PARIS The mugshot-style photos are posted on online message boards in black and white and look a little like old-fashioned wanted posters.
The Jews own COVID just like all of Hollywood, the accompanying text says. Wake up people.
The post is one of many that white supremacists and far-right extremists are using to expand their reach and recruit followers on the social media platform Telegram, according to the findings of researchers who sifted through nearly half a million comments on pages called channels on Telegram that they categorized as far-right from January 2020 to June 2021.
The tactic has been successful: Nine of the 10 most viewed posts in the sample examined by the researchers contained misleading claims about the safety of vaccines or the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing them. One Telegram channel saw its total subscribers jump tenfold after it leaned into COVID-19 conspiracy theories.
COVID-19 has served as a catalyst for radicalization, said the studys author, Ciaran OConnor, an analyst at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. It allows conspiracy theorists or extremists to create simple narratives, framing it as us versus them, good versus evil.
Other posts downplayed the severity of the coronavirus or pushed conspiracy theories about its origins. Many of the posts contain hate speech directed at Jews, Asians, women or other groups or violent rhetoric that would be automatically removed from Facebook or Twitter for violating the standards of those sites.
Telegram, based in the United Arab Emirates, has many different kinds of users around the world, but it has become a favorite tool of some on the far-right in part because the platform lacks the content moderation of Facebook, Twitter and other platforms.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Telegram said it welcomed the peaceful expression of ideas, including those we do not agree with. The statement said moderators monitor activity and user reports in order to remove public calls for violence.
OConnor said he believes the people behind these posts are trying to exploit fear and anxiety over COVID-19 to attract new recruits, whose loyalty may outlast the pandemic.
Indeed, mixed in with the COVID-19 conspiracy posts are some direct recruitment pitches. For example, someone posted a link to a news story about a Long Island, New York, synagogue on a channel popular with the far-right Proud Boys and added a message urging followers to join them. Embrace who you were called to be, read the post, which was accompanied by a swastika.
The researchers found suggestions that far-right groups on Telegram are working together. ISD researchers linked two usernames involved in running one Telegram channel to two prominent members of the American far-right. One was a scheduled speaker at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a white supremacist deliberately drove into a crowd of counterdemonstrators, killing one and injuring 35.
That channel has grown steadily since the pandemic began and now has a reach of around 400,000 views each day, according to Telegram Analytics, a service that keeps statistical data on about 150,000 Telegram channels on the site TGStat. In May 2020 the channel had 5,000 subscribers; it now has 50,000.
The data is especially concerning given a rash of incidents around the world that indicate some extremists are moving from online rhetoric to offline action.
Gavin Yamey, a physician and public health professor at Duke University, has written about the rise of threats against health care workers during the pandemic. He said the harassment is even worse for those who are women, people of color, in a religious minority or LGBTQ.
Yamey, who is Jewish, has received threats and anti-Semitic messages, including one on Twitter calling for his family to be executed. He fears racist conspiracy theories and scapegoating may persist even after the pandemic eases.
I worry that in some ways the genie is out of the bottle, Yamey said.
The pandemic and the unrest it has caused have been linked to a wave of harassment and attacks on Asian Americans. In Italy, a far-right opponents of vaccine mandates rampaged through a union headquarters and a hospital. In August in Hawaii, some of those who harassed that states Jewish lieutenant governor at his home during a vaccine protest brandished fliers with his photo and the word Jew.
Elsewhere, people have died after taking sham cures, pharmacists have destroyed vaccine vials, and others have damaged 5G telecommunication towers since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.
Events such as the pandemic leave many people feeling anxious and looking for explanations, according to Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University, which studies far-right extremism. Conspiracy theories can provide an artificial sense of control, she said.
COVID-19 has created fertile ground for recruitment because so many people around the world feel unsettled, Miller-Idriss said. These racist conspiracy theories give people a sense of control, a sense of power over events that make people feel powerless.
Policing extremism online has challenged tech companies that say they must balance protecting free speech with removing hate speech. They also must contend with increasingly sophisticated tactics by groups that have learned to evade platform rules.
Facebook this month announced that it had removed a network of accounts based in Italy and France that had spread conspiracy theories about vaccines and carried out coordinated harassment campaigns against journalists, doctors and public health officials.
The network, called V_V, used both real and fake accounts and was overseen by a group of users who coordinated their activities on Telegram in an effort to hide their tracks from Facebook, company investigators found.
They sought to mass-harass individuals with pro-vaccination views into making their posts private or deleting them, essentially suppressing their voices, said Mike Dvilyanski, head of cyber espionage investigations at Meta, Facebooks parent company.
OConnor, the ISD researcher, said sites like Telegram will continue to serve as a refuge for extremists as long as they lack the moderation policies of the larger platforms.
The guardrails that you see on other platforms, they dont exist on Telegram, OConnor said. That makes it a very attractive place for extremists.
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Far right uses misleading COVID-19 theories to expand its reach - pressherald.com
NEW YORK U.S. officials intensified calls Friday for unvaccinated Americans to get inoculated in the face of the new omicron variant that contributed to a record number of infections in New York and threatened to wipe out a second holiday season in Europe.
Though the calendar is about to change, Friday had a distinctly 2020 feel: NFL games were postponed because of COVID-19 infections. The Rockettes canceled Christmas shows. European governments imposed a spate of restrictions that ground travel to a halt and saw travelers lying low.
Much remains unknown about omicron, but officials warn that it appears more transmissible than the delta variant, which has already put pressure on hospitals worldwide. The uncertainty alone was enough for many people to change their plans.
In the United States, President Joe Bidens administration resisted tightening any restrictions, but also sketched out dire scenarios for the unvaccinated in a plea for hesitant Americans to get the shot.
For the unvaccinated, youre looking at a winter of severe illness and death, for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday, echoing the presidents own comments earlier this week.
The new variant is already in full force in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, with new cases hitting a one-day record of more than 8,300 on Thursday. But new hospitalizations and deaths so far are well below their spring 2020 peak and even where they were this time last year, city data shows.
The coronavirus also interrupted sports in the U.S. again. The NFL announced Friday that three games would be pushed from the weekend to next week because of outbreaks. The league has not specified whether the cases came from the omicron variant.
The Radio City Rockettes called off four performances scheduled for Friday because of breakthrough COVID-19 cases in the production, and plans for upcoming shows were still being assessed. The popular holiday program generally has four shows per day in December at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
Dr. Stanley Weiss, a Rutgers University epidemiology professor, said officials need to react faster, citing a willingness to redefine fully vaccinated to include booster shots, for example.
Everyone wants us to be through with this pandemic, but in order to get us through it, we cant ignore the realities of whats going on and what is needed, Weiss said.
Denmark decided to close theaters, concert halls, amusement parks and museums in response to virus cases. In Spain, friends and classmates canceled traditional year-end dinners.
Scotland and Wales on Friday pledged millions of pounds for businesses hurt in Britains latest infection surge, a move that heaped pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government to do the same in England.
Treasury chief Rishi Sunak held talks with business representatives who have demanded more support, decrying a lockdown by stealth in which government officials recommend people cut back on socializing as much as possible without officially imposing the strict rules of past shutdowns.
Britain reported record numbers of infections three days in a row this week, the latest on Friday with more than 93,000 cases tallied.
Businesses ranging from vacation providers to pubs and theaters saw a wave of cancellations as customers decided to skip merrymaking for now rather than risk being infected and missing family celebrations later.
Even Britains Christmas pantos beloved and raucous holiday performances are under threat. The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in western England had to refund 180,000 pounds ($240,000) in ticket sales after customers decided not to go to shows. It was also forced to cancel 12 performances of Beauty and the Beast because half the cast tested positive.
Theres been a real dent of confidence, Executive Director Joanna Reid told the BBC.
Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said Friday that financial assistance for business must come from the central government because it has the borrowing power to finance the scale of aid that is needed.
Business is already bleeding, every 24 hours counts, Sturgeon said during a briefing in Edinburgh, Scotlands capital. There is no time to waste.
The already beleaguered travel and tourism industry is being particularly hammered.
Eurostar, which operates trains across the English Channel, sold out of tickets to France on Friday before new rules restricting travel to and from Britain took effect. Long lines snaked around the parking lot at the Eurotunnel, which runs the tunnel that drivers use to cross the water.
Ryanair originally expected to carry about 11 million passengers in December, but that figure dropped to 10 million, chief executive Michael OLeary told the Guardian. Europes biggest airline will also cut about 10% of its capacity in January.
Amanda Wheelock, 29, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, canceled a trip to France with her partner as cases spiked there. Even though the surge isnt necessarily due to omicron, the uncertainty about the new variant, and a new requirement that all U.S. travelers have to test negative before flying back to the U.S., made her worry that the trip would be more stressful than fun.
Instead, shes traveling to the Anchorage, Alaska, area to see friends.
A vacation with a lot of stress is probably not a great vacation, said Wheelock, who is from Arvada, Colorado.
The Advantage Travel Group, which represents about 350 U.K. travel agents, said business fell by 40% in mid-December from a month earlier. Those numbers, including flights, cruise bookings and package holidays, add to the travel industrys existing slump, which had already seen business fall by two-thirds since the pandemic began, CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said.
Our members are dealing with customers who are really nervous about traveling now, she said Theyre really nervous about bookings for the New Year because they fear that theres a risk that the government will make more knee-jerk reactions.
Many in the travel and hospitality trades hoped they had put the worst behind them, nearly two years into a pandemic that has devastated those industries. They saw this holiday season as a chance to claw back some of what was lost until omicron cast a pall reminiscent of the early days of the crisis.
Richard Stevens estimates he has lost out on 4,000 pounds ($5,300) worth of bookings at his rental ski chalet in the French Alps after the new, stricter travel rules for people coming from Britain were announced.
He lost his first reservation when a guest called to say that the restrictions wont allow anybody to come to France without a compelling reason, Stevens said. And the compelling reason doesnt include going on holiday.
Celebrity chef Michel Roux and other restaurateurs have invested heavily to remake their venues to address safety concerns and hoped to reap some of the benefits.
To return to a state of huge uncertainty for a second consecutive Christmas is like a kick in the stomach, said Roux, who has a destination restaurant in London.
Jorge Riera, who manages a traditional Spanish diner in central Madrid, said it doesnt matter that authorities have not imposed specific restrictions and, at most, have only issued recommendations.
Most of our customers prioritize the well-being of their relatives over going out for a fun night with colleagues, Riera said.
In the past week alone, cancellations rolled in for about half of the booked space, sometimes on the same day of the event, the manager said.
People are once again afraid of the virus, he said.
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COVID-19 surge in NY hits new record, disrupts everything from Rockettes to NFL games - OregonLive
CHARLESTON, W.Va. Active cases of COVID-19 went back above the 9,000 mark in case numbers posted Friday by the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
The DHHR confirmed 1,168 new cases and 791 recovered cases resulting in 9,092 active cases.
There were 22 COVID-related deaths recorded by the state Friday including an 89-year old female from Berkeley County, a 70-year old female from Raleigh County, a 47-year old male from Hardy County, an 83-year old female from Monroe County, a 59-year old male from Putnam County, a 72-year old female from Brooke County, a 52-year old male from Berkeley County, a 66-year old male from Hampshire County, a 58-year old male from Harrison County, an 89-year old male from Berkeley County, an 87-year old male from Brooke County, a 61-year old female from Cabell County, a 62-year old male from Brooke County, an 82-year old female from Jackson County, a 60-year old male from Ohio County, a 56-year old female from Jackson County, an 83-year old female from Raleigh County, a 68-year old male from Hancock County, an 89-year old male from Randolph County, a 54-year old male from Monongalia County, a 53-year old male from Lewis County, and a 58-year old male from Lewis County.
West Virginia recorded its first omicron variant case on Thursday. State officials said its from Marion County.
Hospitalizations were listed at 623 on Fridays dashboard report with 196 patients in ICU and 117 on ventilators.
Vaccinated residents over the age of 50 receiving booster shots has increased to 41.9%.
Active cases per county include: Barbour (73), Berkeley (1,215), Boone (108), Braxton (73), Brooke (85), Cabell (396), Calhoun (48), Clay (62), Doddridge (38), Fayette (317), Gilmer (29), Grant (104), Greenbrier (154), Hampshire (74), Hancock (146), Hardy (95), Harrison (341), Jackson (73), Jefferson (492), Kanawha (614), Lewis (87), Lincoln (96), Logan (144), Marion (258), Marshall (100), Mason (103), McDowell (100), Mercer (422), Mineral (109), Mingo (107), Monongalia (267), Monroe (104), Morgan (156), Nicholas (225), Ohio (207), Pendleton (19), Pleasants (19), Pocahontas (22), Preston (102), Putnam (286), Raleigh (476), Randolph (88), Ritchie (39), Roane (85), Summers (50), Taylor (85), Tucker (15), Tyler (14), Upshur (86), Wayne (152), Webster (48), Wetzel (39), Wirt (17), Wood (340), Wyoming (88).
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DHHR reports more than 9,000 active cases of COVID-19 - West Virginia MetroNews
With a plethora of players from across the league's landscape being forced to enter Health and Safety Protocols and some games being postponed as a result, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are talking about instituting a rule that would force teams hit hard by COVID-19 to sign replacement players, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Baxter Holmes. The conversations are currently ongoing.
The NBA's Board of Governors held a call on call Friday, and the consensus was to do whatever possible to avoid potential postponements or cancellations. Having teams add replacement players would do that. As it currently stands, a team that is extremely shorthanded has the option to add an additional player via a hardship exception. This would become mandatory. Here's what such a plan would look like:
In the proposed plan, after the first case of COVID, a team would be permitted to add a 10-day player, league sources said, but after a second, third and fourth case, teams would be required to add a 10-day player. Teams would be limited to three replacement players, but the new plan would, overall, require teams to maintain enough depth so that the league wouldn't be forced to cancel or postpone games because some teams didn't have the league-required eight healthy players.
... That team would need to have four players sidelined -- either by injury or COVID or some combination of the two -- and down to only 13 healthy players for them to add a replacement player. But once a team had five players sidelined, it would then become mandatory for them to sign a replacement player.
These replacement players reportedly wouldn't count against a team's salary cap or luxury tax. This plan could potentially be approved in the near future. Meanwhile, there has been a push from team executives and coaches to alter the protocols in order to allow asymptomatic players to play in games However, the league hasn't shown any willingness to do so.
Over 80 players have entered the protocols so far this season, and virtually every team has had to deal with absences as a result. The NBA had to postpone over 30 games last season, and that's something the league is trying to prevent from happening again. Forcing teams to add replacement players probably won't improve the quality of play out on the court, but it would curb potential postponements, which is the goal.
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Winning cures everything in sports, they say. Except thats not true.
It wont cure the outbreak of COVID-19 cases plaguing the Nashville Predators. This virus not only has bad timing.If anything, it has a taste forsuccess. How else to explain its arrival just as the Predators were playing their best hockey of the season?
Same for the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams brought five-game win streaks into a bizarre Thursday night divisional game at Bridgestone Arena that probably shouldnt have been played.
Both sides were shorthanded, missing forwards and skaters. The Avalanche didnt have their goalie. The Predators didnt have any of their coaches. They had to dip into their farm team in Milwaukee to fill out a lineup and have anyone on the bench to lead it.
Someone had to win this foolishness, and the Predators did, 5-2.
As a team, captain Roman Josi said, well probably always remember that game.
Now theyll remember it fondly. Thats the good part.
The bad is that the Predators also knew theyd wake up the next morning in the same predicament uncertain about whether theydbe able to play Friday night in Chicago. Uncertain about who wouldtest positive next and have to miss games.Uncertain if theydcontinue to be led in the interim by Milwaukee Admirals coach Karl Taylor since John Hynes and his assistants have all been sidelined.
And above all, uncertain if its going to be any safer to play the Blackhawks than it was the Avalanche, who were having players ruled out up until the start of Thursdays game.
Weve arrived quickly at this precarious spot intheNHLs season, andits clear the leaguethus far has no cluehow to handle the rash of cases befalling so many of its teams. So far, it has operated withoutconsistency, postponing games for some teams while steadfastly insistingothers like the Preds and Avalanche get on with playing, no matter the difficulty.
Its a new world were in, forward Filip Forsberg said. You have to expect the unexpected always, and today was obviously proof of that.
At best, Thursday's game was a silly though entertaining experience at Bridgestone.
At worst, itll prove hazardous to someone's health. This game not to mention theplane rides after thegame could easily cause more players to get sick.
Or rather, more players TO TEST POSITIVE, I should say.
I dont know theyll get sick even if they do test positive. In fact, most of the Predators whove tested positive this week have been asymptomatic, Im told. That makes it a little bit likea tree falling in the forest makinga sound. Are they really sick? And if theyre nosicker than they would be with the flu or some other bug floating around, then it becomestempting to start reconsidering howconcerned we should be.
The NHL has been seeing many asymptomatic cases. The NFL has, too.
Itd make sense if this rapid spread of asymptomatic cases among vaccinated people has something to do with an Omicron variant reputed to be more transmissible and milder in severity. Im no doctor, but shouldn't wehope thats the case?It might mean COVID is finally progressing into something more like a common cold.
If so, that really could be how this pandemic ends.
And after nearly two years, I think wed all like to know how this pandemic ends.
Its fair to wonder as someone who has received two shots and a booster, I sure do what isthe endgame if it wasn't thevaccine? Im not saying were at a finish line with COVID. But who gets to decide when we are? What will that look like?
Maybe on some level and at some point itll resemble Thursday night at Bridgestone.
COVID playeda leading role in thefestivities at Bridgestone, but it didnt stop them. A game happened. A team ofPredators players more or less won that game. Their fans were in attendance, and thosewho did play for the home team were glowing and talking about how special it was.
And it was special.
It was special because it was rare. Whats rare, by nature, isnt sustainable.
The NHL has a challenging stretch ahead. At some point, it is going to have to figure out if it needs to stop the season entirely. If not, then I wish thosedecision-makers luck indetermining how much COVID they are willing to tolerate andsayits OK to keep moving forward.
Sooner or later, thats something were all going to have to decide.
Reach Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Gentry_Estes.
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PHOENIX The long-term effects of a COVID-19 infection are still unknown and surviving the virus can look different for many people.
After spending almost a year in a hospital, a Valley father and grandfather continues fighting for his life at home. Despite not being able to walk and having lung complications, Eduardo Acosta still manages to spread joy with his uplifting spirit.
This epidemic is serious, look at me, look at me, this is COVID right here, said Eduardo Acosta.
Acosta hasnt been able to walk since he was released from the hospital about four months ago. He struggles to talk with an endotracheal tube, but after seeing the increase of COVID-19 cases in Arizona, he wanted to send an urgent message to the community this holiday season.
RELATED: Latest COVID-19 coverage in Phoenix and across Arizona
I cant walk. My feet dont work, my feet dont have feeling, I cant move. Im so lucky to be alive, expressed Acosta.
Life will never be the same for the Acosta family. It's been a year since their tata contracted COVID-19 a week before Christmas and a week before qualifying for the vaccine.
Its been terrible, so terrible. Now that I know what COVID has done, I was in a coma and didn't know what was going on, stated Acosta.
He spent last Christmas and his birthday in a hospital. He says hes fortunate to spend the holidays with his family at home this year, but the fear of losing his fight continues today.
And I'm going to keep on fighting.
Fighting the good fight, he said, with his family by his side celebrating every little step along the way dancing al estilo Acosta Acosta style. A bond he shares with his grandson Isaiah Acosta.
What I learned is tomorrow is not promised, I literally dont know what I would do without him, said Isaiah Acosta.
He says his tata has been there for him as he also fought for his life growing up.
Cherish the moments and every second you have with your loved ones, expressed Isaiah.
Its not just a cold
Eduardo Acosta is a fighter, but the family worries about his lungs constantly.Theyre like little air bubbles that are in his lungs and at any given time those can pop. Its very serious and I don't think a lot of people know that. its not just a cold, for some its not, stated Tarah Acosta.
Tarah Acosta says having her father home is a relief, but her kids are still fearful.
Their fear is that they might go to bed and tata might not be there.
So, theyre asking all to please take precautions. Especially this holiday season.
Make it with family, immediate family, you dont need a lot of people. Please, please, I'm begging you, please get vaccinated, said Eduardo Acosta.
He says to not take life for granted and wishes a great holiday to all the nurses that took care of him.
I know if I went through a hard time, I know they did too, I know they did too.
The family has opted to care for their tata at home and says they need help to pay his medical transportation to doctor appointments, medications, supplies, and medical bills, if anyone feels encouraged to donate.
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Surviving COVID-19 day by day: A Valley grandfathers plea to the community - ABC15 Arizona
The school's Covid-19dashboardwas updated late Tuesday afternoon, accounting for the jump in case numbers reported.
"Virtually every case of the Omicron variant to date has been found in fully vaccinated students, a portion of whom had also received a booster shot," said Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina in a statement.
As of result, the school has decided to shut down itsIthaca, New York,campus, where it has about 25,600 students. Cornell's overall vaccination rate among students is 99%.
Malina said the measures being taken on campus are to "help students who have tested negative to return safely home for the winter break, and in an effort to limit the spread of the Omicron variant to vulnerable populations."
"While I want to provide reassurance that, to date, we have not seen severe illness in any of our infected students, we do have a role to play in reducing the spread of the disease in the broader community," Pollack said.
The school has a mandatory vaccination policy for students, with exemptions for religious or medical issues. All unvaccinated students and many vaccinated students are required to take part in surveillance testing. Mask wearing indoors is compulsory.
"Cornell is not requiring members of our community to receive a booster at this time; however, as breakthrough cases continue to occur, we encourage you to consider receiving a booster," officials said.
Cornell's last day of classes was December 7 and its final exam period is scheduled from December 11-18, according to its online academic calendar.
Correction: A previous version of this story gave an inaccurate number for the percentage of students vaccinated. It is 99%.
CNN's Sarah Boxer and Steve Almasy contributed to his report.
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Since its return, Broadway has required eligible audiences, crews, performers and other staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This week, the Broadway League, a trade association for the industry, began enforcing a new vaccination and mask policy for children. The precautions are designed to ensure the show goes on in an industry that is a vital to New York City's economy and supports about 97,000 jobs, according to the Broadway League. The group said Broadway contributed $14.7 billion to the city's economy in the 2018-2019 season."Aladdin" became the first Broadway show known to cancel performances due to Covid-19 when it called off multiple shows in September.
'Hamilton'
"Our highest priority is always the health and safety of every cast, crew, and audience member," the show said on Twitter.
"We will have more information on upcoming performances as soon as possible. On behalf of everyone at Hamilton, we apologize for the disappointment and for any inconvenience this may cause," the show said.
Hamilton was one of the first Broadway shows to reopen in September following the pandemic shutdown.
'Ain't Too Proud'
The Temptations musical "Ain't Too Proud" canceled its Tuesday night Broadway performance "out of an abundance of caution ... due to a breakthrough Covid-19 case," the show said.
'Freestyle Love Supreme'
"The wellness of our cast, crew, and guests is of the utmost importance. We apologize for the inconvenience," the show said.
'Doubtfire'
"Daily testing of everyone at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre allows the opportunity to isolate anyone who tests positive for the wellness and safety of audiences, cast, crew and theatre staff," a statement from the production said.
'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'
The Wednesday matinee performance of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" was canceled, but the evening show was expected to go on.
"We will enchant you another time," the show said.
'Tina'
"Tina," the Tina Turner musical, called off both scheduled performances Wednesday "due to the detection of a limited number of positive covid test results within the Broadway company," the production said.
Shows were expected to resume Thursday.
CNN's Alison Kosik contributed to this report.
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These are some of the Broadway performances canceled over Covid-19 - CNN
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 272.3 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has passed 5.33 million. More than 8.59 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
Some British hospitals are struggling to maintain staffing levels due to the number who are having to isolate with COVID-19, a senior emergency doctor said on Thursday. Britain on Wednesday recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with a further 78,610 COVID-19 infections reported.
South Korea said on Thursday it will reinstate stricter social distancing rules a month-and-a-half after easing them under a 'living with COVID-19' policy. The number of new infections and serious cases is growing rapidly in South Korea. Curbs will return from Saturday to Jan. 2, limiting gatherings to no more than four people - as long as they are fully vaccinated - and forcing restaurants, cafes and bars to close by 9 p.m.
South Africa's National Coronavirus Command Council has retained its lockdown at 'adjusted level 1', or the lowest of a five-tier system of restrictions, in the battle on the Omicron variant, health authorities said on Thursday. In the past few days, South Africa has reported more than 20,000 new daily COVID-19 infections, but its scientists see no sign yet that the variant causes more severe illness.
Sweden will require visitors from other Nordic nations to have a vaccine pass to cross the border as it gradually tightens restrictions in the face of rising numbers of COVID-19 infections and worries about the Omicron variant, the government said on Thursday. Sweden has seen new infections jump in recent days. It has reintroduced a limited number of measures and authorities said further steps would be needed if infections kept rising.
Danish health authorities on Thursday approved treatment with Merck & Co Inc's molnupiravir tablet for COVID-19 patients at risk of serious illness, including the elderly. The medication has yet to be approved by the European Medical Agency,
Indonesia is working hard to stem the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after detecting its first case, its President Joko Widodo said Thursday. In a public address, the president urged people to diligently enforce health protocols, and local governments to accelerate testing and contact tracing.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
France will increase controls on travellers arriving from Britain after a steep rise there in infections linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, the government said on Thursday.
The measures include reducing the validity of antigen and PCR tests to 24 hours from 48 hours for arriving travellers and limiting reasons to travel from Britain to France.
"We are going to put in place a control... even more drastic than what is currently in place," government spokesman Gabriel Attal told BFM television.
"Tourism and business travel for people who are not French nationals nor Europeans, people who are not French residents will be limited," he said.
Travellers from Britain arriving in France will have to self-isolate for seven days, though isolation will be lifted after 48 hours if their test conducted in France is negative.
These restrictions until now applied only to non-vaccinated travellers from Britain.
"Our goal is to limit as much as possible the spread of Omicron across our territory," Attal said, adding there were currently 240 confirmed Omicron cases in France.
France on Wednesday reported 65,713 new coronavirus infections over 24 hours, bringing total cases since the start of the epidemic to 8.4 million. Total deaths in France since the start of the epidemic reached 120,983
The first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered this week.
CEPI, launched at the World Economic Forum, provided funding support for the Phase 1 study. The organization this week announced their seventh COVID-19 vaccine project in the fight against the pandemic.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched in 2017 at the Forum's Annual Meeting bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and to enable access to these vaccines during outbreaks.
Coalitions like CEPI are made possible through public-private partnerships. The World Economic Forum is the trusted global platform for stakeholder engagement, bringing together a range of multistakeholders from business, government and civil society to improve the state of the world.
Organizations can partner with the Forum to contribute to global health solutions. Contact us to find out how.
Euro zone business growth has slowed more than expected this month as renewed restrictions imposed to curb the Omicron coronavirus variant curtail the recovery in the bloc's dominant services industry, a survey showed on Thursday.
Europe is facing a fourth wave of infections and many governments have been encouraging citizens to stay home and avoid unnecessary social contact.
IHS Markit's Flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index, a good indicator of overall economic health, dropped to 53.4 in December from 55.4 in November, its lowest since March and below the 54.0 predicted in a Reuters poll.
That headline number was dragged down by the services PMI, which sank to an eight-month low of 53.3 from 55.9. While above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction it missed the Reuters poll estimate for 54.1.
"The euro zone economy is being dealt yet another blow from COVID-19, with rising infection levels dampening growth in the service sector, in particular, to result in a disappointing end to 2021," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
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COVID-19: Top news stories about the coronavirus pandemic on 16 December - World Economic Forum
