Canada’s health regulator has approved a pill by Pfizer that treats the effects of COVID-19 amid soaring numbers of infections across the country.
Meanwhile, the health minister of Poland said the country is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 cases.
Several Chinese cities are on high alert as hundreds of millions of people travel around China before the Lunar New Year celebration on February 1.
Governments around the world are also enforcing stricter measures to contain the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
In the Philippines, unvaccinated commuters have been banned from accessing public transport, despite opposition.
This live blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. Here are the updates for January 17.
Credit Suisse chief quits over virus rules breach
The chairman of Credit Suisse resigned over COVID-19 quarantine violations, leaving the bank’s new risk committee chief holding the reins and tasked with trying to stabilise the scandal-hit institution.
Antonio Horta-Osorio, who joined Switzerland’s second-largest bank less than a year ago, had resigned with immediate effect following an investigation commissioned by the board, Credit Suisse said in a statement.
Axel Lehmann, who joined Credit Suisse just three months ago to chair the board’s risk committee, was appointed as his replacement.
Hospitalisations in France see biggest jump since Nov 2020
The number of people with coronavirus in French hospitals rose by 888 to 25,775, the health ministry said on Monday, the biggest one-day increase since early November 2020 – before the start of the country’s vaccination campaign.
The last time the number of COVID-19 patients was over 25,000 was on December 17, 2020.
Health ministry data also showed that the number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care units rose by 61 to 3,913, after being flat to stable for four days.
Poland has entered a fifth wave: Minister
Poland is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, the health minister said, warning that the spread of the Omicron variant could send daily case numbers soaring to levels not yet seen in the country.
While daily case numbers have fallen since early December, the European Union’s largest eastern member by population has had little respite since the fourth wave, regularly reporting over 10,000 new infections per day amid low vaccine take-up and public reluctance to follow regulations.
“We predict that the peak of infections will be in mid-February and that peak is about 60,000 cases a day,” Adam Niedzielski told a news conference.
Canada approves Pfizer COVID-19 drug
Canada’s health regulator has approved a pill by Pfizer that treats the effects of the coronavirus.
Health Canada authorised Paxlovid for adult patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are also at high risk of becoming more seriously ill. Health Canada did not authorise it for use on teenagers or on patients who are already hospitalised because of COVID-19.
The agency’s announcement comes amid soaring numbers of infections because of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Djokovic has to comply with rules to go to Spain: PM
World men’s tennis number-one player Novak Djokovic will have to comply with Spanish health rules to be able to travel to Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Answering a question on whether Djokovic would be allowed to enter Spain to compete after Australia deported him for being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Sanchez said: “Any sportsperson who wishes to compete in our country must comply with the health rules of Spain.”
INSIDE STORY: Can China maintain its ‘zero-COVID’ strategy?
Small outbreaks continue to trigger lockdowns and travel restrictions for 1.4 billion Chinese people.
Many countries have abandoned the aim of stopping all COVID-19 infections, avoiding lockdowns and travel bans as the Omicron and Delta variants spread worldwide.
But not in China, where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019.
Watch here.
French hospitalisations see largest jump since Nov 2020
The number of people with COVID-19 in French hospitals rose by 888 to 25,775, the health ministry said on Monday, the biggest one-day increase since early November 2020 – before the start of the country’s vaccination campaign.
The last time the number of COVID-19 patients was over 25,000 was on December 17, 2020.
Health ministry data on Monday also showed that the number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care units rose by 61 to 3,913, after being flat to stable for four days.
Mexico’s president says he’s beaten virus for second time
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had recovered from a second round of infection from the coronavirus, as he resumed his public activities.
Lopez Obrador said that he was no longer infected and his symptoms had been milder, and his recovery quicker, than with his first coronavirus infection last year.
“It is demonstrable that this variant does not have the same severity as the previous one, the Delta variant,” he told reporters, nearly a week after announcing he had caught COVID-19 again.
“What also helps a lot is the vaccine, getting vaccinated and not missing the booster shot,” he added.
New French school strike called over COVID ‘chaos’
French teachers’ unions called for a second major strike this week to protest the government’s COVID-19 testing and isolation protocols, which they say are severely disrupting classes.
The move follows a one-day walkout last week that saw half of the country’s primary schools close, according to unions, who accuse authorities of failing to establish clear rules that would keep as many students in school as possible.
Bulgaria tightens arrival conditions as infections rise
Bulgaria announced it would require travellers from neighbouring North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey as well as Israel to have a negative PCR coronavirus test prior to entry along with a valid COVID-19 certificate, starting Thursday.
The measures announced by the Health Ministry, aimed at limiting the spread of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant, already apply to all European Union member states except for Bulgaria’s northern neighbour Romania.
The Balkan country, which is bracing for a surge in new infections, recorded its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic last week.
Moderna CEO says data for Omicron-specific shot likely available in March
Moderna Inc’s vaccine candidate against the Omicron coronavirus variant will enter clinical development in the next few weeks and the company expects to be able to share data with regulators around March, CEO Stephane Bancel said.
“The vaccine is being finished … it should be in the clinic in coming weeks. We are hoping in the March timeframe to be able to have data to share with regulators to figure out next steps,” Bancel said at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda conference.
Israel cuts isolation after testing positive to five days
Israel’s Health Ministry said that it would shorten the mandatory isolation period for those who tested positive for COVID-19 to five days from seven days, following an initial cut last week, provided the infected are asymptomatic.
Until last week, the isolation period was 10 days.
The latest decision, which takes effect on Wednesday, brings Israel in line with recommendations in the United States.
A negative home antigen test is also required before ending isolation, the ministry said.
US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman tests positive: spokesman
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, a spokesman said.
He is experiencing very minor symptoms and can perform all duties remotely, the spokesman added.
EU chief cancels meetings as driver tests positive
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she has scrapped her in-person appointments at the European Parliament this week after her driver tested positive for COVID-19.
Von der Leyen said she was already in Strasbourg, France for the plenary when she was told of the news and immediately headed back to European Union headquarters in Brussels.
Netherlands reports record 42,000 daily cases
The Netherlands registered a record 42,000 coronavirus cases in the space of 24 hours, according to data released by health officials.
On Friday, the government ordered the reopening of most stores after a month-long lockdown intended to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus in the Netherlands.
Indian firm developing Omicron-specific vaccine
India’s Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is working on an Omicron-specific mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate, it told Reuters news agency, after a person with direct knowledge of the matter said the product could be ready in a month or two.
“The Omicron-specific variant of the vaccine is under development and will be ready for human clinical trials, subject to regulatory approvals,” a company spokesperson said in a text message. “We will keep you posted.”
The source, who did not want to be named as the information was private, said the product might need a small trial in India before it could be rolled out.
Thailand considering quarantine waiver for foreign visitors
Thailand is considering bringing back a quarantine waiver for vaccinated visitors, the health minister said.
Thailand reopened to vaccinated foreign visitors in November to help a tourism industry that collapsed during nearly 18 months of strict entry policies. It saw about 200,000 arrivals last year, compared to nearly 40 million in 2019.
The ‘Test & Go’ policy, which allows visitors to skip the mandatory quarantine if they test negative on arrival, was suspended late in December over concerns about the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
In Greece, unvaccinated people 60 and up face monthly fines
Greece imposed a vaccination mandate for people 60 and older, as the country’s vaccination rate remains below the European Union average and a spike in infections has put sustained pressure on Greek hospitals.
Older people failing to get vaccinated will face penalties, starting at a 50-euro ($57) fine in January and followed by a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) after that.
About two-thirds of Greece’s 10.7 million people are fully vaccinated, while the EU average is just over 70 percent. But COVID-19 deaths and daily hospitalisations have increased following the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant, though pressure on ICU capacity has eased slightly.
Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the fines would be collected through the tax office with the money going to help fund state hospitals.
Read more here.
Beijing Olympics tickets will not be sold to the public
Tickets for the Winter Olympics set to begin on February 4 will be distributed to “targeted” groups of people and will not be sold to the general public, the organising committee has said, in the latest setback to the Games inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Local spectators who receive tickets must observe strict COVID prevention measures before, during and after attending Olympic events, the committee said. It did not specify how tickets would be distributed.
Organisers had said in September that there would not be any international spectators at the Games.
Fiji’s Nayacalevu to get vaccinated after France’s vaccine passport requirement
Fijian rugby player Waisea Nayacaleuv “will get vaccinated,” Stade Francais President Thomas Lombard said, hours after French authorities passed a law requiring a jab against COVID to enter sporting venues.
France’s parliament voted in favour of requiring a vaccine passport to enter an establishment which has a public attendance, in a move that will has implications on this weekend’s European Champions Cup games and the Six Nations, which starts on February 6.
Earlier this month, 31-year-old Nayacalevu had said getting a vaccine would be “the worst-case scenario”.
New French school strike called over COVID ‘chaos’
The French teachers’ union has called for a second major strike to protest the government’s COVID testing and isolation protocols, which they say are severely disrupting classes.
The move follows a one-day walkout last week that saw half of the country’s primary schools close, according to unions, who accuse authorities of failing to establish clear rules that would keep as many students in school as possible.
The unions said the new strike on Thursday would be a prelude to a “massive” nationwide walkout on January 27.
China’s Xi rejects ‘Cold War mentality’ in dealing with pandemic
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for greater world cooperation on the coronavirus pandemic and pledged to send an additional one billion doses of vaccine to other countries.
Speaking at the opening speech of a virtual gathering hosted by the World Economic Forum, Xi urged other powers to discard a “Cold War mentality” at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
The comments come as tensions between the United States and China have simmered on dossiers as diverse as Taiwan, intellectual property, trade, human rights and the South China Sea.
Pfizer to boost pill production with French deal
Pfizer will add a production facility for its antiviral COVID pill in France as part of a plan to invest 520 million euros ($594m) in the country during the next five years, the US drugmaker has said.
The decision is part of Pfizer’s strategy to boost global production of the pill, Paxlovid, which was found to be nearly 90 percent effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness, according to clinical trial data.
The investment will initially involve the production of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) at a plant run by French pharmaceutical group Novasep, Pfizer said, noting that additional Novasep facilities will be added next year.
Indonesian officials make rare visit to Israel to discuss pandemic
A delegation of Indonesian officials recently made a rare visit to Israel to discuss coronavirus strategies, despite the countries not having diplomatic relations, Israel’s Army Radio has reported.
Indonesian health officials aimed “to learn how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic”, the report said. It did not specify when the visit took place.
Israel’s foreign ministry has not confirmed the report.
Uzbekistan reports record daily cases as Omicron spreads
Uzbekistan has reported 1,037 new COVID cases during the previous 24 hours, the highest number on record, after confirming the presence of Omicron this month.
Its Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have also reported jumps in cases after detecting the new variant.
Paris attacks trial halted after suspect gets COVID
The trial over the deadly November 2015 terror attacks in Paris has been suspended after a second suspect tested positive for COVID, sources told AFP.
Ali El Haddad Asufi, accused of helping prepare the massacres that killed 130 people the Bataclan concert hall and several bars and restaurants in the French capital, began showing symptoms at hearings last Friday, presiding judge Jean-Louis Peries wrote to lawyers.
The key testimony of Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor among the 10 assailants, was also postponed after being scheduled to begin on Thursday.
France to require vaccine pass for tennis tournament
Novak Djokovic could be barred from playing in the French Open starting in May after the Ministry for Sport said there would be no exemption from France’s new vaccine pass law.
“The rule is simple. The vaccine pass will be imposed, as soon as the law is promulgated, in establishments that were already subject to the health pass,” the ministry said.
“This will apply to everyone who is a spectator or a professional sportsperson. And this until further notice.”
Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated against COVID, was deported from Australia on Sunday before the Grand Slam tournament after losing a court case to have the cancellation of his visa overturned.
Australian Open kicks off without men’s world number one
The Grand Slam season at the Australian Open kicked off without the men’s world number one and defending champion, Novak Djokovic, following the cancellation of his visa by Australian authorities on the basis of COVID vaccination requirements.
Approximately 50 people gathered for a peaceful rally outside the Melbourne Park complex in the shadows of Rod Laver Arena, protesting Djokovic’s deportation.
An Emirates plane carrying the tennis star from Australia landed in Dubai early on Monday. Djokovic was later seen on board a plane due to land in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, at 12:10 local time (11:10 GMT).
Read more here.
Malaysian Hindus mark festival under strict COVID curbs
Malaysian Hindus have begun marking the annual Thaipusam festival, which officially falls on Tuesday, with scaled-back celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The sizeable minority celebrated its devotion to the deity Lord Murugan by heading to the Batu Caves temple complex, outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, and walking barefoot up 272 multicoloured steps carrying offerings such as milk pots.
Celebrations were muted compared with the years prior to the pandemic, with officials limiting the number of attendees to a few thousand to reduce the health risk.
India’s main cities record sharp fall in infections
India’s capital New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai have reported a big fall in COVID infections in the past two days, authorities have said.
New Delhi is expected to record fewer than 15,000 cases on Monday, for the first time since early January. In Mumbai, daily new infections fell below 10,000 on Sunday for the first time since early this month.
Both cities recorded low hospitalisation rates, with more than 80 percent of COVID hospital beds remaining unoccupied since the fast-transmitting Omicron variant led to a massive surge in cases at the start of the year.
Nepal starts giving boosters
Nepal has begun giving COVID vaccine booster shots as daily cases jumped by 4,961 on Sunday, the biggest 24-hour increase in more than six months.
“The booster shots will be given to those people who have completed six months after getting a second vaccine dose,” the government said in a statement.
Nepal has double-vaccinated 39.9 percent of its 30 million people, in a campaign that began early last year.
The government has also banned large public gatherings and closed schools and colleges until the end of January to curb the rate of infection.
Vaccine mandate for Manila commuters
People who are not fully vaccinated against COVID have been banned from riding public transport in the Philippine capital – a move that sparked protests from labour and human rights groups.
The Department of Transportation’s “no vax, no ride” policy, which will last at least to the end of January, is an offshoot of President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning that unvaccinated Filipinos who defy orders to stay at home to ease community infections could face arrest.
The Philippines’ vaccination campaign has been dogged by public hesitancy and delays, while the Omicron variant has fuelled a recent spike in infections.
Read more here.
Japan to expedite boosters to tackle Omicron
Japan will bring forward COVID vaccination booster shots by two months, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced in Parliament, as infections soared nationwide.
Containing the pandemic is critical for Kishida, whose predecessor Yoshihide Suga stepped down last year after voter support crumbled as COVID surged.
Japan’s government is also discussing whether to impose a quasi-state of emergency in the capital, Tokyo, and surrounding areas.
China on high alert before Lunar New Year
Several Chinese cities are on high COVID alert as hundreds of millions of people travel ahead of the Lunar New Year celebration on February 1.
At least five provinces and municipalities reported local Omicron infections, while 14 provincial areas found the variant among travellers from overseas.
Beijing’s first reported case of Omicron prompted stepped-up measures in the capital, just weeks before it hosts the Winter Olympics.
The number of cases in China reached the highest since March 2020 on Monday, despite a strict “zero COVID” policy that includes city lockdowns and travel curbs.
