It was three words that workers don’t hear every day from their bosses: “I was wrong.”

Morgan Stanley’s CEO, James Gorman, asked this week about employees returning to the office, said his projection about the pandemic subsiding was off. “I thought we would have been out of it past Labor Day,” Gorman said on CNBC. “And we’re not.”

Office workers this week watched as events unfolded that were at once familiar and jarring in their persistence: COVID case counts ballooned, and employer plans deflated. The United States is reporting an average of more than 120,000 new COVID cases each day, up 40% from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times database. New York City is experiencing a spike in cases larger than any since last winter. Employers that had been growing bolder in their plans — reopening offices, mandating or strongly suggesting that workers report back, promising holiday blowouts — are now scaling back their ambitions for in-person business and socializing.

Jefferies, an investment bank, asked its 4,542 employees to work from home because of a spate of COVID cases. Goldman Sachs told its teams to postpone their remaining holiday parties, and JPMorgan Chase announced that its health care conference would go virtual. Citigroup, which had called people back two days a week starting in September, sent a memo giving its New York and New Jersey staff the option to work remotely, while Morgan Stanley employees were given more flexibility to stay home. And Apple delayed its office return indefinitely, the latest in a slew of employers that have conceded their corporate timelines are no match for the unpredictability of the virus.

“Since the start of December, Jefferies has experienced nearly 40 new COVID cases,” the CEO, Rich Handler, and president, Brian Friedman, wrote in a memo to staff last week, in which the bank also required that anyone eligible who enters its offices or attends its events get a booster shot by the end of January. “Our priority now is to best protect every one of you and your families.”

For months, the finance industry had been confident in the value, and relative safety, of in-person work. In October, an average of 27% of finance workers went to the office every day in New York City, and that figure was expected to rise to 47% by the end of January, according to the Partnership for New York City, a business group. But now some financial firms are beginning to backtrack.

“Despite all best efforts, COVID is really forcing a rollback of plans,” said Kathryn Wylde, head of the partnership. “The contagion factor with omicron has meant that people are going to hunker down again.”

Fidelity Investments, which has 52,000 employees globally, this week paused its pilot program allowing vaccinated workers to come back to their desks in some parts of the United States. Though workers deemed essential will still report to the office, other associates have been asked to work from home.

Companies forging ahead on in-person work face the question of whether to require booster shots, as the need for extra protection against the omicron variant becomes increasingly clear. The Washington Post, which is bringing its employees back to the office by mid-February, told staff members they will have to get boosters and submit to weekly testing. Few other private employers have come out publicly on the issue, though the Metropolitan Opera, the National Football League and several universities have put in place some form of booster requirement.

“What we’ve been seeing from our customers is uncertainty: Do we mandate boosters, do we not mandate boosters?” said Benjamin Granger, an organizational psychologist at the software company Qualtrics who advises hundreds of clients on how to use the platform. “When we see the first domino fall, I think we’ll see a cascade of them coming.”

As employers weigh vaccine guidelines and adjust their office returns, they also face a more immediate challenge: How will they celebrate the holidays as omicron spreads? After a year of email and Slack correspondence, corporate teams had been eagerly anticipating holiday parties. But as New York City’s new COVID cases rose significantly after party invitations went out, dozens of companies scrambled to cancel their plans.

Vincent Chee, head of people and culture at Bevel, a communications consultancy with 30 employees, had started making arrangements for the company’s holiday celebration in late September: It would involve a scavenger hunt, a make-your-own-snow-globe session and hot cocoa. Last week, when an employee tested positive for the virus, the company shifted to virtual celebrations.

“We’re going back to basics,” Chee said, describing his plans for online yoga and meals that employees can expense on food delivery websites like Seamless.

Meanwhile, employers that held holiday parties right as cases were exploding are trying to help their workers manage the aftermath: BuzzFeed, which hosted a party last week in Manhattan, said attendees reported positive test results to the company’s in-house public health researcher, and close contacts were encouraged to get tested.

Some company leaders came under fire for taking a middle-of-the-road approach to party cancellations. Peloton decided not to host a holiday party because of COVID concerns, budgetary considerations and space constraints, according to the company. But then the CEO and his wife held their own celebration at the Plaza Hotel, which some Peloton employees attended.

“John and Jill Foley hosted a personal holiday party for their friends and family, some of whom were Peloton team members,” a company official said in an email. “This was not a Peloton-paid or -sponsored event.”

Some people whose companies have pressed ahead with holiday festivities are left wondering whether to assume the risk of gathering with co-workers. Emily Crebbin, 24, who works for a global technology company, said she felt a sense of unease toggling between Twitter and TikTok posts about the rapid spread of omicron in New York City while she planned an outfit for her employer’s holiday party Friday.

She joined the company in July and was excited to spend time with colleagues, enjoying the open bar and passed appetizers — but the gloom in her social media feeds has transported her back to the city’s atmosphere in March 2020.

“It was so exciting that we were going to have a holiday party, because last year we couldn’t and it was like, ‘Yay New York is back and everyone is vaccinated,’” she said. “But I kind of wish they’d cancel, because then I wouldn’t have to make the call.”

Even as office workers returned home and universities moved classes online, an elite group of politicians and executives held firm on plans for its annual conclave in the Swiss Alps. The organizers of the World Economic Forum, which brings together political leaders and CEOs, said they were still planning on hosting the annual meeting in Davos next month. So far, there have not been many cancellations, and preparations for the event — which attracts thousands for a week of lectures, panel discussions, meals and parties — had begun, according to Peter Vanham, a spokesperson for the organization.

But Vanham added that the World Economic Forum was watching the virus closely and expected to make a final decision about whether to proceed or cancel the event by Jan. 6.

“The X-factor is omicron,” he said. “We will know just how bad that X-factor is by the end of the year.”

It was three words that workers don’t hear every day from their bosses: “I was wrong.” Morgan Stanley’s CEO, James Gorman, asked this week about employees returning to the office, said his projection about the pandemic subsiding was off.

It was three words that workers don’t hear every day from their bosses: “I was wrong.” Morgan Stanley’s CEO, James Gorman, asked this week about employees returning to the office, said his projection about the pandemic subsiding was off. “I thought we would have been out of it past Labor Day,” Gorman said on CNBC. “And we’re not.” Office workers this week watched as events unfolded that were at once familiar and jarring in their persistence: COVID case counts ballooned, and employer plans deflated. The United States is reporting an average of more than 120,000 new COVID cases each day, up 40% from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times database. New York City is experiencing a spike in cases larger than any since last winter. Employers that had been growing bolder in their plans — reopening offices, mandating or strongly suggesting that workers report back, promising holiday blowouts — are now scaling back their ambitions for in-person business and socializing. Jefferies, an investment bank, asked its 4,542 employees to work from home because of a spate of COVID cases. Goldman Sachs told its teams to postpone their remaining holiday parties, and JPMorgan Chase announced that its health care conference would go virtual. Citigroup, which had called people back two days a week starting in September, sent a memo giving its New York and New Jersey staff the option to work remotely, while Morgan Stanley employees were given more flexibility to stay home. And Apple delayed its office return indefinitely, the latest in a slew of employers that have conceded their corporate timelines are no match for the unpredictability of the virus. “Since the start of December, Jefferies has experienced nearly 40 new COVID cases,” the CEO, Rich Handler, and president, Brian Friedman, wrote in a memo to staff last week, in which the bank also required that anyone eligible who enters its offices or attends its events get a booster shot by the end of January. “Our priority now is to best protect every one of you and your families.” For months, the finance industry had been confident in the value, and relative safety, of in-person work. In October, an average of 27% of finance workers went to the office every day in New York City, and that figure was expected to rise to 47% by the end of January, according to the Partnership for New York City, a business group. But now some financial firms are beginning to backtrack. “Despite all best efforts, COVID is really forcing a rollback of plans,” said Kathryn Wylde, head of the partnership. “The contagion factor with omicron has meant that people are going to hunker down again.” Fidelity Investments, which has 52,000 employees globally, this week paused its pilot program allowing vaccinated workers to come back to their desks in some parts of the United States. Though workers deemed essential will still report to the office, other associates have been asked to work from home. Companies forging ahead on in-person work face the question of whether to require booster shots, as the need for extra protection against the omicron variant becomes increasingly clear. The Washington Post, which is bringing its employees back to the office by mid-February, told staff members they will have to get boosters and submit to weekly testing. Few other private employers have come out publicly on the issue, though the Metropolitan Opera, the National Football League and several universities have put in place some form of booster requirement. “What we’ve been seeing from our customers is uncertainty: Do we mandate boosters, do we not mandate boosters?” said Benjamin Granger, an organizational psychologist at the software company Qualtrics who advises hundreds of clients on how to use the platform. “When we see the first domino fall, I think we’ll see a cascade of them coming.” As employers weigh vaccine guidelines and adjust their office returns, they also face a more immediate challenge: How will they celebrate the holidays as omicron spreads? After a year of email and Slack correspondence, corporate teams had been eagerly anticipating holiday parties. But as New York City’s new COVID cases rose significantly after party invitations went out, dozens of companies scrambled to cancel their plans. Vincent Chee, head of people and culture at Bevel, a communications consultancy with 30 employees, had started making arrangements for the company’s holiday celebration in late September: It would involve a scavenger hunt, a make-your-own-snow-globe session and hot cocoa. Last week, when an employee tested positive for the virus, the company shifted to virtual celebrations. “We’re going back to basics,” Chee said, describing his plans for online yoga and meals that employees can expense on food delivery websites like Seamless. Meanwhile, employers that held holiday parties right as cases were exploding are trying to help their workers manage the aftermath: BuzzFeed, which hosted a party last week in Manhattan, said attendees reported positive test results to the company’s in-house public health researcher, and close contacts were encouraged to get tested. Some company leaders came under fire for taking a middle-of-the-road approach to party cancellations. Peloton decided not to host a holiday party because of COVID concerns, budgetary considerations and space constraints, according to the company. But then the CEO and his wife held their own celebration at the Plaza Hotel, which some Peloton employees attended. “John and Jill Foley hosted a personal holiday party for their friends and family, some of whom were Peloton team members,” a company official said in an email. “This was not a Peloton-paid or -sponsored event.” Some people whose companies have pressed ahead with holiday festivities are left wondering whether to assume the risk of gathering with co-workers. Emily Crebbin, 24, who works for a global technology company, said she felt a sense of unease toggling between Twitter and TikTok posts about the rapid spread of omicron in New York City while she planned an outfit for her employer’s holiday party Friday. She joined the company in July and was excited to spend time with colleagues, enjoying the open bar and passed appetizers — but the gloom in her social media feeds has transported her back to the city’s atmosphere in March 2020. “It was so exciting that we were going to have a holiday party, because last year we couldn’t and it was like, ‘Yay New York is back and everyone is vaccinated,’” she said. “But I kind of wish they’d cancel, because then I wouldn’t have to make the call.” Even as office workers returned home and universities moved classes online, an elite group of politicians and executives held firm on plans for its annual conclave in the Swiss Alps. The organizers of the World Economic Forum, which brings together political leaders and CEOs, said they were still planning on hosting the annual meeting in Davos next month. So far, there have not been many cancellations, and preparations for the event — which attracts thousands for a week of lectures, panel discussions, meals and parties — had begun, according to Peter Vanham, a spokesperson for the organization. But Vanham added that the World Economic Forum was watching the virus closely and expected to make a final decision about whether to proceed or cancel the event by Jan. 6. “The X-factor is omicron,” he said. “We will know just how bad that X-factor is by the end of the year.”

Offices shut and holiday parties dim as a familiar feeling sinks in

Around 5.3 million people have died due to different strains of coronavirus, more than 27,000 cases of the new Omicron strain have also been recorded in almost 91 countries.

Covid-19 News Update| 5.3 million died due to different strains of coronavirus

A congressional report has recently revealed that the Trump administration made several attempts to sabotage the US' response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. This was done for political purposes.

The report has been divided into three parts. The first part elaborates on how the Trump administration was responsible for a series of critical failures that undermined the US' ability to respond effectively to the pandemic.&nbsp;

The second part highlights the companies that profited during the pandemic while endangering public health. Lastly, the third part focuses on the administration's questionable management of the pandemic.

As per the report, the White House completely overruled public health and testing guidance coming from the nation’s top infectious disease experts.&nbsp;

In order to promote then-President Donald Trump's political agenda, several officials were silenced.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-police-officer-testifies-at-manslaughter-trial-for-killing-daunte-wright-437812">Also read |&nbsp;US police officer testifies at manslaughter trial for killing Daunte Wright</a>

"Trump White House officials in the Office of Management and Budget sought to sidestep CDC when finalising coronavirus guidance for faith communities, after CDC declined to accept edits to the guidance proposed by officials outside of the agency," read the report.&nbsp;

Not only this but the report further states that Trump political appointees tried to pressure the Food and Drug Administration to authorise ineffective Covid treatments that the president was in favoured.&nbsp;This included hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma.

Also, the administration was involved in weakening the CDC's coronavirus testing guidance in August 2020. This was done to conceal the spreading pace of the cases.

A CDC official, in a transcribed interview, confirmed that she was instructed to destroy evidence of political interference by a Trump Administration political appointee. "The CDC official told the Select Subcommittee that she understood this instruction—which “seemed unusual” and made her “uncomfortable”—came from then-CDC Director Redfield," read the report.

Former senior Trump Administration officials have spoken in detail about a &nbsp;series of missteps that led to the "ineffectual early response to the coronavirus outbreak" in the US.&nbsp;

For instance, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House Covid response coordinator, revealed in a transcribed interview that nobody from the federal government had contacted the largest diagnostic companies operating in the US until she arrived in early March 2020.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A congressional report has recently revealed that the Trump administration made several attempts to sabotage the US' response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

A congressional report has recently revealed that the Trump administration made several attempts to sabotage the US' response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. This was done for political purposes. The report has been divided into three parts. The first part elaborates on how the Trump administration was responsible for a series of critical failures that undermined the US' ability to respond effectively to the pandemic. The second part highlights the companies that profited during the pandemic while endangering public health. Lastly, the third part focuses on the administration's questionable management of the pandemic. As per the report, the White House completely overruled public health and testing guidance coming from the nation’s top infectious disease experts. In order to promote then-President Donald Trump's political agenda, several officials were silenced. Also read | US police officer testifies at manslaughter trial for killing Daunte Wright "Trump White House officials in the Office of Management and Budget sought to sidestep CDC when finalising coronavirus guidance for faith communities, after CDC declined to accept edits to the guidance proposed by officials outside of the agency," read the report. Not only this but the report further states that Trump political appointees tried to pressure the Food and Drug Administration to authorise ineffective Covid treatments that the president was in favoured. This included hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma. Also, the administration was involved in weakening the CDC's coronavirus testing guidance in August 2020. This was done to conceal the spreading pace of the cases. A CDC official, in a transcribed interview, confirmed that she was instructed to destroy evidence of political interference by a Trump Administration political appointee. "The CDC official told the Select Subcommittee that she understood this instruction—which “seemed unusual” and made her “uncomfortable”—came from then-CDC Director Redfield," read the report. Former senior Trump Administration officials have spoken in detail about a series of missteps that led to the "ineffectual early response to the coronavirus outbreak" in the US. For instance, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House Covid response coordinator, revealed in a transcribed interview that nobody from the federal government had contacted the largest diagnostic companies operating in the US until she arrived in early March 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Report states Trump administration voluntarily sabotaged Covid response

Grammy-winning artist Lil Nas X recently appeared to confirm that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The hitmaker revealed his diagnosis in a series of tweets, sharing that he is experiencing symptoms associated with the disease. "Covid really sucks. last night i was tryna watch p-rn then i sneezed snot all over p--is lmao," he tweeted -- then deleted, reported Billboard. 
 
His COVID revelations apparently came a little earlier in the afternoon, after former US President Barack Obama shared his list of the favourite music of 2021, which included Lil Nas X`s Montero (Call Me By Your Name)`, according to various outlets that captured the artist`s tweets before he nixed the entire thread.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/spider-man-4-is-already-in-the-works-kevin-feige-reacts-437992" hreflang="en">‘Spider-Man 4’ is already in the works? Kevin Feige reacts</a> 
 
After the former president presented his playlist, the 22-year-old artist shared Obama`s tweet and added, "started running around the house when I saw this then i remembered i have covid lol."He followed that with "now that i`m sure i won`t die from covid i will now begin making mildly funny jokes about having it." 
 
According to Uproxx, Lil Nas X also took the Omicron/Omarion joke about the new variant further, writing, "I`m not sure whether I`ve had the omarion or alicia keys variant of covid but this has not been a fun journey."The rapper`s message comes within a week of his announcement that he had to pull out of Capital FM`s Jingle Ball show in the UK after unspecified members in his camp tested positive for COVID-19.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/yearender-2021-celebrity-couples-who-made-their-romance-official-this-year-378577" hreflang="en">Yearender 2021: Celebrity couples who made their romance official this year</a> 
 
The popular band Coldplay also had to cancel their Jingle Ball appearance for the same reason."Both acts have had members of their teams test positive for COVID-19 and therefore are not able to perform. We`d like to wish the very best and a speedy recovery to Coldplay, Lil Nas X and their teams," read Capital FM`s statement last weekend. 
 
Nas X is certainly not the only artist from a Jingle Ball lineup to contract COVID-19 or cancel a show after someone from their team tested positive.Doja Cat shared on Sunday that she tested positive after cancelling two Jingle Ball dates. On Thursday, Megan Thee Stallion and the Jonas Brothers separately announced they wouldn`t be able to perform at Jingle Ball in Atlanta because members from their respective camps tested positive for COVID-19. 
 
Dua Lipa also had to pull out of her scheduled Jingle Ball performances in New York City and L.A. due to her ongoing bout with laryngitis.

Grammy-winning artist Lil Nas X recently appeared to confirm that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The hitmaker revealed his diagnosis in a series of tweets, sharing that he is experiencing symptoms associated with the disease.

Grammy-winning artist Lil Nas X recently appeared to confirm that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The hitmaker revealed his diagnosis in a series of tweets, sharing that he is experiencing symptoms associated with the disease. "Covid really sucks. last night i was tryna watch p-rn then i sneezed snot all over p--is lmao," he tweeted -- then deleted, reported Billboard. His COVID revelations apparently came a little earlier in the afternoon, after former US President Barack Obama shared his list of the favourite music of 2021, which included Lil Nas X`s Montero (Call Me By Your Name)`, according to various outlets that captured the artist`s tweets before he nixed the entire thread. ‘Spider-Man 4’ is already in the works? Kevin Feige reacts After the former president presented his playlist, the 22-year-old artist shared Obama`s tweet and added, "started running around the house when I saw this then i remembered i have covid lol."He followed that with "now that i`m sure i won`t die from covid i will now begin making mildly funny jokes about having it." According to Uproxx, Lil Nas X also took the Omicron/Omarion joke about the new variant further, writing, "I`m not sure whether I`ve had the omarion or alicia keys variant of covid but this has not been a fun journey."The rapper`s message comes within a week of his announcement that he had to pull out of Capital FM`s Jingle Ball show in the UK after unspecified members in his camp tested positive for COVID-19. Yearender 2021: Celebrity couples who made their romance official this year The popular band Coldplay also had to cancel their Jingle Ball appearance for the same reason."Both acts have had members of their teams test positive for COVID-19 and therefore are not able to perform. We`d like to wish the very best and a speedy recovery to Coldplay, Lil Nas X and their teams," read Capital FM`s statement last weekend. Nas X is certainly not the only artist from a Jingle Ball lineup to contract COVID-19 or cancel a show after someone from their team tested positive.Doja Cat shared on Sunday that she tested positive after cancelling two Jingle Ball dates. On Thursday, Megan Thee Stallion and the Jonas Brothers separately announced they wouldn`t be able to perform at Jingle Ball in Atlanta because members from their respective camps tested positive for COVID-19. Dua Lipa also had to pull out of her scheduled Jingle Ball performances in New York City and L.A. due to her ongoing bout with laryngitis.

Lil Nas X experiencing Covid symptoms after dropping out of Jingle Ball show

Let's take a look at how the world is reacting to the new covid-19 surge. A US court has reinstated a nation-wide mandate for large businesses, Germany braces to get covid-19 vaccines. Stay tuned for more latest updates.

Covid News Updates| Germany braces to get covid-19 vaccines, Denmark imposes new restrictions & more

20,000 US troops soldiers are at risk of being removed from the service over their refusal for taking the vaccine against COVID-19.

COVID-19: 20,000 US troops face disciplinary action for vaccine refusal

A 38-year-old man was forced to disembark from a United Airlines flight in Florida for wearing a thong as a face mask in an apparent attempt to protest against the mask mandate on flights.

Adam Jenne was asked to leave the aircraft before it took off from Fort Lauderdale airport.

The whole incident, which took place on Wednesday, was filmed by another passenger.

It purportedly showed Jenne being told by the crew that he would not be able to stay on board if he insisted to keep the red thong on his face.

After some heated discussion, he finally left his seat.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LEAVE IT TO THE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLORIDAMAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLORIDAMAN</a>! This guy from Cape Coral tried wearing a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thong</a> as a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mask?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mask</a> on a United flight in Fort Lauderdale today. He was kicked off the plane. TSA and sheriff were called but passengers remained peaceful. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/airtravel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#airtravel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Florida</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aviation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aviation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/travel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#travel</a> <a href="https://t.co/kUnkXrgTY8">pic.twitter.com/kUnkXrgTY8</a>
— Channing Frampton (@Channing_TV) <a href="https://twitter.com/Channing_TV/status/1471308721632563205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He later told local news channel NBC2 that he wanted to show the “absurdity” of forcing passengers to wear masks on planes while allowing them to be removed to eat and drink on board.

It’s all nonsense. COVID doesn’t know that we’re at cruising altitude. It’s stupid. The whole thing is theatre,” Jenne said adding he is tired of mask mandate.

Following the incident, United Airlines issued a statement saying that “the customer clearly wasn’t in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to take off, avoiding any potential disruptions on the air.”

According to local news media reports, United Airlines sent an email to Jenne after his ejection, telling him he is now banned from its airline until his case has been reviewed by the Passenger Incident Review Committee.

The federal mask mandate requires travellers in the US to wear a face mask on planes, trains, and buses, as well as in airports and other transit stations.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 38-year-old man was forced to disembark from a United Airlines flight in Florida for wearing a thong as a face mask in an apparent attempt to protest against the mask mandate on flights.

A 38-year-old man was forced to disembark from a United Airlines flight in Florida for wearing a thong as a face mask in an apparent attempt to protest against the mask mandate on flights. Adam Jenne was asked to leave the aircraft before it took off from Fort Lauderdale airport. The whole incident, which took place on Wednesday, was filmed by another passenger. It purportedly showed Jenne being told by the crew that he would not be able to stay on board if he insisted to keep the red thong on his face. After some heated discussion, he finally left his seat. LEAVE IT TO THE #FLORIDAMAN! This guy from Cape Coral tried wearing a #thong as a #mask on a United flight in Fort Lauderdale today. He was kicked off the plane. TSA and sheriff were called but passengers remained peaceful. #airtravel #Florida #aviation #travel pic.twitter.com/kUnkXrgTY8 — Channing Frampton (@Channing_TV) December 16, 2021 × He later told local news channel NBC2 that he wanted to show the “absurdity” of forcing passengers to wear masks on planes while allowing them to be removed to eat and drink on board. It’s all nonsense. COVID doesn’t know that we’re at cruising altitude. It’s stupid. The whole thing is theatre,” Jenne said adding he is tired of mask mandate. Following the incident, United Airlines issued a statement saying that “the customer clearly wasn’t in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to take off, avoiding any potential disruptions on the air.” According to local news media reports, United Airlines sent an email to Jenne after his ejection, telling him he is now banned from its airline until his case has been reviewed by the Passenger Incident Review Committee. The federal mask mandate requires travellers in the US to wear a face mask on planes, trains, and buses, as well as in airports and other transit stations. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | US man booted out of plane for wearing thong as face mask

After the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to the Northernmost part of Finland, A Santa looks to bring bundles of joy.

Finland's Santa looks to share joy amid covid pandemic

Finland's Santa looks to bring bundles of joy amid a gloomy pandemic

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic. We have tools now. We can take the death out of Covid-19".&nbsp;

The ongoing pandemic has taken over the entire global and everyone is facing the consequences. While people were trying to battle the Delta variant, a new variant named Omicron emerged in November.&nbsp;

In October, the WHO launched a strategy that aimed at achieving global Covid-19 vaccination by mid-2022. Under this, it highlighted several actions through which it could achieve 70 per cent global immunisation by the middle of 2022.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-cases-in-77-countries-spreading-at-unprecedented-rate-who-436962">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron cases in 77 countries, spreading at unprecedented rate: WHO</a>

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros A Ghebreyesus provided an update on the Omicron variant strain, saying that 77 nations have already reported cases of the newly discovered strain. He went on to say, "Omicron is spreading at a rate we haven't seen with any other variety."&nbsp;

He believed that Covid vaccination alone will not be enough to stop the pandemic, and that mask use, social distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene should be prioritised. Dr Tedros stated, "The WHO is not against booster doses, but against inequity."

(With inputs from agencies)

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic. We have tools now. We can take the death out of Covid-19". The ongoing pandemic has taken over the entire global and everyone is facing the consequences. While people were trying to battle the Delta variant, a new variant named Omicron emerged in November. In October, the WHO launched a strategy that aimed at achieving global Covid-19 vaccination by mid-2022. Under this, it highlighted several actions through which it could achieve 70 per cent global immunisation by the middle of 2022. Also read | Omicron cases in 77 countries, spreading at unprecedented rate: WHO Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros A Ghebreyesus provided an update on the Omicron variant strain, saying that 77 nations have already reported cases of the newly discovered strain. He went on to say, "Omicron is spreading at a rate we haven't seen with any other variety." He believed that Covid vaccination alone will not be enough to stop the pandemic, and that mask use, social distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene should be prioritised. Dr Tedros stated, "The WHO is not against booster doses, but against inequity." (With inputs from agencies)

Amid fears of new variant, WHO expert says that pandemic can end in 2022

UK has reported highest number of cases since the pandemic struck last year. Over 78,000 new cases have been confirmed in UK in a single day. The tally is around 10,000 more than the previous highest figure in the month of January this year. UK PM Boris Johnson had earlier stressed on the need of booster doses to combat the situation arising out of the new Omicron variant in the UK. In the wake of continuously rising cases of Omicron variant, Chief Medical Officer of England Prof Chris Whitty has asked people to get their booster doses as soon as possible.

Omicron: UK reports over 78,000 new cases, highest spike in a day since January

Several protests have been held across Europe against covid mandates, these sporadic protests by anti-vaccination campaigners took an ugly turn when the police had to diffuse a death threat to the state premier of Saxony in east Germany. More details on our next report.

Europe: Violence over proposed covid mandates

After there were reports of animals contracting the deadly coronavirus, many zoos and wildlife parks have started vaccinating their animals as a precautionary measure. Potter Park Zoo in Michigan became one of the first zoos to take such an initiative after numerous zoo animals across the country tested positive.

The vaccines were donated by a New Jersey-based animal health company named Zoetis Inc. This company makes one of the few approved Covid vaccines for animals.

The company started working on its vaccine in February 2020, after a &nbsp;dog tested positive for Covid in Hong Kong. It was concluded that the 20 animals that received the experimental vaccine developed a robust antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. However, the 10 that received a placebo did not. Also, there were no safety concerns reported by the company.

Potter Park Zoo Animal Care Supervisor Pat Fountain, in a report, said, "They were finding that it was happening in a lot of big cats and things like that. As a different number of animals grew, it became clear that it was a much bigger deal for the animals.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/in-a-first-three-white-tailed-deer-test-positive-for-covid-in-canada-433696">Also read |&nbsp;In a first, three white-tailed deer test positive for Covid in Canada</a>

The fountain further added that vaccinating animals is more challenging than vaccinating humans. He highlighted how limiting animal stress is the biggest priority. "I do train the animals daily to get used to the idea of being poked or getting shots or getting their blood drawn, or anything like that. It’s more about the stress of the animal than anything. So we don’t want to overstress any of them because they can get sick or hurt," he said.&nbsp;

In another such incident, nearly 260 animals, including many different species, received an experiment Covid vaccine at San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, various animals have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. This includes three white-tailed deers in Canada. Also, the Alpha variant of Covid was detected in pets when two cats and dogs tested positive in a PCR test. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After there were reports of animals contracting the deadly coronavirus, many zoos and wildlife parks have started vaccinating their animals as a precautionary measure.

After there were reports of animals contracting the deadly coronavirus, many zoos and wildlife parks have started vaccinating their animals as a precautionary measure. Potter Park Zoo in Michigan became one of the first zoos to take such an initiative after numerous zoo animals across the country tested positive. The vaccines were donated by a New Jersey-based animal health company named Zoetis Inc. This company makes one of the few approved Covid vaccines for animals. The company started working on its vaccine in February 2020, after a dog tested positive for Covid in Hong Kong. It was concluded that the 20 animals that received the experimental vaccine developed a robust antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. However, the 10 that received a placebo did not. Also, there were no safety concerns reported by the company. Potter Park Zoo Animal Care Supervisor Pat Fountain, in a report, said, "They were finding that it was happening in a lot of big cats and things like that. As a different number of animals grew, it became clear that it was a much bigger deal for the animals.” Also read | In a first, three white-tailed deer test positive for Covid in Canada The fountain further added that vaccinating animals is more challenging than vaccinating humans. He highlighted how limiting animal stress is the biggest priority. "I do train the animals daily to get used to the idea of being poked or getting shots or getting their blood drawn, or anything like that. It’s more about the stress of the animal than anything. So we don’t want to overstress any of them because they can get sick or hurt," he said. In another such incident, nearly 260 animals, including many different species, received an experiment Covid vaccine at San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Meanwhile, various animals have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. This includes three white-tailed deers in Canada. Also, the Alpha variant of Covid was detected in pets when two cats and dogs tested positive in a PCR test. (With inputs from agencies)

Wildlife parks are starting to vaccinate animals amid a surge in Covid cases

A year since the vaccination started, the official death toll due to COVID-19 surpassed 800,000 in the US, making it the country worst hit by the pandemic.

According to the tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, around 450,000 of those deaths took place in 2021, despite vaccines being available since it was first authorised in December 2020..

According to reports, the vast majority of the deaths have been among the unvaccinated.

The actual death toll is being claimed to be high because cases were overlooked or ignored.

Paying respects to those who died, President Joe Biden continued to press people to get vaccinated.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/follow-covid-19-vaccination-rules-or-lose-pay-job-google-to-employees-436972">Follow COVID-19 vaccination rules or lose pay, job: Google to employees</a>

"As we mark the tragic milestone of 800,000 American deaths due to COVID-19, we remember each person and the lives they lived, and we pray for the loved ones left behind,” Biden said in a statement.

“To heal, we must remember. We must also act,” he said, adding, “As we head into the winter and confront a new variant, we must resolve to keep fighting this virus together.”

According to official data, the risk of dying from COVID-19 was 14 times higher among people who had not been fully vaccinated, compared to those who had, in September, the report analysed.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chronic-diseases-documents-reveal-nearly-160000-adverse-effects-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-436459"> Chronic diseases: Documents reveal nearly 160,000 adverse effects of Pfizer Covid vaccine</a>

The US, which accounts for approximately 4 per cent of the world’s population, has the highest reported toll of any country.

About 15 per cent of the 5.3 million known deaths were from the coronavirus in the US since the outbreak began in China two years ago, reports news agency AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

A year since the vaccination started, the official death toll due to COVID-19 surpassed 800,000 in the US, making it the country worst hit by the pandemic. According to the tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, around 450,000 of those deaths took place in 2021, despite vaccines being available since it was first authorised in December 2020.

A year since the vaccination started, the official death toll due to COVID-19 surpassed 800,000 in the US, making it the country worst hit by the pandemic. According to the tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, around 450,000 of those deaths took place in 2021, despite vaccines being available since it was first authorised in December 2020.. According to reports, the vast majority of the deaths have been among the unvaccinated. The actual death toll is being claimed to be high because cases were overlooked or ignored. Paying respects to those who died, President Joe Biden continued to press people to get vaccinated. Also read | Follow COVID-19 vaccination rules or lose pay, job: Google to employees "As we mark the tragic milestone of 800,000 American deaths due to COVID-19, we remember each person and the lives they lived, and we pray for the loved ones left behind,” Biden said in a statement. “To heal, we must remember. We must also act,” he said, adding, “As we head into the winter and confront a new variant, we must resolve to keep fighting this virus together.” According to official data, the risk of dying from COVID-19 was 14 times higher among people who had not been fully vaccinated, compared to those who had, in September, the report analysed. Also read | Chronic diseases: Documents reveal nearly 160,000 adverse effects of Pfizer Covid vaccine The US, which accounts for approximately 4 per cent of the world’s population, has the highest reported toll of any country. About 15 per cent of the 5.3 million known deaths were from the coronavirus in the US since the outbreak began in China two years ago, reports news agency AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

US Covid death toll tops 800,000 in global record; most who died were unvaccinated

Google has advised its staff that if they don't comply with the company's COVID-19 vaccination policy, they will lose salary and eventually be fired, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing internal documents.

According to a memo sent by leadership, employees had until December 3 to disclose their vaccination status and upload proof of vaccination, or seek for a medical or religious exemption.

According to the business, employees who had not uploaded their status or were unvaccinated, as well as those whose exemption requests had been denied, would be contacted after that date, according to the business.&nbsp;

Employees who do not comply with the vaccination guidelines by the January&nbsp;18 deadline will be placed on "paid administrative leave" for 30 days, according to the memo.

The employer will then place them on "unpaid personal leave" for up to six months before terminating them.

While much of the IT industry continues to push back return-to-work plans and businesses large and small prepare for a flexible future, Google has announced that its employees would be required to come into physical offices three days a week starting in the new year. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/googles-year-in-search-2021-tells-of-a-world-looking-to-heal-435374">Also read | Google's Year in Search 2021, tells of a world looking to heal</a>

It's also displaying signs of exhaustion with individuals who refuse to take vaccinations that have been publicly available for months.

Watch | Omicron variant: Google Delays Mandatory Return-To-Office globally

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-variant-google-delays-mandatory-return-to-office-globally-433734/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

When contacted by Reuters, Google did not directly comment on the CNBC report, but said, "we`re committed to doing everything possible to help our employees who can get vaccinated do so, and firmly stand behind our vaccination policy."

Google postponed its return-to-work plans indefinitely earlier this month, citing concerns about the Omicron variant and employee reluctance to company-mandated vaccines.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Google has advised its staff that if they don't comply with the company's COVID-19 vaccination policy, they will lose salary and eventually be fired, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing internal documents.

Google has advised its staff that if they don't comply with the company's COVID-19 vaccination policy, they will lose salary and eventually be fired, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing internal documents. According to a memo sent by leadership, employees had until December 3 to disclose their vaccination status and upload proof of vaccination, or seek for a medical or religious exemption. According to the business, employees who had not uploaded their status or were unvaccinated, as well as those whose exemption requests had been denied, would be contacted after that date, according to the business. Employees who do not comply with the vaccination guidelines by the January 18 deadline will be placed on "paid administrative leave" for 30 days, according to the memo. The employer will then place them on "unpaid personal leave" for up to six months before terminating them. While much of the IT industry continues to push back return-to-work plans and businesses large and small prepare for a flexible future, Google has announced that its employees would be required to come into physical offices three days a week starting in the new year. Also read | Google's Year in Search 2021, tells of a world looking to heal It's also displaying signs of exhaustion with individuals who refuse to take vaccinations that have been publicly available for months. Watch | Omicron variant: Google Delays Mandatory Return-To-Office globally When contacted by Reuters, Google did not directly comment on the CNBC report, but said, "we`re committed to doing everything possible to help our employees who can get vaccinated do so, and firmly stand behind our vaccination policy." Google postponed its return-to-work plans indefinitely earlier this month, citing concerns about the Omicron variant and employee reluctance to company-mandated vaccines. (With inputs from agencies)

Follow COVID-19 vaccination rules or lose pay, job: Google to employees

British MPs have voted for imposing stricter measures to battle the covid-19 pandemic, despite a sizeable rebellion against the measures from within prime minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party.

United Kingdom: British MPs vote for imposing curbs to battle the covid-19 pandemic

A new study by Hong Kong researchers has revealed that the Covid vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech does not provide the required antibodies to neutralise the newly discovered Omicron variant. This comes in as millions of people are relying on the Sinovac vaccine to offer protection against the variant.&nbsp;

Led by microbiologist Yuen Kwok Yung, a professor in infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, the study involved a total of 50 people. They were divided into two groups of 25 people each. The first group was fully vaccinated with the Sinovac shot and the second group was fully vaccinated with the mRNA shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

In the first group, nobody displayed the required antibodies to neutralise Omicron. However, in the second group, five people showed neutralising ability against the new variant.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-study-finds-pfizer-booster-to-be-effective-against-omicron-variant-436411">Also read |&nbsp;Israeli study finds Pfizer booster to be effective against Omicron variant</a>

According to The Straits Times, the study has been accepted for publication in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. It is available online as a pre-print.

Meanwhile, a latest Israeli study had revealed that a three-shot course of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine offers protection against the new variant.

The study was carried out by the Sheba Medical Center and the Health Ministry’s Central Virology Laboratory.&nbsp;

As a part of the study, a comparison was made between the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses 5-6 months before the same number of people who had received a booster just a month before.&nbsp;

(With input from agencies)

A new study by Hong Kong researchers has revealed that the Covid vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech does not provide the required antibodies to neutralise the newly discovered Omicron variant.

A new study by Hong Kong researchers has revealed that the Covid vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech does not provide the required antibodies to neutralise the newly discovered Omicron variant. This comes in as millions of people are relying on the Sinovac vaccine to offer protection against the variant. Led by microbiologist Yuen Kwok Yung, a professor in infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, the study involved a total of 50 people. They were divided into two groups of 25 people each. The first group was fully vaccinated with the Sinovac shot and the second group was fully vaccinated with the mRNA shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. In the first group, nobody displayed the required antibodies to neutralise Omicron. However, in the second group, five people showed neutralising ability against the new variant. Also read | Israeli study finds Pfizer booster to be effective against Omicron variant According to The Straits Times, the study has been accepted for publication in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. It is available online as a pre-print. Meanwhile, a latest Israeli study had revealed that a three-shot course of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine offers protection against the new variant. The study was carried out by the Sheba Medical Center and the Health Ministry’s Central Virology Laboratory. As a part of the study, a comparison was made between the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses 5-6 months before the same number of people who had received a booster just a month before. (With input from agencies)

Sinovac Covid vaccine does not provide sufficient antibodies to battle Omicron

Google employees who haven’t been vaccinated could be put on forced leave and then let go from the company if they fail to follow its COVID-19 protocols.

Report: Google to fire unvaccinated workers

Sinovac Covid vaccine does not provide sufficient antibodies to battle Omicron, reveals Hong Kong study

Manchester United`s Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed due to a number of COVID-19 cases at the Old Trafford club, the league announced on Monday.

United had reported a "small number" of cases discovered among first-team staff and players on Sunday, with the squad who travelled to Norwich City for their Premier League clash on Saturday kept apart from those who had the virus.

"The decision (to postpone the Brentford-United game) was taken following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak within Manchester United`s squad," the league said in a statement.

"First team operations at the club’s Carrington Training Complex were closed down today to help control the outbreak and minimise risk of further infection among players and staff."

Discussions took place with the Premier League as to whether it would be safe to fulfil Tuesday`s fixture, with United deferring their travel to London until a decision had been made.

The Premier League found a record 42 cases of COVID-19 among players and staff at various clubs over the past week.

The 42 positive tests from over 3,800 individuals is more than the tally from the previous seven weeks combined and a record in the English top flight in a single week.

"The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and will increase the frequency of both Lateral Flow and PCR COVID-19 testing of players and staff," it said in a statement.

Brentford said they welcomed the decision to postpone Tuesday`s match.

"We appreciate that there will be many fans who will be inconvenienced with the fixture postponement and we apologise for the disruption, which was out of our control," the club said.

"We respect the Premier League`s decision and acknowledge that the health and safety of both clubs` players and staff must always come first.

"We wish everyone affected a speedy recovery and look forward to hosting Manchester United at the Brentford Community Stadium in the new year."

Manchester United`s Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed due to a number of COVID-19 cases at the Old Trafford club, the league announced on Monday.

Manchester United`s Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed due to a number of COVID-19 cases at the Old Trafford club, the league announced on Monday. United had reported a "small number" of cases discovered among first-team staff and players on Sunday, with the squad who travelled to Norwich City for their Premier League clash on Saturday kept apart from those who had the virus. "The decision (to postpone the Brentford-United game) was taken following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak within Manchester United`s squad," the league said in a statement. "First team operations at the club’s Carrington Training Complex were closed down today to help control the outbreak and minimise risk of further infection among players and staff." Discussions took place with the Premier League as to whether it would be safe to fulfil Tuesday`s fixture, with United deferring their travel to London until a decision had been made. The Premier League found a record 42 cases of COVID-19 among players and staff at various clubs over the past week. The 42 positive tests from over 3,800 individuals is more than the tally from the previous seven weeks combined and a record in the English top flight in a single week. "The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and will increase the frequency of both Lateral Flow and PCR COVID-19 testing of players and staff," it said in a statement. Brentford said they welcomed the decision to postpone Tuesday`s match. "We appreciate that there will be many fans who will be inconvenienced with the fixture postponement and we apologise for the disruption, which was out of our control," the club said. "We respect the Premier League`s decision and acknowledge that the health and safety of both clubs` players and staff must always come first. "We wish everyone affected a speedy recovery and look forward to hosting Manchester United at the Brentford Community Stadium in the new year."

Man United's league game at Brentford postponed due to COVID-19

Twenty-seven US Air Force personnel were discharged from duty for refusing to take COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly making them the first from the service community to be booted out for disobeying the mandate to get the jabs.

The air force had given November 2 deadline for its members to get vaccinated. In October, the US air force had warned that those defying the mandatory vaccine order would not only be discharged from service, but would also&nbsp;be barred from receiving any benefits and would not be considered for re-enlistment.

Air force’s spokeswoman Ann Stefanek on Monday said that these were the first airmen— all younger and lower-ranking personnel—to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine.

According to the latest Air Force data, more than 1,000 airmen have refused the shot and more than 4,700 are seeking a religious exemption. As of last week, a bit more than 97 per cent of the active-duty Air Force had gotten at least one shot, reports news agency AP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-to-bar-promotion-re-enlistment-for-soldiers-who-refuse-to-take-covid-vaccine-430505">US Army to bar promotion, re-enlistment for soldiers who refuse to take Covid vaccine</a>

But none of the 27 airmen sought any type of exemption, medical, administrative or religious, Stefanek said.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon made the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all members of the military, including active duty, National Guard and the Reserves. Each of the services set its own deadlines and procedures for the mandate, and the Air Force set the earliest deadline.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the vaccine is critical to maintaining the health of the force and its ability to respond to a national security crisis.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/12000-us-air-force-members-defy-mandatory-vaccination-order-425560">12,000 US Air Force members defy mandatory vaccination order</a>

As of December 10, 96.4 per cent of active-duty personnel had gotten at least one shot, the Pentagon said. The number declined to about 74 per cent, however, when the Guard and Reserve are included.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 72 per cent of the US population 18 and older have gotten at least one shot.

(With inputs from agencies)

Twenty-seven US Air Force personnel were discharged from duty for refusing to take COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly making them the first from the service community to be booted out for disobeying the mandate to get the jabs.

Twenty-seven US Air Force personnel were discharged from duty for refusing to take COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly making them the first from the service community to be booted out for disobeying the mandate to get the jabs. The air force had given November 2 deadline for its members to get vaccinated. In October, the US air force had warned that those defying the mandatory vaccine order would not only be discharged from service, but would also be barred from receiving any benefits and would not be considered for re-enlistment. Air force’s spokeswoman Ann Stefanek on Monday said that these were the first airmen— all younger and lower-ranking personnel—to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine. According to the latest Air Force data, more than 1,000 airmen have refused the shot and more than 4,700 are seeking a religious exemption. As of last week, a bit more than 97 per cent of the active-duty Air Force had gotten at least one shot, reports news agency AP. Also read | US Army to bar promotion, re-enlistment for soldiers who refuse to take Covid vaccine But none of the 27 airmen sought any type of exemption, medical, administrative or religious, Stefanek said. Earlier this year, the Pentagon made the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all members of the military, including active duty, National Guard and the Reserves. Each of the services set its own deadlines and procedures for the mandate, and the Air Force set the earliest deadline. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the vaccine is critical to maintaining the health of the force and its ability to respond to a national security crisis. Also read | 12,000 US Air Force members defy mandatory vaccination order As of December 10, 96.4 per cent of active-duty personnel had gotten at least one shot, the Pentagon said. The number declined to about 74 per cent, however, when the Guard and Reserve are included. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 72 per cent of the US population 18 and older have gotten at least one shot. (With inputs from agencies)

27 US Air Force personnel removed for refusing to take COVID-19 vaccine

As part of new efforts to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid virus, Norway has decided to ban serving alcohol in pubs and restaurants, apart from imposing strict rules in schools and speeding up vaccination in the country.

New COVID-19 rules will prohibit the sale of alcohol at bars, restaurants, and other service-based venues from Wednesday—which will reportedly last for over 4 weeks— while Norwegians are also being urged to work from home if possible.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store warned of a “serious” situation where the Delta variant and the highly transmissible Omicron strain would create “a total saturation of the health system”.

“For many, this will feel like a lockdown, if not of society then of their lives and of their livelihoods,” Store said at a news conference on Monday.

“The situation is serious. The spread of infection is too high, and we have to take action to limit this development ... Omicron changes the rules,” he said.

Norway has registered record numbers of cases and hospital admissions in recent days, detecting 958 Omicron infections on Monday, of which 472 were in the capital Oslo, reports news agency AFP.

The World Health Organisation&nbsp;(WHO) had said that coronavirus cases in Europe were on the rise including deaths.

On December 7, the Norwegian government introduced a cap on the number of visitors allowed in private homes and shortened the hours at bars and restaurants.

Britain on Monday recorded the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain.

(With inputs from agencies)

As part of new efforts to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid virus, Norway has decided to ban serving alcohol in pubs and restaurants, apart from imposing strict rules in schools and speeding up vaccination in the country.

As part of new efforts to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid virus, Norway has decided to ban serving alcohol in pubs and restaurants, apart from imposing strict rules in schools and speeding up vaccination in the country. New COVID-19 rules will prohibit the sale of alcohol at bars, restaurants, and other service-based venues from Wednesday—which will reportedly last for over 4 weeks— while Norwegians are also being urged to work from home if possible. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store warned of a “serious” situation where the Delta variant and the highly transmissible Omicron strain would create “a total saturation of the health system”. “For many, this will feel like a lockdown, if not of society then of their lives and of their livelihoods,” Store said at a news conference on Monday. “The situation is serious. The spread of infection is too high, and we have to take action to limit this development ... Omicron changes the rules,” he said. Norway has registered record numbers of cases and hospital admissions in recent days, detecting 958 Omicron infections on Monday, of which 472 were in the capital Oslo, reports news agency AFP. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that coronavirus cases in Europe were on the rise including deaths. On December 7, the Norwegian government introduced a cap on the number of visitors allowed in private homes and shortened the hours at bars and restaurants. Britain on Monday recorded the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain. (With inputs from agencies)

Norway announces alcohol ban, other curbs, to prevent Omicron spread

Even as the country is witnessing a drop in the number of coronavirus cases, four new cases of Omicron variant have come up in India’s national capital, New Delhi. The total number of such cases has reached six in the city. &nbsp;

The new variant, which was first detected in southern Africa, has been a cause of concern as the experts are still ascertaining its effect on the pandemic. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-researchers-develop-test-to-detect-omicron-variant-in-just-90-min-436633" hreflang="en">Indian researchers develop test to detect Omicron variant in just 90 min</a>

Several countries have also taken numerous measures to keep a check on the spread of this variant. Still, it has been reported in various nations around the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The six patients with Omicron variant of coronavirus in Delhi had mild symptoms. One of them has already recovered.&nbsp;

"Four new Omicron cases were detected, taking the total number of cases to six. Of the six cases, one patient has been discharged from the hospital. Currently, 35 Covid positive patients and three suspected cases are admitted in LNJP hospital," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-votes-against-unsc-draft-resolution-which-sought-to-securitise-climate-action-436687" hreflang="en">India votes against UNSC draft resolution which sought to 'securitise' climate action</a>

The first patient with Omicron variant of the city has been discharged from hospital, said officials on Tuesday. &nbsp;

India has registered 5,784 new coronavirus infections. It is the lowest tally in 571 days. The active cases have also declined to 88,993, which is the lowest in 563 days, as per the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Even as the country is witnessing a drop in the number of coronavirus cases, four new cases of Omicron variant have come up in India’s national capital, New Delhi.

Even as the country is witnessing a drop in the number of coronavirus cases, four new cases of Omicron variant have come up in India’s national capital, New Delhi. The total number of such cases has reached six in the city. The new variant, which was first detected in southern Africa, has been a cause of concern as the experts are still ascertaining its effect on the pandemic. Also Read: Indian researchers develop test to detect Omicron variant in just 90 min Several countries have also taken numerous measures to keep a check on the spread of this variant. Still, it has been reported in various nations around the world. The six patients with Omicron variant of coronavirus in Delhi had mild symptoms. One of them has already recovered. "Four new Omicron cases were detected, taking the total number of cases to six. Of the six cases, one patient has been discharged from the hospital. Currently, 35 Covid positive patients and three suspected cases are admitted in LNJP hospital," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. Also Read: India votes against UNSC draft resolution which sought to 'securitise' climate action The first patient with Omicron variant of the city has been discharged from hospital, said officials on Tuesday. India has registered 5,784 new coronavirus infections. It is the lowest tally in 571 days. The active cases have also declined to 88,993, which is the lowest in 563 days, as per the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid's Omicron variant: Four new cases identified in India’s capital

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant.&nbsp;

"Due to the new and more contagious Omicron variant the Danish Health Authority has decided to push the third jab for everyone aged 40 and above, so they get the vaccine four and half months after the second jab," the health authority said in a statement.

By reducing the interval of the doses, "we will be able to enter the winter with better protection for those at increased risk of severe disease and increased immunity in the population," director Soren Brostrom said.

European Medicines Agenmcy (EMA) said last week that a third dose was 'safe and effective' as soon as three months after the initial vaccine course.

Denmark also recorded a record number of new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with 7,799 confirmed infections in the previous 24 hours.&nbsp; 
Over a week, the number of cases is also at its highest since the start of the pandemic at 46,189 cases, a jump of more than 50 percent compared to the previous week, according to data from Danish health authorities compiled by AFP.

Danish health authorities on Monday also said they expect the new strain, which was first detected in South Africa last month, to become dominant in the capital Copenhagen from this week.

The UK announced on Sunday evening that it would accelerate the rollout of booster doses, opening them up to all over-18s before next year.&nbsp;

Denmark is second worldwide only to Britain in confirmed cases of Omicron, with both countries having extensive sequencing of samples to detect variants quickly.

As of Monday, 3,473 cases of Omicron had been identified in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, where 80.6 percent of the population over five years old has already received two doses of the vaccine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant.

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant. "Due to the new and more contagious Omicron variant the Danish Health Authority has decided to push the third jab for everyone aged 40 and above, so they get the vaccine four and half months after the second jab," the health authority said in a statement. By reducing the interval of the doses, "we will be able to enter the winter with better protection for those at increased risk of severe disease and increased immunity in the population," director Soren Brostrom said. European Medicines Agenmcy (EMA) said last week that a third dose was 'safe and effective' as soon as three months after the initial vaccine course. Denmark also recorded a record number of new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with 7,799 confirmed infections in the previous 24 hours. Over a week, the number of cases is also at its highest since the start of the pandemic at 46,189 cases, a jump of more than 50 percent compared to the previous week, according to data from Danish health authorities compiled by AFP. Danish health authorities on Monday also said they expect the new strain, which was first detected in South Africa last month, to become dominant in the capital Copenhagen from this week. The UK announced on Sunday evening that it would accelerate the rollout of booster doses, opening them up to all over-18s before next year. Denmark is second worldwide only to Britain in confirmed cases of Omicron, with both countries having extensive sequencing of samples to detect variants quickly. As of Monday, 3,473 cases of Omicron had been identified in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, where 80.6 percent of the population over five years old has already received two doses of the vaccine. (With inputs from agencies)

Denmark mulls third Covid vaccine dose to combat Omicron

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections.&nbsp;

Since the beginning of this year, the US has recorded over 450,000 deaths due to Covid. This is 57 per cent of all US deaths so far.&nbsp;

US government’s leading infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get &nbsp;a Covid-19 booster shot. Fauci has said that an extra shot provides “optimal” protection against Omicron.&nbsp;

While speaking on ABC news, he said, "Preliminary data show that when you get a booster, for example a third shot of an mRNA, it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the Omicron."

As per health experts, most deaths recorded this year were in unvaccinated people.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deeply-concerning-situation-covid-cases-surge-in-the-us-and-uk-amid-concerns-of-a-new-wave-436022">Also read |&nbsp;'Deeply concerning situation': Covid cases surge in the US and UK amid concerns of a new wave</a>

US deaths jumped from 600,000 to 700,000 in a little over 100 days. Also, the next 100,000 deaths&nbsp;took just 73 days, reports Reuters.

As of now, the US has the highest number of reported Covid deaths. It is then followed by Brazil and India. Also, the country will soon surpass 50 million cases.

While the newly emerged Omicron variant is taking over the US, the Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 per cent of all US cases.

Earlier, Fauci said that there were early indications that the Omicron variant was not more severe than strains encountered before. However, he cautioned that it would take weeks to fully understand the full severity of the Omicron variant.

(With inputs from agencies)

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections.

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections. Since the beginning of this year, the US has recorded over 450,000 deaths due to Covid. This is 57 per cent of all US deaths so far. US government’s leading infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get a Covid-19 booster shot. Fauci has said that an extra shot provides “optimal” protection against Omicron. While speaking on ABC news, he said, "Preliminary data show that when you get a booster, for example a third shot of an mRNA, it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the Omicron." As per health experts, most deaths recorded this year were in unvaccinated people. Also read | 'Deeply concerning situation': Covid cases surge in the US and UK amid concerns of a new wave US deaths jumped from 600,000 to 700,000 in a little over 100 days. Also, the next 100,000 deaths took just 73 days, reports Reuters. As of now, the US has the highest number of reported Covid deaths. It is then followed by Brazil and India. Also, the country will soon surpass 50 million cases. While the newly emerged Omicron variant is taking over the US, the Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 per cent of all US cases. Earlier, Fauci said that there were early indications that the Omicron variant was not more severe than strains encountered before. However, he cautioned that it would take weeks to fully understand the full severity of the Omicron variant. (With inputs from agencies)

As US Covid deaths reach 800,000, Fauci urges people to get booster shots

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.”

His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China.

Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old.

Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished.

“I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.”

This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled.

That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year.

“I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.”

Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control.

The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus?

Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings.

“We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.”

In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose.

Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions.

Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.”

Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled.

Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive.

China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement.

The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months.

Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant.

In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes.

Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights.

For now, every plan is a provisional plan.

Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments.

Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.”

Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask.

Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.”

Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus.

In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber.

Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said.

David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.”

Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness.

In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation.

Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.”

She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?”

Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.”

“People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added.

China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment.

Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital.

“I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.”

Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.” His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China. Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old. Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished. “I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.” This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled. That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year. “I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.” Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control. The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus? Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings. “We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.” In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose. Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions. Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.” Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled. Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive. China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement. The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months. Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant. In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes. Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights. For now, every plan is a provisional plan. Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments. Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.” Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask. Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.” Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus. In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber. Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said. David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.” Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness. In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation. Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.” She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?” Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.” “People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added. China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment. Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital. “I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.” Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

Across the world, Covid anxiety and depression take hold

Four people turned up at a health clinic tucked in a sprawl of commercial maize farms on a recent morning, looking for COVID-19 vaccines. The staff had vials of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine stashed in the fridge, but the staff members apologetically declined to vaccinate the four and suggested they try another day.

A vial of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine holds five doses, and the staff was under orders not to waste a single one.

Ida Musonda, the nurse who supervises the vaccination effort, suspected that her team might have found more takers if they packed the vials in Styrofoam coolers and headed out to markets and churches. “But we have no fuel for the vehicle to take the vaccines there,” she said.

They vaccinated 100 people on their last trip to a farm; the records from that trip sat in a paper heap in the clinic because the data manager had no internet connection to access an electronic records system.

For months, the biggest challenge to vaccinating Africans against COVID, and protecting both the continent and the world from the emergence of dangerous variants, has been supply: A continent of about 1.4 billion people has received just 404 million doses of vaccine, and only 7.8% of the population is fully vaccinated.

But as supply has begun to sputter into something like a more reliable flow, other daunting obstacles are coming into focus. All of them are on view at and around Ngwerere.

Weak health care systems with limited infrastructure and technology, and no experience vaccinating adults, are trying to get shots into the arms of people who have far more pressing priorities. At the same time, the global flow of information, and deliberate misinformation, on social media is generating the same scepticism that has stymied vaccination efforts in the United States and other countries.

Some Zambians are hesitant, but others have an attitude that could better be described as vaccine indifference. This is a poor country where the economy has contracted sharply during the pandemic, and many unvaccinated people are more focused on putting food on the table.

“I’d like to get it, but I work Monday to Saturday, and I don’t know if they vaccinate on Sunday,” said Bernadette Kawango, who supports a large extended family with her wages from an auto parts store in a low-income neighbourhood on the edge of Lusaka, the capital. She has heard many rumours: that people who receive the vaccine will die in two years, that the vaccine is part of a plot by Europeans to kill Africans and take their land, that Bill Gates is on a campaign to reduce the world population.

Such stories make her roll her eyes. But COVID is not at the top of her list of health care worries. “It’s cholera season, and people have malaria, and there is HIV and TB,” she said. She does not know anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID.

All these challenges create two major problems. First, the pace of vaccination is far too slow to prevent unnecessary deaths in a fourth wave, which is already beginning in southern Africa, or to prevent the emergence of new variants such as omicron, which was first identified in South Africa late last month. The vaccines in stock — many of them donations close to their expiration dates when they arrive — may not be used before they must be destroyed.

Second, the push to vaccinate against COVID is drawing resources from health systems that can hardly spare them, which could lead to disastrous consequences for the fight against other devastating health problems.

At the Ngwerere health clinic, the usual bustle and screeching at the mother-and-child health area, where babies are monitored for signs of malnutrition and given childhood immunizations, was absent because everyone on that staff had been repurposed as COVID vaccinators.

“Every time we have a wave here it really threatens the investments that have been made in HIV, maternal and child health, and TB and malaria, and it’s important that we protect those,” said Dr Simon Agolory, who runs the large Zambia program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr Andrew Silumesii, director of public health for Zambia’s health ministry, said there was clear evidence that infant growth monitoring and childhood immunization had declined over the course of the pandemic. He worries that malaria, TB and HIV infections will also increase.

So far, 7% of Zambians have been vaccinated against COVID, according to Silumesii. President Hakainde Hichilema has set a target of vaccinating another 2 million by Christmas, and 70% of the population by the third quarter of 2022, a goal that looks exceedingly ambitious.

Zambia’s vaccines come mostly from Covax, the global vaccine-sharing initiative, with additional donations from China and the African Union. The fact that Zambia is dependent largely on donations means that it must adapt its program to whatever shipments arrive — a bit like making a meal with whatever arrives in a farm subscription box. The country is managing distribution of five different vaccines, each with different dosing regimens, storage requirements and vial volumes.

That has created a huge additional administrative burden for skeleton staffs such as Musonda’s team. Her staff has no budget for cellphone calls to remind people about second shots, and the effect can be seen in the charts stapled on the vaccination room wall: Of the 840 people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in April, only 179 came back for a follow-up shot in July.

When Zambia experienced a severe third COVID wave earlier this year, media coverage of people dying in the parking lots of hospitals that ran out of oxygen rattled a population that had been thinking of the virus as something that affected only white or rich people. There were predawn lineups outside vaccination sites that couldn’t keep shots in stock.

But when the wave abated, so did the demand.

Many people here recall the time when Zambians were dying of AIDS in huge numbers, and Western pharmaceutical companies refused to produce affordable lifesaving medications. There is scepticism now that those same companies have come offering free solutions.

Vaccine misinformation spreads on TikTok and WhatsApp, and in evangelical churches where pastors warn that the shot “contains the mark of the beast.”

“No matter how educated people are, if their pastor says don’t trust the vaccine, they don’t trust,” said Dr Morton Zuze, the clinical care coordinator at Chongwe District Hospital, where seven staff members sat idle in an empty vaccination tent.

As in the United States, there are false rumours in Zambia that the vaccine causes female infertility or erectile dysfunction. Zambians have heard AstraZeneca is not being used in many countries because of reports of blood clots in a very small number of people who received that shot. “It’s a global village, and everyone can switch on CNN,” Zuze said.

Zambia normally vaccinates only small children, and it has no primary care practices. An adult goes to a clinic only when pregnant or receiving HIV treatment, or in an emergency.

Dr Lawrence Mwananyanda, an assistant professor with the Boston University School of Public Health and a special adviser to Hichilema, said the government must balance between trying to create vaccine demand and not creating too much, when it can’t be sure if it will have the supply to deliver.

“To just walk up — and these health facilities are sometimes very far away, 2, 5, 7 kilometres away, and people don’t have cars, you have to be very motivated — sometimes people have gone to a health facility, and then there is no vaccine,” he said. “All they are told is, ‘You can only vaccinate if there’s five or six people, so you can’t be vaccinated today’. How likely are you to come back?”

Charity Machika was vaccinated recently at a rural health centre in Chongwe district. She went to the clinic for a prenatal checkup and then was encouraged to head to the next building, where the HIV treatment centre was repurposed for vaccinations. “I was scared because people say a lot of stories, that I will faint, that I will not be able to walk, that I will die,” she said. “I took the risk to come and protect myself and my baby.”

She is the only vaccinated person in her family. Her husband tried twice but the sites he went to never had vaccines in stock, and it was difficult for him to find the time to make the 4-kilometre walk to try again, she said.

Felix Mwanza, a veteran HIV activist in Lusaka, said the government had yet to tap into the vast network of HIV and TB treatment activists in the country. “We seem not to learn from our past,” he said, recalling how testing and treatment for HIV only reached critical mass when care was delivered in bars, at schools and on doorsteps.

“If they don’t use the structures we already have, donors will keep sending the vaccines and they’ll pile up here and expire and then they won’t send us anymore,” he said.

Mwananyanda said the key strategy for the planned rapid scale-up in vaccination was to do exactly that, taking vaccines to people in malls and at bus stops.

Amid the scramble, no one is thinking about what happens next. “We’re really just addressing the vaccination problems for now — but we don’t have a system for the long run,” said Agolory. “And what are we going to do when boosters are needed or if there’s some new variants that escape the vaccine altogether, and we need to start from zero and give people more vaccines?”

Zambia will need help procuring more, and it will need funding to help bring on temporary health care workers to administer vaccines so that existing programs, like the Ngwerere mother-and-child clinic, are not abandoned, Agolory said.

Even with a huge boost in vaccination rates, the country won’t have enough coverage to blunt the coming wave, or, most likely, the one after it.

“I am hoping that we keep receiving vaccines so that we don’t get into a situation where people need vaccines and they can’t get them,” said Silumesii. “The flip side, which is something that I would really hate to see happen, is where we have brought in vaccines, and we don’t have enough demand and vaccines go to waste. These are vaccines that cost a lot. Definitely that pinch would sting so badly.”

Four people turned up at a health clinic tucked in a sprawl of commercial maize farms on a recent morning, looking for COVID-19 vaccines. The staff had vials of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stashed in the fridge, but the staff members apologetically declined to vaccinate the four and suggested they try another day.

Four people turned up at a health clinic tucked in a sprawl of commercial maize farms on a recent morning, looking for COVID-19 vaccines. The staff had vials of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stashed in the fridge, but the staff members apologetically declined to vaccinate the four and suggested they try another day. A vial of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine holds five doses, and the staff was under orders not to waste a single one. Ida Musonda, the nurse who supervises the vaccination effort, suspected that her team might have found more takers if they packed the vials in Styrofoam coolers and headed out to markets and churches. “But we have no fuel for the vehicle to take the vaccines there,” she said. They vaccinated 100 people on their last trip to a farm; the records from that trip sat in a paper heap in the clinic because the data manager had no internet connection to access an electronic records system. For months, the biggest challenge to vaccinating Africans against COVID, and protecting both the continent and the world from the emergence of dangerous variants, has been supply: A continent of about 1.4 billion people has received just 404 million doses of vaccine, and only 7.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. But as supply has begun to sputter into something like a more reliable flow, other daunting obstacles are coming into focus. All of them are on view at and around Ngwerere. Weak health care systems with limited infrastructure and technology, and no experience vaccinating adults, are trying to get shots into the arms of people who have far more pressing priorities. At the same time, the global flow of information, and deliberate misinformation, on social media is generating the same scepticism that has stymied vaccination efforts in the United States and other countries. Some Zambians are hesitant, but others have an attitude that could better be described as vaccine indifference. This is a poor country where the economy has contracted sharply during the pandemic, and many unvaccinated people are more focused on putting food on the table. “I’d like to get it, but I work Monday to Saturday, and I don’t know if they vaccinate on Sunday,” said Bernadette Kawango, who supports a large extended family with her wages from an auto parts store in a low-income neighbourhood on the edge of Lusaka, the capital. She has heard many rumours: that people who receive the vaccine will die in two years, that the vaccine is part of a plot by Europeans to kill Africans and take their land, that Bill Gates is on a campaign to reduce the world population. Such stories make her roll her eyes. But COVID is not at the top of her list of health care worries. “It’s cholera season, and people have malaria, and there is HIV and TB,” she said. She does not know anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID. All these challenges create two major problems. First, the pace of vaccination is far too slow to prevent unnecessary deaths in a fourth wave, which is already beginning in southern Africa, or to prevent the emergence of new variants such as omicron, which was first identified in South Africa late last month. The vaccines in stock — many of them donations close to their expiration dates when they arrive — may not be used before they must be destroyed. Second, the push to vaccinate against COVID is drawing resources from health systems that can hardly spare them, which could lead to disastrous consequences for the fight against other devastating health problems. At the Ngwerere health clinic, the usual bustle and screeching at the mother-and-child health area, where babies are monitored for signs of malnutrition and given childhood immunizations, was absent because everyone on that staff had been repurposed as COVID vaccinators. “Every time we have a wave here it really threatens the investments that have been made in HIV, maternal and child health, and TB and malaria, and it’s important that we protect those,” said Dr Simon Agolory, who runs the large Zambia program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr Andrew Silumesii, director of public health for Zambia’s health ministry, said there was clear evidence that infant growth monitoring and childhood immunization had declined over the course of the pandemic. He worries that malaria, TB and HIV infections will also increase. So far, 7% of Zambians have been vaccinated against COVID, according to Silumesii. President Hakainde Hichilema has set a target of vaccinating another 2 million by Christmas, and 70% of the population by the third quarter of 2022, a goal that looks exceedingly ambitious. Zambia’s vaccines come mostly from Covax, the global vaccine-sharing initiative, with additional donations from China and the African Union. The fact that Zambia is dependent largely on donations means that it must adapt its program to whatever shipments arrive — a bit like making a meal with whatever arrives in a farm subscription box. The country is managing distribution of five different vaccines, each with different dosing regimens, storage requirements and vial volumes. That has created a huge additional administrative burden for skeleton staffs such as Musonda’s team. Her staff has no budget for cellphone calls to remind people about second shots, and the effect can be seen in the charts stapled on the vaccination room wall: Of the 840 people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in April, only 179 came back for a follow-up shot in July. When Zambia experienced a severe third COVID wave earlier this year, media coverage of people dying in the parking lots of hospitals that ran out of oxygen rattled a population that had been thinking of the virus as something that affected only white or rich people. There were predawn lineups outside vaccination sites that couldn’t keep shots in stock. But when the wave abated, so did the demand. Many people here recall the time when Zambians were dying of AIDS in huge numbers, and Western pharmaceutical companies refused to produce affordable lifesaving medications. There is scepticism now that those same companies have come offering free solutions. Vaccine misinformation spreads on TikTok and WhatsApp, and in evangelical churches where pastors warn that the shot “contains the mark of the beast.” “No matter how educated people are, if their pastor says don’t trust the vaccine, they don’t trust,” said Dr Morton Zuze, the clinical care coordinator at Chongwe District Hospital, where seven staff members sat idle in an empty vaccination tent. As in the United States, there are false rumours in Zambia that the vaccine causes female infertility or erectile dysfunction. Zambians have heard AstraZeneca is not being used in many countries because of reports of blood clots in a very small number of people who received that shot. “It’s a global village, and everyone can switch on CNN,” Zuze said. Zambia normally vaccinates only small children, and it has no primary care practices. An adult goes to a clinic only when pregnant or receiving HIV treatment, or in an emergency. Dr Lawrence Mwananyanda, an assistant professor with the Boston University School of Public Health and a special adviser to Hichilema, said the government must balance between trying to create vaccine demand and not creating too much, when it can’t be sure if it will have the supply to deliver. “To just walk up — and these health facilities are sometimes very far away, 2, 5, 7 kilometres away, and people don’t have cars, you have to be very motivated — sometimes people have gone to a health facility, and then there is no vaccine,” he said. “All they are told is, ‘You can only vaccinate if there’s five or six people, so you can’t be vaccinated today’. How likely are you to come back?” Charity Machika was vaccinated recently at a rural health centre in Chongwe district. She went to the clinic for a prenatal checkup and then was encouraged to head to the next building, where the HIV treatment centre was repurposed for vaccinations. “I was scared because people say a lot of stories, that I will faint, that I will not be able to walk, that I will die,” she said. “I took the risk to come and protect myself and my baby.” She is the only vaccinated person in her family. Her husband tried twice but the sites he went to never had vaccines in stock, and it was difficult for him to find the time to make the 4-kilometre walk to try again, she said. Felix Mwanza, a veteran HIV activist in Lusaka, said the government had yet to tap into the vast network of HIV and TB treatment activists in the country. “We seem not to learn from our past,” he said, recalling how testing and treatment for HIV only reached critical mass when care was delivered in bars, at schools and on doorsteps. “If they don’t use the structures we already have, donors will keep sending the vaccines and they’ll pile up here and expire and then they won’t send us anymore,” he said. Mwananyanda said the key strategy for the planned rapid scale-up in vaccination was to do exactly that, taking vaccines to people in malls and at bus stops. Amid the scramble, no one is thinking about what happens next. “We’re really just addressing the vaccination problems for now — but we don’t have a system for the long run,” said Agolory. “And what are we going to do when boosters are needed or if there’s some new variants that escape the vaccine altogether, and we need to start from zero and give people more vaccines?” Zambia will need help procuring more, and it will need funding to help bring on temporary health care workers to administer vaccines so that existing programs, like the Ngwerere mother-and-child clinic, are not abandoned, Agolory said. Even with a huge boost in vaccination rates, the country won’t have enough coverage to blunt the coming wave, or, most likely, the one after it. “I am hoping that we keep receiving vaccines so that we don’t get into a situation where people need vaccines and they can’t get them,” said Silumesii. “The flip side, which is something that I would really hate to see happen, is where we have brought in vaccines, and we don’t have enough demand and vaccines go to waste. These are vaccines that cost a lot. Definitely that pinch would sting so badly.”

As vaccines trickle into Africa, Zambia’s challenges highlight other obstacles

Nearly 44,000 people gathered in Austria's Vienna to protest against mandatory Covid vaccines. Europe is currently seeing a surge in infections amid concerns of the new Covid variant, Omicron.&nbsp;

Protestors were seen holding placards that read, "No to vaccine fascism," "I'm not a neo-Nazi or a hooligan," and, "I'm fighting for freedom and against the vaccine," states AFP.

Nearly 68 per cent of the country's population is fully vaccinated. This accounts for one of the lowest rates in Western Europe.

The government in Austria has stated that those who have not received the required vaccine dose will need to stay at home as it makes the vaccine mandatory from February for all residents older than 14.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-fears-of-new-variant-looms-europe-surpasses-75-million-covid-cases-433994">Also read |&nbsp;As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases</a>

As per the government, nobody will be vaccinated forcefully. However, those who have not received the jab will need to pay an initial fine of $670. This can further go upto $4,000, if not settled.

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Over 44,000 have taken to the streets in Vienna, Austria to protest against medical segregation and lockdown for the unvaccinated.<a href="https://t.co/K6SwuEX0oh">pic.twitter.com/K6SwuEX0oh</a>
— Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1469751646166999042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Now that’s a protest! 
 
Austria rises up against the mandate madness being inflicted upon them. 
 
Godspeed good people . <a href="https://t.co/Vg0T1neDZ6">pic.twitter.com/Vg0T1neDZ6</a>
— Kat A 🌸 (@SaiKate108) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaiKate108/status/1469690158651904005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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According to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University, Austria has confirmed 1.2 million infections with nearly 13,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

This comes a few days after a Reuters tally stated that Europe has surpassed 75 million coronavirus cases. The European

Union's public health agency has warned that within a few months, the new Covid variant could be responsible for more than half of all the cases.&nbsp;

Before Omicron was even discovered, Europe had become the epicentre of the pandemic, for the second time.&nbsp;

The WHO had warned that 700,000 more people could die from coronavirus by March 2022, taking the total to above 2.2 million. WHO had said that it is expected that there will be high or extreme stress on hospital beds in 25 countries.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Nearly 44,000 people gathered in Austria's Vienna to protest against mandatory Covid vaccines. Europe is currently seeing a surge in infections amid concerns of the new Covid variant, Omicron.

Nearly 44,000 people gathered in Austria's Vienna to protest against mandatory Covid vaccines. Europe is currently seeing a surge in infections amid concerns of the new Covid variant, Omicron. Protestors were seen holding placards that read, "No to vaccine fascism," "I'm not a neo-Nazi or a hooligan," and, "I'm fighting for freedom and against the vaccine," states AFP. Nearly 68 per cent of the country's population is fully vaccinated. This accounts for one of the lowest rates in Western Europe. The government in Austria has stated that those who have not received the required vaccine dose will need to stay at home as it makes the vaccine mandatory from February for all residents older than 14. Also read | As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases As per the government, nobody will be vaccinated forcefully. However, those who have not received the jab will need to pay an initial fine of $670. This can further go upto $4,000, if not settled. Over 44,000 have taken to the streets in Vienna, Austria to protest against medical segregation and lockdown for the unvaccinated.pic.twitter.com/K6SwuEX0oh — Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) December 11, 2021 × Now that’s a protest! Austria rises up against the mandate madness being inflicted upon them. Godspeed good people . pic.twitter.com/Vg0T1neDZ6 — Kat A 🌸 (@SaiKate108) December 11, 2021 × According to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University, Austria has confirmed 1.2 million infections with nearly 13,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic. This comes a few days after a Reuters tally stated that Europe has surpassed 75 million coronavirus cases. The European Union's public health agency has warned that within a few months, the new Covid variant could be responsible for more than half of all the cases. Before Omicron was even discovered, Europe had become the epicentre of the pandemic, for the second time. The WHO had warned that 700,000 more people could die from coronavirus by March 2022, taking the total to above 2.2 million. WHO had said that it is expected that there will be high or extreme stress on hospital beds in 25 countries. (With inputs from agencies)

Nearly 44,000 people protest in Austria after government mandates Covid vaccine

On Thursday morning, a group of 50 called to cancel their holiday party booked for that evening at Luc’s Brasserie, a French restaurant in the financial district of Britain’s capital. That same morning, a group of 21 cancelled their party too, also for Thursday night.

The previous night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that stricter Covid&nbsp;measures were coming, and the impact was immediate for Darrin Jacobs, the owner of Luc’s. There had been a “multitude of cancellations,” he said.

But thanks to a waiting list of reservations, he added, the restaurant was still fully booked until Christmas. And many of the cancelled bookings had optimistically rescheduled their celebrations for early next year.

“We won’t lose the business; we’ll just move the business on,” Jacobs said. But “it’s not easy because we’ve already bought food and moved staff around,” he said.

For months, businesses across Britain have been desperately trying to manoeuvre around supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and rising costs as they emerged from various stages of lockdown.

Offices reopened, which filled up commuter buses and trains; restaurants and pubs advertised to host holiday parties, and lines grew longer at city centre coffee shops.

Now the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant has unexpectedly dealt those efforts a blow. The government has revived coronavirus restrictions that are likely to weigh on hospitality and travel businesses during the critical holiday season and put a dent in the economy.

“I don’t know where this is going to go next week,” Jacobs said. “I think this is a tip-of-the-iceberg-type scenario, and it may get a lot worse next week — and if that’s the case, we’ll really have to scale it back.”

For now, he is still cautiously optimistic. But his business relies on people who work in nearby offices and walk to his restaurant in Leadenhall Market, especially several insurance companies. On Thursday, Jacobs heard that two large companies were closing their offices again.

In England beginning Friday, face masks will be required in most indoor public places, including cinemas and theatres. Starting Monday, people who can work from home should. And starting in the middle of next week, passes showing vaccination or a recent negative COVID test will be required for large events and nightclubs, Johnson announced this week. The rules will be voted on in Parliament next week. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have set their own measures, which are slightly stricter.

“Unless you go to a full or partial lockdown, the effect of the measures themselves will be rather small,” said Paul Mortimer-Lee, deputy director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in London. “What will be hurting the economy is individuals’ responses.” People are likely to take more precautions to protect themselves from the virus, especially by socializing less.

While the rules are relatively light, for some businesses this will be an unwelcome retreat.

Before the omicron variant was discovered, the British economy was losing some momentum while prices were rising rapidly, putting inflation at its highest level in nearly a decade. Gross domestic product grew 1.3% in the third quarter, down from 5.5% in the previous three months. And that growth was driven by spending on services — especially in hotels, restaurants and entertainment — as the last of the major pandemic restrictions were lifted in the summer. In October, economic expansion slowed sharply to just 0.1% from the previous month.

Now there are early indications that restaurant reservations are declining and Christmas parties are being cancelled.

Restaurants, cafes and shops primarily serving office workers were contending with the lost trade from hybrid working but had at least seen a notable return of workers. Some 70% of British workers said they had travelled to work at least some days each week in early December, according to the Office for National Statistics, up from about 50% earlier in the year, when the country was under a strict lockdown.

Sales at Pret A Manger, the coffee and sandwich chain whose shops tend to be clustered around office hubs and transport locations, only returned to pre-pandemic levels about two weeks ago. Now those sales are starting to slip again.

“Christmas has been cancelled for many City shops, restaurants, pubs and other businesses that rely on footfall from workers in nearby offices,” Catherine McGuinness, the policy chair of the City of London Corp., which governs the capital’s financial district, said in a statement.

Her organization will encourage workers and businesses to follow the new rules but said the government needed to lay out a road map for lifting the restrictions again in the new year, McGuinness said.

The new measures will also complicate the next steps for the Bank of England. Policymakers at the central bank had been preparing to raise interest rates in response to inflation, provided unemployment remained low. Some analysts believed an increase could come as soon as next week. But the potential for omicron to further slow the economy makes it harder to justify tightening monetary policy.

The extra uncertainty could dampen productivity and employment growth, according to Mortimer-Lee. It is likely to make companies more cautious about hiring and investment, especially businesses that rely on face-to-face interactions, like restaurants. Also, high case numbers will keep children out of schools and parents away from their jobs.

“It’s those millions of individual decisions, rather than Boris Johnson’s decision, that’s going to affect the economy,” Mortimer-Lee said. “And none of it’s going to be good.”

Even before the latest measures, hotels were seeing about one-fifth of their corporate bookings cancelled, according to UKHospitality, an industry lobby group, after the government required travellers into Britain to take a Covid&nbsp;test within two days of arriving and isolate until receiving the results. Christmas bookings were not as strong as they traditionally are for hospitality businesses in a quarter that usually brings in about 40% of the industry’s annual revenue.

And so the industry is asking for relief from business rates (a type of tax on commercial properties), more grants, rent protection and an extension of the reductions on VAT, a sales tax. “Anything less would prove catastrophic,” Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said in a statement.

The latest measures have been particularly disappointing for nightclubs, one of the last businesses allowed to reopen earlier this year. The Night Time Industries Association said Covid&nbsp;passes have been damaging to their industry in the parts of Britain where they were already in place.

Michael Kill, CEO of the lobbying group, said businesses were experiencing a “honeymoon period” since reopening in the summer and were trying to rebuild cash reserves before the quieter months at the start of the year.

“We’re now seeing some concern around cancellations and ticket purchases hesitancy,” Kill said. “These sorts of things that are leaving people in a vulnerable position, because many of them stocked up and purchased and staffed for a busy Christmas period.”

The group accused the government of enacting the changes to draw attention away from public fury over accusations that the prime minister’s staff broke lockdown rules by holding an office party last Christmas.

“It feels that nightclubs and bars have been thrown under the bus by the prime minister for him to save his own skin,” Kill said in a statement Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, a group of 50 called to cancel their holiday party booked for that evening at Luc’s Brasserie, a French restaurant in the financial district of Britain’s capital.

On Thursday morning, a group of 50 called to cancel their holiday party booked for that evening at Luc’s Brasserie, a French restaurant in the financial district of Britain’s capital. That same morning, a group of 21 cancelled their party too, also for Thursday night. The previous night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that stricter Covid measures were coming, and the impact was immediate for Darrin Jacobs, the owner of Luc’s. There had been a “multitude of cancellations,” he said. But thanks to a waiting list of reservations, he added, the restaurant was still fully booked until Christmas. And many of the cancelled bookings had optimistically rescheduled their celebrations for early next year. “We won’t lose the business; we’ll just move the business on,” Jacobs said. But “it’s not easy because we’ve already bought food and moved staff around,” he said. For months, businesses across Britain have been desperately trying to manoeuvre around supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and rising costs as they emerged from various stages of lockdown. Offices reopened, which filled up commuter buses and trains; restaurants and pubs advertised to host holiday parties, and lines grew longer at city centre coffee shops. Now the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant has unexpectedly dealt those efforts a blow. The government has revived coronavirus restrictions that are likely to weigh on hospitality and travel businesses during the critical holiday season and put a dent in the economy. “I don’t know where this is going to go next week,” Jacobs said. “I think this is a tip-of-the-iceberg-type scenario, and it may get a lot worse next week — and if that’s the case, we’ll really have to scale it back.” For now, he is still cautiously optimistic. But his business relies on people who work in nearby offices and walk to his restaurant in Leadenhall Market, especially several insurance companies. On Thursday, Jacobs heard that two large companies were closing their offices again. In England beginning Friday, face masks will be required in most indoor public places, including cinemas and theatres. Starting Monday, people who can work from home should. And starting in the middle of next week, passes showing vaccination or a recent negative COVID test will be required for large events and nightclubs, Johnson announced this week. The rules will be voted on in Parliament next week. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have set their own measures, which are slightly stricter. “Unless you go to a full or partial lockdown, the effect of the measures themselves will be rather small,” said Paul Mortimer-Lee, deputy director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in London. “What will be hurting the economy is individuals’ responses.” People are likely to take more precautions to protect themselves from the virus, especially by socializing less. While the rules are relatively light, for some businesses this will be an unwelcome retreat. Before the omicron variant was discovered, the British economy was losing some momentum while prices were rising rapidly, putting inflation at its highest level in nearly a decade. Gross domestic product grew 1.3% in the third quarter, down from 5.5% in the previous three months. And that growth was driven by spending on services — especially in hotels, restaurants and entertainment — as the last of the major pandemic restrictions were lifted in the summer. In October, economic expansion slowed sharply to just 0.1% from the previous month. Now there are early indications that restaurant reservations are declining and Christmas parties are being cancelled. Restaurants, cafes and shops primarily serving office workers were contending with the lost trade from hybrid working but had at least seen a notable return of workers. Some 70% of British workers said they had travelled to work at least some days each week in early December, according to the Office for National Statistics, up from about 50% earlier in the year, when the country was under a strict lockdown. Sales at Pret A Manger, the coffee and sandwich chain whose shops tend to be clustered around office hubs and transport locations, only returned to pre-pandemic levels about two weeks ago. Now those sales are starting to slip again. “Christmas has been cancelled for many City shops, restaurants, pubs and other businesses that rely on footfall from workers in nearby offices,” Catherine McGuinness, the policy chair of the City of London Corp., which governs the capital’s financial district, said in a statement. Her organization will encourage workers and businesses to follow the new rules but said the government needed to lay out a road map for lifting the restrictions again in the new year, McGuinness said. The new measures will also complicate the next steps for the Bank of England. Policymakers at the central bank had been preparing to raise interest rates in response to inflation, provided unemployment remained low. Some analysts believed an increase could come as soon as next week. But the potential for omicron to further slow the economy makes it harder to justify tightening monetary policy. The extra uncertainty could dampen productivity and employment growth, according to Mortimer-Lee. It is likely to make companies more cautious about hiring and investment, especially businesses that rely on face-to-face interactions, like restaurants. Also, high case numbers will keep children out of schools and parents away from their jobs. “It’s those millions of individual decisions, rather than Boris Johnson’s decision, that’s going to affect the economy,” Mortimer-Lee said. “And none of it’s going to be good.” Even before the latest measures, hotels were seeing about one-fifth of their corporate bookings cancelled, according to UKHospitality, an industry lobby group, after the government required travellers into Britain to take a Covid test within two days of arriving and isolate until receiving the results. Christmas bookings were not as strong as they traditionally are for hospitality businesses in a quarter that usually brings in about 40% of the industry’s annual revenue. And so the industry is asking for relief from business rates (a type of tax on commercial properties), more grants, rent protection and an extension of the reductions on VAT, a sales tax. “Anything less would prove catastrophic,” Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said in a statement. The latest measures have been particularly disappointing for nightclubs, one of the last businesses allowed to reopen earlier this year. The Night Time Industries Association said Covid passes have been damaging to their industry in the parts of Britain where they were already in place. Michael Kill, CEO of the lobbying group, said businesses were experiencing a “honeymoon period” since reopening in the summer and were trying to rebuild cash reserves before the quieter months at the start of the year. “We’re now seeing some concern around cancellations and ticket purchases hesitancy,” Kill said. “These sorts of things that are leaving people in a vulnerable position, because many of them stocked up and purchased and staffed for a busy Christmas period.” The group accused the government of enacting the changes to draw attention away from public fury over accusations that the prime minister’s staff broke lockdown rules by holding an office party last Christmas. “It feels that nightclubs and bars have been thrown under the bus by the prime minister for him to save his own skin,” Kill said in a statement Wednesday.

Omicron brings new round of foreboding for British businesses

Sri Lanka is planning to make COVID vaccination mandatory for all, in a bid to fight against COVID-19 in the island nation.

Sri Lanka is drafting legislation to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory

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