication, or just wing it, ...either way. Hell, it's just a pandemic. Why bother with the formalities, lol.
Just quoting the article.... maybe you should read it and understand their medical sources and assertions. On the other hand.... you spend your time promoting ignorant Covid misinformation.
another undocumented assertion made by my good friend gwb. Provide the Science so we can All read it gbw. btw What's the Hospitalization Rate for the latest and greatest, gwb? Get on that please my good man.
Maybe he wants an audio version of the article instead of something he needs to read ? https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/text-articles-to-audio-guide/ I'm not being sarcastic because we've had a few members in the past with vision problems and it was problematic for them to read long message posts. One even used an app for converting text into audio. Also, it explained why he was constantly asking other members to do research for him instead of doing it himself. wrbtrader