Omicron is spreading across mainland China. More than 20 million people are under lockdown. The new variant has breached the borders of Beijing. Will the outbreak derail the Winter Games? Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: Will Omicron derail the Winter Games?

China has claimed that its first Omicron case came through a letter from Canada. In the last two years, Beijing has also blamed imported fruits and frozen meat for Covid clusters. Palki Sharma tells you why these theories are nonsensical even by China's standards.

Gravitas: Fruits, meat and mail: China's excuses for Covid clusters

Fans who have been waiting for Julia Roberts and George Clooney's 'Ticket To Paradise' may have to wait longer. The filming of the romantic comedy has been paused owing to COVID-19 concerns. 
 
A source close to the Universal Pictures production confirmed to People magazine that filming "has been temporarily suspended" due to the virus, "and will recommence at a later date." 
 
The pause in production is due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Australian state of Queensland, where the movie was being shot. Roberts and Clooney have reportedly flown back to the United States, for the time being, sources told the outlet. 
 
In 'Ticket to Paradise', Roberts and Clooney play a divorced couple who travel to Bali to prevent their daughter from getting married. The two Oscar winners have previously worked together on 'Ocean's Eleven'&nbsp;and 'Money Monster'. 
 
'Ticket to Paradise' also stars Kaitlyn Dever and Billie Lourd, who recently opened up on Instagram about working in Australia while mourning the five-year anniversary of mom Carrie Fisher's death. 
 
The film is being directed by Ol Parker who had previously directed 'Mamma Mia'.&nbsp; 
 
'Ticket To Paradise' is the latest film to get the yellow light as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, joining productions that previously paused due to COVID-19 like 'Jurassic World: Dominion', 'The Batman' and 'Mission: Impossible 7'. 
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Universal had initially scheduled `Ticket to Paradise` to release in theatres on September 30, 2022, but the studio has since moved it to October 21, 2022. Considering the filming has halted yet again, the release of the film may be delayed once again, although there is no official word on it.&nbsp; 
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Fans who have been waiting for Julia Roberts and George Clooney's 'Ticket To Paradise' may have to wait longer. The filming of the romantic comedy has been paused owing to COVID-19 concerns.

Fans who have been waiting for Julia Roberts and George Clooney's 'Ticket To Paradise' may have to wait longer. The filming of the romantic comedy has been paused owing to COVID-19 concerns. A source close to the Universal Pictures production confirmed to People magazine that filming "has been temporarily suspended" due to the virus, "and will recommence at a later date." The pause in production is due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Australian state of Queensland, where the movie was being shot. Roberts and Clooney have reportedly flown back to the United States, for the time being, sources told the outlet. In 'Ticket to Paradise', Roberts and Clooney play a divorced couple who travel to Bali to prevent their daughter from getting married. The two Oscar winners have previously worked together on 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Money Monster'. 'Ticket to Paradise' also stars Kaitlyn Dever and Billie Lourd, who recently opened up on Instagram about working in Australia while mourning the five-year anniversary of mom Carrie Fisher's death. The film is being directed by Ol Parker who had previously directed 'Mamma Mia'. 'Ticket To Paradise' is the latest film to get the yellow light as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, joining productions that previously paused due to COVID-19 like 'Jurassic World: Dominion', 'The Batman' and 'Mission: Impossible 7'. . Universal had initially scheduled `Ticket to Paradise` to release in theatres on September 30, 2022, but the studio has since moved it to October 21, 2022. Considering the filming has halted yet again, the release of the film may be delayed once again, although there is no official word on it.

George Clooney, Julia Roberts' 'Ticket to Paradise' halts filming due to COVID-19 concerns

The Omicron surge continues to pummel health care systems across the United States. However, many rural American countries have recorded a sharp spike in infections in the past week.

Rural countries report higher rates of COVID-19 infections in America

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horwitz decided to cut the mandatory isolation period for asymptomatic patients from seven to five days.

Israeli PM Naftali Bennett cuts COVID-19 isolation time to five days

Influenza has returned to Europe raising concerns about a prolonged “twindemic”, that is the prospect of a severe flu season happening alongside an increase in Covid-19 cases.

Europe reports a rising cases of severe flu viruses, concerns over a prolonged 'Twindemic'

The British government has shortened the mandatory Covid-19 self-isolation period in England from seven to five days. It comes after a review of the medical evidence.

UK shortens Covid-19 self-isolation period to 5 days after medical reviews

Israel's Health Ministry is mulling to cut isolation time from 7 to 5 days for Israelis who test positive for Covid-19.

Israel aims to cut isolation time from 7 to 5 days

China is trying to crush the Omicron variant with an iron fist. Its aggressive measures have triggered 'rare criticism' on Chinese social Media. Palki Sharma gets you 5 videos of China's crackdown.

Gravitas: 5 Videos of lockdown horror from China

Adults in the US usually catch one or two common colds a year. They’re usually little more than an annoyance, but new research suggests they may offer some protection from a virus that’s much more dangerous.

Study: Getting common cold helps fight Omicron variant

Thousand of French teachers have taken to the streets in Central Paris. They are protesting against the repeated changes in the government's protocol amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teachers union stage a protest in France over COVID-19 rules

The UK appears to have surpassed the peak of the latest wave of COVID-19 caused by Omicron, providing a glimmer of hope to rest of the world.

UK's Omicron data offers hope to the world as cases surpasses peak

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of Covid positive cases. The union territory has crossed the mark of 1695 for the first time since June 2021. The Kashmir division reported 883 cases while Jammu reported 812 positive cases.&nbsp;

Srinagar city saw the maximum number of positive cases (320). It was followed by Baramulla district in North Kashmir with 250 positive cases. The doctors in the Valley say that the number will increase further in the coming days. Health department has canceled all the leaves and winter holidays of health workers across the union territory.&nbsp;

All the government-run hospitals have been kept ready for any eventuality. Although doctors say the cases are increasing, the hospitalization of the patients has still not crossed the danger mark.&nbsp; 
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"Of late, we have seen there is an exponential rise in the covid cases in the union territory, the numbers used to be less than 200 a week back and they grew exponentially to reach 1700 cases a day. We are seeing a huge surge in cases and Omicron has been detected as well. The samples were taken on 20 December and it's been quite some time since then, so we are pretty confident that the Omicron variant must already be in the community and it is leading to such a huge surge in the number of cases. We are seeing the surge in cases but we are not witnessing too many hospital admissions. They are the same or slightly higher and nothing in comparison to the first and second wave. We have to take precautionary measures and follow Covid protocol behaviour to get things under control," said Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, HOD, Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar.&nbsp;

Omicron variant has been detected in the union territory. Around 23 cases have been found in just two days. The doctors believe that it has already spread across the Valley as the samples for those who tested positive for Omicron were taken on December 20. Although the doctors believe that it's a milder variant, it spreads rapidly. The doctors say if the spread continues, healthcare facilities in the union territory would be burdened further.

"The tertiary and secondary hospitals and even the PHC's have been upgraded. The healthcare system is all ready to deal with any eventuality. The Omicron is definitely milder as far as we have seen it in various countries. It causes a milder form of disease and hospitalisation requirement is less as compared to Delta variant but infectivity of the virus is high. So we cannot take it lightly although it's highly infectious and nobody can escape the Covid virus but we have tried to limit the number of cases so that hospitalisation numbers are limited," said Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, HOD, Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar.&nbsp;

With rising number of cases, The administration has sprung into action and formed 15 teams in every district to make sure that people are following all the Covid-related protocols. These volunteers are checking cars and vehicles and asking people to wear masks and maintain social distance. &nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of Covid positive cases. The union territory has crossed the mark of 1695 for the first time since June 2021.

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of Covid positive cases. The union territory has crossed the mark of 1695 for the first time since June 2021. The Kashmir division reported 883 cases while Jammu reported 812 positive cases. Srinagar city saw the maximum number of positive cases (320). It was followed by Baramulla district in North Kashmir with 250 positive cases. The doctors in the Valley say that the number will increase further in the coming days. Health department has canceled all the leaves and winter holidays of health workers across the union territory. All the government-run hospitals have been kept ready for any eventuality. Although doctors say the cases are increasing, the hospitalization of the patients has still not crossed the danger mark. "Of late, we have seen there is an exponential rise in the covid cases in the union territory, the numbers used to be less than 200 a week back and they grew exponentially to reach 1700 cases a day. We are seeing a huge surge in cases and Omicron has been detected as well. The samples were taken on 20 December and it's been quite some time since then, so we are pretty confident that the Omicron variant must already be in the community and it is leading to such a huge surge in the number of cases. We are seeing the surge in cases but we are not witnessing too many hospital admissions. They are the same or slightly higher and nothing in comparison to the first and second wave. We have to take precautionary measures and follow Covid protocol behaviour to get things under control," said Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, HOD, Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar. Omicron variant has been detected in the union territory. Around 23 cases have been found in just two days. The doctors believe that it has already spread across the Valley as the samples for those who tested positive for Omicron were taken on December 20. Although the doctors believe that it's a milder variant, it spreads rapidly. The doctors say if the spread continues, healthcare facilities in the union territory would be burdened further. "The tertiary and secondary hospitals and even the PHC's have been upgraded. The healthcare system is all ready to deal with any eventuality. The Omicron is definitely milder as far as we have seen it in various countries. It causes a milder form of disease and hospitalisation requirement is less as compared to Delta variant but infectivity of the virus is high. So we cannot take it lightly although it's highly infectious and nobody can escape the Covid virus but we have tried to limit the number of cases so that hospitalisation numbers are limited," said Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, HOD, Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar. With rising number of cases, The administration has sprung into action and formed 15 teams in every district to make sure that people are following all the Covid-related protocols. These volunteers are checking cars and vehicles and asking people to wear masks and maintain social distance.

Jammu Kashmir witnesses sharp rise in Covid cases, 23 Omicron infections so far

The Sars-CoV-2 virus, within 20 minutes of becoming airborne, loses its ability to infect others, as per a recent study. The UK-based study suggests that the most loss occurs in the first five minutes. The findings of the study reaffirm the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. In an environment where humidity is lower than 50 percent, the virus becomes half as infectious within five seconds. In a more humid environment, the decline is significantly slower.

What happens to Covid within 20 minutes of being airborne? Study reveals

Hospitalization in the US has reached a record high on Monday, with several states struggling to cope with the spike in cases. Now there were 132,000 hospitalizations for Covid, crossing the record set in January last year. But hospitalizations have been increasing steadily since late December, as the Omicron quickly took over Delta as the dominant version of the virus.

United States break Covid hospitalization record

The United States reported over 1.3 million new COVID-19 cases on Monday, with the daily case rate shattering global records as hospitalisations soared across the country.

US reports over 1.3 million new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours

A leaked email shows an aide for the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson inviting staff to "bring your own booze" to a gathering held during Britain's strict COVID-19 lockdown.

Leaked email shows UK PM's aide inviting staff to 'bring your own booze' party during COVID lockdown

According to reports, 163 members of the US military have committed suicide in the third quarter of 2021 which represents a greater total than the number of service members who have died from the COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Reports: US soldiers dying more of suicide than COVID-19

Veteran actor Sathyaraj, who is widely known across the nation for portraying Katappa in the 'Baahubali'&nbsp;film franchise has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. 
 
Reports suggest that he exhibited serious symptoms and is currently undergoing treatment in Chennai. The 67-year-old actor was in-home quarantine after testing positive for the virus. 
 
Fans of Sathyaraj have been sharing well wishes on social media platforms praying for the actor to bounce back to good health and make a complete recovery from COVID-19. 
 
Not just him, recently, several celebs had also tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Earlier, Vishal Dadlani, Kubbra Sait, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mithila Palkar, Mahesh Babu, Swara Bhasker, among others had contracted COVID-19.

Veteran actor Sathyaraj, who is widely known across the nation for portraying Katappa in the 'Baahubali' film franchise has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.

Veteran actor Sathyaraj, who is widely known across the nation for portraying Katappa in the 'Baahubali' film franchise has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. Reports suggest that he exhibited serious symptoms and is currently undergoing treatment in Chennai. The 67-year-old actor was in-home quarantine after testing positive for the virus. Fans of Sathyaraj have been sharing well wishes on social media platforms praying for the actor to bounce back to good health and make a complete recovery from COVID-19. Not just him, recently, several celebs had also tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Earlier, Vishal Dadlani, Kubbra Sait, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mithila Palkar, Mahesh Babu, Swara Bhasker, among others had contracted COVID-19.

'Baahubali' actor Sathyaraj aka Katappa tested positive for Covid-19, hospitalised

Protesting to the Covid 19 norms thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels, opposing the latest Covid 19 instructions.

Belgium: Protestors 'denounce' dictatorship of covid restrictions

Omicron cases continue to spread virtually as a wildfire. Australia has now said that it has surpassed the grim milestone of a million Covid 19 infections with more than half of them having been recorded in just the last week.

Australia has now surpassed the milestone of million Covid 19 infections, more than half of them recorded in last week

Australia has now surpassed the milestone of a million Covid 19 infections

The United Kingdom's official death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic rose above 150,000 on Saturday, following a record wave of cases caused by the Omicron variant.

UK becomes first country in Europe to pass 150,000 COVID deaths

Amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the US is seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases among children and young adults and a rise in pediatric hospitalisations.

Covid hospitalisations soar for kids under five in US due to Omicron variant

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