According to a newspaper report, travelers to the USA must expect more stringent corona tests before entering the country because of the Omikron variant. The US government is also considering a seven-day quarantine and additional mandatory tests a few days after arrival, reports the Washington Post. Some of the new rules can be found in a corresponding government draft that is to be published on Thursday. However, many points are still unclear.
It is considered practicable that every person arriving, regardless of their vaccination status, must be tested for Corona a maximum of 24 hours before departure. However, if there is a request for a seven-day quarantine after arrival in the USA, it is still unclear whether and how this could be enforced. Even a mandatory second test after the first two to three days’ stay could hardly be checked. About 200,000 people arrive in the United States every day. Some experts hope that it would be helpful if only around 50,000 of them adhered to the new rules.
The new set of rules is still in the drafting stage. However, it is expected to come into effect by mid-December at the latest. So just before the expected big wave of Christmas travel. The US government had only lifted the general entry ban at the beginning of November, giving at least fully vaccinated people the opportunity to visit the US again after a corona break of around one and a half years. (December 01, 2021)
Two Omicron cases discovered in Brazil for the first time
The first two cases with the new Omikron coronavirus variant were found in Brazil on Tuesday. It could also be the first ever case in Latin America. Samples from two Brazilians who tested positive for the Omikron variant by the renowned Albert Einstein Hospital would be sent in for a confirmatory laboratory analysis, according to a statement from the Brazilian health surveillance authority Anvisa on Tuesday. According to the news portal “G1”, these are Brazilian missionaries who live in South Africa.
In the metropolis of São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, the first coronavirus case was registered in the country in February 2020. According to official information, a total of more than 22 million people have become infected in Brazil. Almost 614,000 patients have died in connection with Covid-19 – only the USA has more deaths. Brazil has around 210 million inhabitants. Most recently, São Paulo declared itself the “vaccination capital of the world” with a vaccination rate of just over 100 percent. (01.12.2021)
Minister Müller urges rapid vaccination in Africa
In view of the spread of the Coronavirus variant Omikron, the outgoing Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) calls for a faster vaccination rate in Africa. “The omicron mutation shows that it is now crucial to massively accelerate the global vaccination campaign,” said Müller of the Funke media group. Only seven percent of all Africans are fully vaccinated. “That is far too little,” said the CSU politician.
The world community must “do everything in its power” to vaccinate 40 percent of the world’s people by the end of this year. “That would also be a sign of global solidarity,” emphasized the CSU politician. A vaccine production “Made in Africa” is necessary for this. Germany is helping with almost 200 million euros in loans and grants to expand South Africa “into a production location for vaccine production for all of southern Africa”.
The 66-year-old CSU politician Müller is no longer a member of the newly elected Bundestag and is also giving up his ministerial office. He takes over the management of the UN organization for industrial development (Unido). (December 01, 2021)
Moderna expects less effectiveness against the Omikron variant
The head of the US pharmaceutical company Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, reckons that the current corona vaccines are probably not as effective against the new Omikron variant. He also said it will be months before drug companies can manufacture new variant-specific vaccines on a large scale.
Because of the large number of mutations, he is currently not assuming the same effectiveness as the Delta variant, Bancel said Financial Times. “I think it’s going to be a significant drop. I just don’t know how much because we’re going to have to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve spoken to are of the opinion, ‘This is not going to be good.'”
The statements of the Moderna boss are already noticeable on the stock markets: Because of the renewed fear of a setback for the global economy, the Dax slipped significantly into the red. Wall Street is also facing a setback.
Not only could vaccines lose their effectiveness with Omikron, some Covid drugs may also have to be adjusted. The pharmaceutical company Regeneron announced that tests have shown that its antibody agent is becoming less effective with the new virus variant. Former US President Donald Trump had attributed his rapid recovery from Covid-19 to the drug. A drug from the Eli Lilly & Co company is apparently not as effective as other variants. Both remedies target the spike protein, which is where Omikron has a particularly large number of mutations.
The University of Oxford, partner of the vaccine manufacturer Astra Zeneca, sees no evidence of a lack of protection against serious disease courses at Omikron. The university also announced that the effectiveness of the vaccine developed with Astra Zeneca will be carefully examined in this regard. So far, there is only limited data on Omikron. However, should it be necessary, a new version of the vaccine could be developed quickly.(11/30/2021)
Athens puts older unvaccinated people under pressure with a monthly fine
In Greece, people over the age of 60 must be vaccinated at least once by January 16. Otherwise they face a monthly fine of 100 euros from then on. The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakos announced on state television. “There is only one age group that insists on waiting: of the 580,000 unvaccinated citizens over 60 years of age, only 60,000 were vaccinated in November. And unfortunately it is precisely the over 60-year-olds who get sick and die,” said he.
Citizens cannot get out of the vaccination obligation: The state social security forwards the data of the unvaccinated to the tax office, which is then responsible for collecting the fine. The fines collected in this way are intended to benefit the hospitals. “This is not a punishment, but a health bonus – an act of justice,” said Mitsotakis.
In Greece, according to the EU health authority ECDC, 62 percent of the approximately eleven million inhabitants are fully vaccinated so far. The government categorically rules out a nationwide lockdown; instead, there have been numerous restrictions in public life for unvaccinated people since the beginning of November. The test is mandatory even when visiting the authorities, and unvaccinated people are excluded from fitness studios, restaurants and culture. (11/30/2021)
Many cities in Brazil are canceling New Years Eve parties
Because of the corona pandemic, more than half a dozen major Brazilian cities have not planned or canceled traditional New Year’s parties. This reported the news portal G1 on Monday, citing the mayors of cities such as Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte and Florianópolis.
Accordingly, the possibility that the new Corona variant Omikron (B.1.1.529) could increase the number of corona infected and dead in connection with Covid-19 contributed to the decision. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Corona variant, which first appeared in southern Africa, as “worrying” on Friday.
It is currently being investigated whether a passenger who arrived in São Paulo from South Africa on Saturday and tested positive is the Omikron variant. The Brazilian government decided on Friday to restrict entry by air from the region from Monday.
According to official information, a total of more than 22 million people in Brazil have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 614,000 patients have died in connection with Covid-19 – there are only more deaths in the USA. Brazil has around 210 million inhabitants.
As the vaccination campaign progressed, the number of deaths fell sharply, and optimism grew. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, for example, are looking into holding New Year’s Eve celebrations, which attract visitors from all over the world, or are sticking to them for the time being. Samba schools in Rio are preparing for the famous parades in the sambodrome. Experts warned that it could give the wrong impression that the pandemic was over. (11/30/2021)
Rating agencies: Omikron threatens global growth prospects
According to rating agencies Moody’s and Fitch, the Omikron mutant of the coronavirus could affect global growth prospects and drive prices up. “The Omikron variant carries risks to global growth and inflation, especially since it occurs at a time when supply chains are already overloaded, inflation is rising and there is a shortage in the labor market,” said Elena Duggar, Associate Managing Director Director at Moody’s, in an email to Reuters. The Fitch agency said that “another global downturn like that seen in the first half of 2020 is very unlikely”. But the rise in inflation will make macroeconomic reactions more difficult if the new variant prevails. (11/30/2021)
Hong Kong bans entry from 13 countries – including Germany
To protect against the new Omikron corona variant, the financial metropolis of Hong Kong is closing its borders. People residing in Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia will be banned from entering the country from November 30, the government of the Chinese Special Administrative Region said. In addition, foreigners who have stayed in Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel or Italy in the past 21 days are no longer allowed to enter the country from December 2nd. Hong Kong is still open to fully vaccinated residents: however, they must first go to a state quarantine facility for seven days and isolate themselves in a hotel for another two weeks at their own expense. (11/30/2021)