Covid dwell: post-Christmas circuit breaker ‘too late’ – UK professional; Omicron recognized in 89 nations, says WHO | World information

The New 12 months’s celebration fireworks show on the ChampsÉlysées in Paris has been cancelled, after scientific advisers warned of dangers related the festive season.

“The fireworks is not going to happen, nor sadly will there be any DJ units,” the mayor’s workplace informed AFP. In an announcement, the Paris municipal authorities mentioned that “with remorse that we must cancel all of the festivities deliberate on the Champs-Élysées on 31 December.”

The announcement was according to new suggestions laid out by authorities scientific advisors to gradual the unfold of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

“With regard to the acceleration of the pandemic, and the dangers associated to the end-of-year festivities, authorities ought to impose vital restrictions,” France’s scientific panel mentioned.

A number one authorities adviser has mentioned {that a} “circuit breaker” lockdown after Christmas can be “in all probability too late” and “we have to act now” to go of an enormous surge of infections.

Stephen Reicher, professor of social psychology on the College of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), mentioned it was clear that plan B measures alone wouldn’t be sufficient to cease the spiralling numbers of circumstances.

Prof Reicher, who was chatting with Occasions Radio in a private capability, mentioned the time to behave was now, including “all of the science means that (plan B is) not going to be sufficient”.

He mentioned: “The one method actually, or at the very least the simplest method, we are able to have an instantaneous impact is to lower the variety of contacts we’ve.

“In some ways, the simplest method of diminishing contact is to have a circuit-breaker.

“Now, you possibly can have it after Christmas, the issue is after Christmas it’s in all probability too late, it’s in all probability by then we could have had an enormous surge of infections with all of the impression upon society.

“When individuals say ‘look, we don’t wish to shut down’, in fact, we don’t wish to shut down. However the issue is in the mean time, issues are closing down anyway, due to the unfold of an infection.

“So I feel we have to act now.”

It comes amid experiences officers have been drawing up draft plans for a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown after Christmas.

Trials of the Pfizer vaccine in kids aged two to 5 have discovered it didn’t present anticipated ranges of immunity in kids of that age, CNN experiences.

The analysis discovered that two child-sized doses of the Pfizer/BioNtech had been working for infants aged as much as the age of two, however not in older kids. Pfizer mentioned it could “amend” the trial so as to add a 3rd dose for the older group.

CNN quoted the pharmaceutical firm as saying: “The examine will now embrace evaluating a 3rd dose of three micrograms at the very least two months after the second dose of the two-dose sequence to supply excessive ranges of safety on this younger age group.”

The kid dose of Pfizer vaccine is a fraction of the scale given to older age teams. Injections given to 12-year-olds and over include 30 micrograms of vaccine whereas kids aged from 5 to 11 are injected with 10 micrograms.

Anthony Fauci, director of the US Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Ailments, mentioned the modifications in all probability imply a delay in authorization for vaccines for youthful kids.

Omicron is spreading quickly in nations with excessive ranges of inhabitants immunity, however it’s unclear if that is because of the virus’ means to evade immunity, its inherent elevated transmissibility or a mix of each, the World Well being Group has mentioned.

In its newest technical replace on the coronavirus pandemic, the UN well being company mentioned information on the scientific severity of Omicron stays restricted.

“Extra information are wanted to know the severity profile and the way severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity,” the WHO mentioned.

It added: “There are nonetheless restricted obtainable information, and no peer-reviewed proof, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness so far for Omicron.”

With circumstances rising so quickly, hospitals could possibly be overwhelmed in some locations. “Hospitalisations within the UK and South Africa proceed to rise, and given quickly growing case counts, it’s doable that many healthcare methods might turn out to be rapidly overwhelmed.”

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading considerably sooner than the Delta pressure in nations with documented neighborhood transmission, with a doubling time of 1.5- to three days, the World Well being Group has mentioned.

The Omicron variant, which was designated as a variant of concern on 26 November, has been recognized in 89 nations throughout all six WHO areas as of 16 December, Reuters quoted the WHO as saying.

An announcement on a strict Christmas lockdown is predicted within the Netherlands, with the federal government anticipated to shut every part however important outlets.

The federal government is assembly on Saturday with its well being consultants who’ve really helpful the closure of all non-essential outlets, colleges, bars, eating places and different public venues.

The Dutch nationwide broadcaster, NOS, and the information company ANP cited authorities sources saying a press convention asserting the brand new measures can be held at 7pm. Nonetheless, a spokesman for the well being ministry, Axel Dees, declined to touch upon any proposed measures or the timing of any press convention.

It’s only days because the authorities ordered that the 5pm to 5am closure of bars, eating places and most shops, launched in late November, would proceed till 14 January.

Greater than 1.18bn individuals in China have been totally vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19, a spokesperson for the nation’s nationwide well being fee has mentioned.

Mi Feng informed a press convention on Saturday that greater than 2.66bn Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered.

“China is assembly the rising pressures of guarding in opposition to inbound circumstances, with a complete of 77 nations and areas having reported circumstances of the Omicron variant of Covid-19,” Mi was quoted as saying by China’s state-run Xinhua information company.

Portugal turned the newest nation to widen distribution of Covid vaccines to kids over 5 on Saturday.

Greater than 60,000 kids aged between 5 and 11 had been set to obtain their first jab of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine this weekend within the nation, which already has 88.9% vaccine protection in older teams.

France is ready to comply with go well with subsequent week.

The EU’s medicines watchdog final month permitted a lower-dosage Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds, an age group experiencing excessive coronavirus an infection charges throughout the continent.

Denmark, the place there was a surge in circumstances attributed to the brand new Omicron variant, and a few Austrian areas started providing vaccines to youthful kids in November.

The US was the primary giant nation to widen entry to younger kids and has up to now vaccinated greater than 5m within the five-to-11 age bracket.

Plans are being formulated for a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown in England after Christmas, though a closing determination on new restrictions is but to be taken, the Occasions experiences.

The draft laws would return England to comparable restrictions as these seen in spring, with indoor mixing banned apart from work functions and pubs and eating places restricted to desk service outdoor.

Colleges and outlets would stay open, however the “rule of six” can be reimposed for conferences with family and friends, weddings and funerals can be restricted to fifteen to 30 individuals, and the most-vulnerable would as soon as once more be suggested to “protect”.

In line with the Occasions, some sources mentioned planning was below approach to recall parliament subsequent week to debate the restrictions. They might show politically troublesome for the prime minister, after a revolt by 100 of his MPs in opposition to the plan B restrictions, together with Covid passes for public occasions, earlier this week.

The soccer grounds Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Wembley and the racecourses, Sandown Park, Bathtub and Chelmsford are among the many nearly 3,000 websites taken over by vaccination centres in England this weekend.

Different venues open this weekend embrace the Christmas Market at Chester Cathedral, the Liverpool Christmas Ice Competition, Bluewater purchasing centre in Kent and London’s Oxford Road, the place there will likely be a vaccine bus.

Greater than 21 million booster jabs have been delivered by the NHS in England up to now, NHS England mentioned. On Monday Boris Johnson introduced that the federal government would intention to supply a booster to each single grownup within the UK by the tip of December.

Many vaccination websites throughout the nation are working 12 hours a day, seven days every week, the NHS informed the PA Media information company, including that in each neighborhood there must be slots obtainable at the very least 16 hours a day.

NHS nationwide medical director, Prof Stephen Powis, mentioned: “From stadiums to racecourses and cellular buses to Christmas markets, NHS Covid vaccination programme, the largest and most profitable in our historical past, is pulling out all of the stops to make it simpler than ever.

“Because of the onerous work of our well being service employees and good volunteers we’ve already delivered report boosters up to now this week however we wish to sustain the momentum so in the event you haven’t taken up the provide but get boosted now.”

Olivier Veran, France’s well being minister, has mentioned the unfold of the Omicron variant is the primary motive behind plans for stricter vaccine move measures.

Below the present laws, a latest unfavourable Covid take a look at is adequate for getting into many indoor public locations, however a brand new well being move set to be launched early subsequent 12 months would require individuals to indicate proof of vaccination to enter eating places and long-distance public transport.

Veran, talking on France Inter radio, additionally mentioned that he anticipated that early subsequent week the French well being authority will give the inexperienced gentle to start out providing coronavirus vaccinations to kids aged 5 to 11.

Seven to 10% of latest confirmed coronavirus circumstances in France are suspected to be of the Omicron variant, the nation’s well being minister, Olivier Veran, mentioned on Saturday, as a ban on travellers from the UK comes into pressure.

From Saturday morning, travellers will solely be allowed to enter France from the UK if they’re travelling for “compelling causes”, except they’re French nationals, residents or hauliers.

Even then, these eager to journey must present a unfavourable Covid take a look at and self-isolate for 2 days after arriving within the nation.

On Saturday, Veran mentioned the speedy unfold of the brand new variant was the primary motive for the deliberate introduction of a brand new vaccination move early subsequent 12 months, which would require that folks present proof of vaccination to enter eating places and long-distance public transport.

Below the present well being move regulation, a latest unfavourable Covid take a look at is adequate for getting into public locations.

Stricter Covid restrictions have to be launched “very quickly” in England to forestall hospital admissions rising to three,000 a day, in accordance with leaked minutes from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, seen by BBC Information.

The leaked minutes, from a gathering of presidency scientific consultants held on Thursday, warn that any delay in imposing new restrictions “would significantly cut back the effectiveness”.

Up to now the federal government has taken a comparatively gentle contact regardless of fears of the speedy unfold of the Omicron variant, with the UK setting new data for lab-confirmed circumstances of Covid-19 for 2 days in a row this week.

The Sage minutes say: “If the intention is to cut back the degrees of an infection within the inhabitants and stop hospitalisations reaching these ranges, extra stringent measures would have to be applied very quickly.”

“The timing of such measures is essential,” say the Sage minutes. “Delaying till 2022 would significantly cut back the effectiveness of such interventions and make it much less possible that these would stop appreciable strain on well being and care settings.”

That is Damien Gayle kicking off the Guardian’s coronavirus dwell weblog protection this morning. All day I will likely be bringing you the newest Covid-related updates and headlines.

Seen a narrative you suppose we must be masking? Drop me a line on my Twitter profile @damiengayle, or through electronic mail to damien.gayle@theguardian.com