About: Omicron variant
Finland to start scaling back COVID curbs early, Greece eases restrictions
Finland will scale back some of its coronavirus restrictions early while Greece has extended the opening times of cafes and restaurants and allowed music amid falling cases.
China suspects COVID-19 might arrive in overseas mail
China is urging people to wear masks and gloves when opening mail, especially from abroad, after authorities suggested the first case of the Omicron coronavirus virus variant found in Beijing could have arrived via a package from Canada.
India working on Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine
India's Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is working on an Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine candidate that could be ready in a month or two, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
With peak yet to come, Europe’s healthcare groans under Omicron’s swift spread
Europe's healthcare systems are being strained by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with large numbers of key staff ill or self-isolating and experts predicting the peak of infections is yet to come.
US reports 1.35 mln COVID-19 cases in a day, shattering global record
The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
With peak yet to come, Europe’s healthcare creaks under Omicron’s rapid spread
Europe's healthcare systems are being strained once again by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant over the holiday period, with large numbers of key staff ill or self-isolating and experts predicting the peak of infections is yet to come.
Sewage survey shows Omicron spreading to most regions in Italy
A survey of wastewater showed the Omicron coronavirus variant spreading to a majority of regions of Italy in December, the government's National Health Institute said on Monday(3 January).
India launches drive to vaccinate children before a feared Omicron surge
India started vaccinating children aged 15 to 18 against the coronavirus as it quickly expands its inoculation effort to cover the world's largest adolescent population amid fears the Omicron variant will drive a new surge of infections.
Omicron dampens global New Year 2022 celebrations
The Omicron coronavirus variant dampened New Year festivities around much of the world, with Paris cancelling its fireworks show, London relegating its to television, and New York City scaling down its famous ball drop celebration in Times Square.
COVID-19 hospitalization surge among US children spurs new Omicron concerns
Within weeks, the Omicron variant has fueled thousands of new COVID-19 hospitalizations among US children, raising new concerns about how the many unvaccinated Americans under the age of 18 will fare in the new surge.
Belgium makes U-turn to allow theatres, cinemas to reopen
The Belgian government reversed course on Wednesday (29 December) by allowing theatres to reopen after a court suspended their closure ordered a week ago to try to stem the surge in infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant.
World nations try to balance Omicron restrictions while keeping economies open
Global COVID-19 infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, Reuters data showed on Wednesday (29 December), as the Omicron variant raced out of control and governments tried to contain its spread without paralysing fragile economies.
France hit by ‘dizzying’ daily record of over 200,000 new COVID-19 cases
France is seeing a "tsunami" of COVID-19 infections, with 208,000 cases reported over the past 24 hours, a new national and European record, Health Minister Olivier Véran told lawmakers on Wednesday (29 December).
For third day, COVID-19 crimps Americans’ holiday travels
US airlines cancelled more than 1,300 flights on Sunday (26 December) as COVID-19 thinned out the number of available crews, while several cruise ships had to cancel stops after outbreaks on board, upending the plans of thousands of Christmas travelers.
More than 2.000 Christmas Eve flights cancelled amid Omicron surge
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have cancelled hundreds of Christmas Eve flights, as the spreading COVID-19 Omicron variant takes a toll on its flight crews and other workers.
EU to get 20 million extra Pfizer vaccine doses to fight Omicron
EU members will get an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the first three months of 2022 to fight the fast-spreading Omicron variant, the European Commission said on Sunday (19 December).
EU leaders eye Omicron-adapted vaccines to halt COVID spread
Adapted vaccines and increased unity of purpose amongst EU governments are needed to effectively tackle the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to the European Commission.
Omicron variant ‘mostly mild’, says European Medicines Agency
The EU medicines watchdog said Thursday (9 December) the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may cause milder disease, as the World Health Organisation warned against a re-run of vaccine hoarding by rich nations as the new strain spreads.