Many vaccination clinics and local officials are reporting long lines and delays in booking vaccination appointments recently, the product of expanded eligibility on booster shots and fears of the omicron variant, experts said.

The stresses on the U.S. vaccination program are worsened by the broader labor shortage that is affecting many sectors, including health care.

“What the public needs to keep in mind is that we’ve got a stressed and strained health care delivery system,” said Mitchel Rothholz, the lead for immunization policy at the American Pharmacists Association.

Vaccine demand has more than doubled since the beginning of October, especially for boosters and first doses, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a>

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Rothholz said he has noticed that pharmacies are moving more to an appointment-based model with the uptick in demand, similar to when vaccines were first rolled out and there was a crush to get them. This means that people wanting a vaccine may need to plan ahead and could have to wait a few more days.

“We’ve got to go to a system where we can manage expectations,” he said.

The Biden administration is trying to make getting vaccinated easier. In announcing actions Thursday to protect against delta and omicron, President Joe Biden said the government would create hundreds of family vaccination clinics, one-stop shops for first shots to boosters. Partners in a federal pharmacy program, including major chains such as CVS and Rite Aid, will also make “family-based scheduling” available in the months ahead, according to the White House.

Since the emergence of the omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot, six months after a Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after a Johnson &amp; Johnson shot.

Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, said there are some pockets of the country where vaccines are expiring because demand is low and others where lines are longer than a month ago because of greater demand.

But, she said, demand will likely ease in a few weeks.

“Whenever there is a new recommendation, there are the early adopters who are extremely eager to want to get that booster right now,” she said, adding that “supply and demand will equilibrate in short order.”

Some states and counties have hosted mass-vaccination clinics to alleviate the burden on pharmacies and meet demand from residents.

Richard Clark, director of emergency management for Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the county had been running vaccination clinics that would attract about 300 or 400 people each time. Clark said he kept hearing comments about people driving from counties an hour away to get their vaccine, because they were worried about the upcoming holidays and virus variants.

“We decided, let’s just do a large one,” he said, “and our 1,000 slots were filled within probably a day and a half.”

Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts said this past week that demand for vaccines skyrocketed after boosters became widely available.

“We are doing over 50,000 shots per day,” Baker said, according to a Boston 25 News story published Tuesday, “and if we can find a way to work with our local colleagues in local government, we will come up with ways to put more shots on the table.”

Many vaccination clinics and local officials are reporting long lines and delays in booking vaccination appointments recently, the product of expanded eligibility on booster shots and fears of the omicron variant, experts said.

Many vaccination clinics and local officials are reporting long lines and delays in booking vaccination appointments recently, the product of expanded eligibility on booster shots and fears of the omicron variant, experts said. The stresses on the U.S. vaccination program are worsened by the broader labor shortage that is affecting many sectors, including health care. “What the public needs to keep in mind is that we’ve got a stressed and strained health care delivery system,” said Mitchel Rothholz, the lead for immunization policy at the American Pharmacists Association. Vaccine demand has more than doubled since the beginning of October, especially for boosters and first doses, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WATCH | Rothholz said he has noticed that pharmacies are moving more to an appointment-based model with the uptick in demand, similar to when vaccines were first rolled out and there was a crush to get them. This means that people wanting a vaccine may need to plan ahead and could have to wait a few more days. “We’ve got to go to a system where we can manage expectations,” he said. The Biden administration is trying to make getting vaccinated easier. In announcing actions Thursday to protect against delta and omicron, President Joe Biden said the government would create hundreds of family vaccination clinics, one-stop shops for first shots to boosters. Partners in a federal pharmacy program, including major chains such as CVS and Rite Aid, will also make “family-based scheduling” available in the months ahead, according to the White House. Since the emergence of the omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot, six months after a Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after a Johnson & Johnson shot. Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, said there are some pockets of the country where vaccines are expiring because demand is low and others where lines are longer than a month ago because of greater demand. But, she said, demand will likely ease in a few weeks. “Whenever there is a new recommendation, there are the early adopters who are extremely eager to want to get that booster right now,” she said, adding that “supply and demand will equilibrate in short order.” Some states and counties have hosted mass-vaccination clinics to alleviate the burden on pharmacies and meet demand from residents. Richard Clark, director of emergency management for Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the county had been running vaccination clinics that would attract about 300 or 400 people each time. Clark said he kept hearing comments about people driving from counties an hour away to get their vaccine, because they were worried about the upcoming holidays and virus variants. “We decided, let’s just do a large one,” he said, “and our 1,000 slots were filled within probably a day and a half.” Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts said this past week that demand for vaccines skyrocketed after boosters became widely available. “We are doing over 50,000 shots per day,” Baker said, according to a Boston 25 News story published Tuesday, “and if we can find a way to work with our local colleagues in local government, we will come up with ways to put more shots on the table.”

Vaccine demand grows in the US and so do wait time

While several international governments have been re-instating travel restrictions and other Covid related rules, the World Health Organization (WHO) and coronavirus experts believe the variant is only 'super mild'.<o:p></o:p>

Experts have been warning international governments and organisations against creating a hysteria around the Omicron variant — the latest variant of COVID-19.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">New Variant LIVE: India reports 16 new cases of Omicron variant, tally rises to 21</a></o:p>

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, said this reaction was "medically seen, not justified." <o:p></o:p>

The doctor has stressed that there has been no reported deaths or severe illness from the new variant which proves that it may not be as big a problem as some people have been portraying it to be in the past few weeks. "Looking at the mildness of the symptoms we are seeing, currently there is no reason for panicking as we don’t see any severely ill patients," Coetzee said.<o:p></o:p>

South African doctors have also backed this theory and claimed that majority of the Omicron variant cases that they have seen till now have been "mild" and not severe. "Our clinicians have not witnessed severe illness. Part of it may be because the majority of those who are positive are young people," South Africa’s health minister Joe Phaahla said.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a>&nbsp;</o:p>Gravitas Plus: Here's what the pandemic will look like in 2022

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WHO experts have also been warning countries to not impose travel restrictions as those are 'extreme measures' which are not needed in such mild situations. "These types of interventions are not sustainable. Those types of extreme measures are not our recommendations," said Dr Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Officer at WHO's Regional Office for Europe.<o:p></o:p>

Following the suit, another WHO expert, regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, urged countries to not impose travel restrictions. He added that these restrictions may help in reducing the spread but will also bring heavy negative impacts on the economy and livelihoods of locals of the isolated regions.<o:p></o:p>

Majority of the patients who have been infected by the Omicron variant have reported nausea, dizziness and headache. There has been no reported case of <o:p></o:p>

While several international governments have been re-instating travel restrictions and other Covid related rules, the World Health Organization (WHO) and coronavirus experts believe the variant is only 'super mild'.

While several international governments have been re-instating travel restrictions and other Covid related rules, the World Health Organization (WHO) and coronavirus experts believe the variant is only 'super mild'. Experts have been warning international governments and organisations against creating a hysteria around the Omicron variant — the latest variant of COVID-19. Also read | New Variant LIVE: India reports 16 new cases of Omicron variant, tally rises to 21 Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, said this reaction was "medically seen, not justified." The doctor has stressed that there has been no reported deaths or severe illness from the new variant which proves that it may not be as big a problem as some people have been portraying it to be in the past few weeks. "Looking at the mildness of the symptoms we are seeing, currently there is no reason for panicking as we don’t see any severely ill patients," Coetzee said. South African doctors have also backed this theory and claimed that majority of the Omicron variant cases that they have seen till now have been "mild" and not severe. "Our clinicians have not witnessed severe illness. Part of it may be because the majority of those who are positive are young people," South Africa’s health minister Joe Phaahla said. WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Here's what the pandemic will look like in 2022 WHO experts have also been warning countries to not impose travel restrictions as those are 'extreme measures' which are not needed in such mild situations. "These types of interventions are not sustainable. Those types of extreme measures are not our recommendations," said Dr Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Officer at WHO's Regional Office for Europe. Following the suit, another WHO expert, regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, urged countries to not impose travel restrictions. He added that these restrictions may help in reducing the spread but will also bring heavy negative impacts on the economy and livelihoods of locals of the isolated regions. Majority of the patients who have been infected by the Omicron variant have reported nausea, dizziness and headache. There has been no reported case of

Is Omicron threat as big as the hype? Read what WHO experts say

As the Hanukah holiday comes to an end and students in Israel head back to school, young children are being required to get tested for the coronavirus, before being allowed back to their studies.

For more than a week, children and families in Israel have been celebrating Hanukah, the festival of lights.

But dimming the celebrations somewhat has been Omicron, the latest variant of COVID-19.

As the festivities come to a close, children are preparing to go back to school on Tuesday.&nbsp;

But the government has said they will need to get tested if they are to be allowed back in.

Since Omicron was discovered in Israel, the government has again closed its borders to tourists, tightened quarantine rules for returning Israelis, encouraged kids to get vaccinated, and temporarily approved phone tracking of suspected carriers, which has now been suspended.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/israel-halts-virus-phone-tracker-amid-privacy-concerns-433885" hreflang="en">Israel halts virus phone tracker amid privacy concerns</a>

In this latest move, preschoolers and children in grades 1-6 will need to present a negative rapid antigen test to return to school.&nbsp;

And following a similar announcement in the UK, health officials in Israel are also said to be considering a 4th vaccine for immunocompromised people.

Israel has reported 4 more Omicron infections, bringing its total to 11 known cases. Of these, 7 were vaccinated. The new cases include a man who came into contact with an infected person who had recently travelled from South Africa. This is the first known case of Omicron being transmitted within Israel.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/two-dose-vaccines-insufficient-booster-dose-must-for-protection-against-covid-israels-health-expert-433648" hreflang="en">Two-dose vaccines insufficient, booster dose must for protection against Covid: Israel’s health expert</a>

Public healthcare experts have been saying that Omicron appears to be potentially more transmissible but less lethal than other variants.

However, Health Ministry chief, Nachman Ash, said it remains unclear how the strain will hold up against vaccines. And coronavirus czar, Salman Zarka, warned it will take another week to know the full impact of Omicron.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/two-fully-vaccinated-israeli-doctors-get-infected-with-omicron-variant-433249" hreflang="en">Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant</a>

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged caution in his weekly cabinet meeting. “Every day, we are reassessing the situation – on the basis of the data we know at the time – regarding moves to ease restrictions or make them more stringent. Everything is according to the data….Some people are saying: ‘But the situation is so good in the country, why are you being so stringent?’ The reason that the situation is good in the country is that we are taking quick and precise action. We know to relax the restrictions when necessary and when to tighten them,” he said.

 
With thousands of Israelis now expected to fly in from abroad, time will tell how this will impact Omicron cases in the country going forward.

Watch:&nbsp;Israel tightens travel restrictions over new COVID-19 variant

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As the Hanukah holiday comes to an end and students in Israel head back to school, young children are being required to get tested for the coronavirus, before being allowed back to their studies.

As the Hanukah holiday comes to an end and students in Israel head back to school, young children are being required to get tested for the coronavirus, before being allowed back to their studies. For more than a week, children and families in Israel have been celebrating Hanukah, the festival of lights. But dimming the celebrations somewhat has been Omicron, the latest variant of COVID-19. As the festivities come to a close, children are preparing to go back to school on Tuesday. But the government has said they will need to get tested if they are to be allowed back in. Since Omicron was discovered in Israel, the government has again closed its borders to tourists, tightened quarantine rules for returning Israelis, encouraged kids to get vaccinated, and temporarily approved phone tracking of suspected carriers, which has now been suspended. Also read: Israel halts virus phone tracker amid privacy concerns In this latest move, preschoolers and children in grades 1-6 will need to present a negative rapid antigen test to return to school. And following a similar announcement in the UK, health officials in Israel are also said to be considering a 4th vaccine for immunocompromised people. Israel has reported 4 more Omicron infections, bringing its total to 11 known cases. Of these, 7 were vaccinated. The new cases include a man who came into contact with an infected person who had recently travelled from South Africa. This is the first known case of Omicron being transmitted within Israel. Also read: Two-dose vaccines insufficient, booster dose must for protection against Covid: Israel’s health expert Public healthcare experts have been saying that Omicron appears to be potentially more transmissible but less lethal than other variants. However, Health Ministry chief, Nachman Ash, said it remains unclear how the strain will hold up against vaccines. And coronavirus czar, Salman Zarka, warned it will take another week to know the full impact of Omicron. Also read: Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged caution in his weekly cabinet meeting. “Every day, we are reassessing the situation – on the basis of the data we know at the time – regarding moves to ease restrictions or make them more stringent. Everything is according to the data….Some people are saying: ‘But the situation is so good in the country, why are you being so stringent?’ The reason that the situation is good in the country is that we are taking quick and precise action. We know to relax the restrictions when necessary and when to tighten them,” he said. With thousands of Israelis now expected to fly in from abroad, time will tell how this will impact Omicron cases in the country going forward. Watch: Israel tightens travel restrictions over new COVID-19 variant ×

Omicron fallout: Israeli students returning to school from Hanukah holidays should test for Covid

As the rich countries rushed to vaccinate their citizens and start the booster shot campaign, it would have been much better if they would have helped poor countries get vaccinated, experts have stated.<o:p></o:p>

Experts have said that the failure to successfully vaccinate the poorer countries against coronavirus led to creation of breeding ground for the Omicron variant.<o:p></o:p>

Scientists have been urging rich countries to focus on the increasing vaccine inequality, especially in the poorer countries around the world. Many parts of the world remained majorly unvaccinated due to lack of funding and resources. This led to the coronavirus mutating in those parts, giving birth to Omicron variant.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a>

<o:p></o:p>

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"Omicron is with us because we have failed to vaccinate the world," said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAids and co-chair of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a campaign group. "This should be a wake-up call.<o:p></o:p>

"Business as usual has led to huge profits for pharmaceutical firms, but many people left unvaccinated means that this virus continues to mutate. It is the definition of madness to keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome. We need to press reset."<o:p></o:p>

This warning was issued after a new set of data (compiled by People’s Vaccine Alliance) revealed that the total number of booster shots administered in the UK is almost equal to the number of fully vaccinated people in poorer countries.<o:p></o:p>

"With the new threat of the Omicron variant, it is clear that we cannot just booster our way out of the pandemic while leaving much of the developing world behind,"&nbsp;said Anna Marriott, health policy manager at Oxfam, which is one of about 80 organisations in the People’s Vaccine Alliance. "Unless all countries are vaccinated as soon as possible we could see wave after wave of variants."<o:p></o:p>

As the rich countries rushed to vaccinate their citizens and start the booster shot campaign, it would have been much better if they would have helped poor countries get vaccinated, experts have stated.

As the rich countries rushed to vaccinate their citizens and start the booster shot campaign, it would have been much better if they would have helped poor countries get vaccinated, experts have stated. Experts have said that the failure to successfully vaccinate the poorer countries against coronavirus led to creation of breeding ground for the Omicron variant. Scientists have been urging rich countries to focus on the increasing vaccine inequality, especially in the poorer countries around the world. Many parts of the world remained majorly unvaccinated due to lack of funding and resources. This led to the coronavirus mutating in those parts, giving birth to Omicron variant. WATCH | "Omicron is with us because we have failed to vaccinate the world," said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAids and co-chair of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a campaign group. "This should be a wake-up call. "Business as usual has led to huge profits for pharmaceutical firms, but many people left unvaccinated means that this virus continues to mutate. It is the definition of madness to keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome. We need to press reset." This warning was issued after a new set of data (compiled by People’s Vaccine Alliance) revealed that the total number of booster shots administered in the UK is almost equal to the number of fully vaccinated people in poorer countries. "With the new threat of the Omicron variant, it is clear that we cannot just booster our way out of the pandemic while leaving much of the developing world behind," said Anna Marriott, health policy manager at Oxfam, which is one of about 80 organisations in the People’s Vaccine Alliance. "Unless all countries are vaccinated as soon as possible we could see wave after wave of variants."

Omicron acts as a wake-up call for rich nations about vaccine inequality: Experts

Thailand&nbsp;has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a U.S. citizen who had travelled to the country from Spain late last month, a health official said on Monday.

"We believe that we've detected the first confirmed case of Omicron variant in&nbsp;Thailand. The person travelled from Spain," Director-General of Medical Science Department at the Public Health Ministry, Supakit Sirilak, told a news conference.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-scare-in-the-united-kingdom-new-cases-increase-by-50-in-a-single-day-434428">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron scare: In the United Kingdom, new cases increase by 50% in a single day</a>

The confirmed case in the man, who had arrived on November&nbsp;29, makes&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;the 47th country to have found the new variant, an official said, adding that the patient had mild symptom.

Thailand&nbsp;reported 4,000 new coronavirus cases and 22 new deaths on Monday, taking the tally to more than 2.1 million cases and 20,966 deaths since the pandemic started last year.

Thailand has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a U.S. citizen who had travelled to the country from Spain late last month, a health official said on Monday.

Thailand has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a U.S. citizen who had travelled to the country from Spain late last month, a health official said on Monday. "We believe that we've detected the first confirmed case of Omicron variant in Thailand. The person travelled from Spain," Director-General of Medical Science Department at the Public Health Ministry, Supakit Sirilak, told a news conference. Also read | Omicron scare: In the United Kingdom, new cases increase by 50% in a single day The confirmed case in the man, who had arrived on November 29, makes Thailand the 47th country to have found the new variant, an official said, adding that the patient had mild symptom. Thailand reported 4,000 new coronavirus cases and 22 new deaths on Monday, taking the tally to more than 2.1 million cases and 20,966 deaths since the pandemic started last year.

Omicron scare: Thailand reports first case of new Covid variant

Amid fears of Omicron variant, the birthplace of Jesus Christ Bethlehem is preparing for the Christmas festivities, a giant tree with a big red star has been lit up just outside the church, take a look at these visuals!

Bethlehem- the birth place of Jesus Christ rings in Christmas celebrations

Will Omicron usher in another year of lockdown? Will we lose more lives to the virus from China? Or will our vaccines be able to contain the Wuhan virus? What should you expect from 2022? Listen in to Palki Sharma

Gravitas Plus: Here's what the pandemic will look like in 2022

As fears of a new variant Omicron looms, Britain has tightened curbs for travellers. According to the new measures, Britain will now require all inbound travellers to have a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test.&nbsp;

Also, Health Minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said that travellers coming in from Nigeria will have to quarantine in hotels. These changes will come in from Tuesday.&nbsp;

Along with this, the travellers will need to take a PCR test before the end of their second day in the UK. After which, they are required to self-isolate until their negative result comes back.

This comes in as the total number of Omicron cases in the country has risen to 160.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-in-60-people-in-england-estimated-to-be-infected-with-covid-19-britains-ons-433957">Also read |&nbsp;One in 60 people in England estimated to be infected with COVID-19: Britain's ONS</a>

"We've kept the data under review over the last week or so since we learned about Omicron, and we're seeing increasing number of cases linked to travel," Javid said.

He further added, "We've always said we will act swiftly if we need to... and that's why we decided to bring in this change on pre-departure tests."

Britain is one of the worst countries hit with the virus with over 145,000 fatalities and over 10 million Covid&nbsp;cases.

Meanwhile, according to Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS), one in 60 people in England would test positive for coronavirus in the week ending November 27 with an estimated 898,900 people in England who have the virus. 
ONS said the percentage of people who had contacted the virus in England had increased.&nbsp;

In Wales, the trends were uncertain. However, the agency claimed that 1 in 45 people were estimated to be infected with a similar number in Northern Ireland and 1 in 65 in Scotland.

(With inputs from agencies)

As fears of a new variant Omicron looms, Britain has tightened curbs for travellers. According to the new measures, Britain will now require all inbound travellers to have a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test.

As fears of a new variant Omicron looms, Britain has tightened curbs for travellers. According to the new measures, Britain will now require all inbound travellers to have a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test. Also, Health Minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said that travellers coming in from Nigeria will have to quarantine in hotels. These changes will come in from Tuesday. Along with this, the travellers will need to take a PCR test before the end of their second day in the UK. After which, they are required to self-isolate until their negative result comes back. This comes in as the total number of Omicron cases in the country has risen to 160. Also read | One in 60 people in England estimated to be infected with COVID-19: Britain's ONS "We've kept the data under review over the last week or so since we learned about Omicron, and we're seeing increasing number of cases linked to travel," Javid said. He further added, "We've always said we will act swiftly if we need to... and that's why we decided to bring in this change on pre-departure tests." Britain is one of the worst countries hit with the virus with over 145,000 fatalities and over 10 million Covid cases. Meanwhile, according to Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS), one in 60 people in England would test positive for coronavirus in the week ending November 27 with an estimated 898,900 people in England who have the virus. ONS said the percentage of people who had contacted the virus in England had increased. In Wales, the trends were uncertain. However, the agency claimed that 1 in 45 people were estimated to be infected with a similar number in Northern Ireland and 1 in 65 in Scotland. (With inputs from agencies)

Britain introduces new travel measures as Omicron cases rise to 160

The new variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly across India. Seven more cases of the Omicron have been reported in Maharashtra and nine in Jaipur today.<o:p></o:p>

With the additional cases in Maharashtra and Jaipur, the tally of Omicron infections has increased to 21&nbsp;in India. Out of these 21, eight are in Maharashtra, nine in Jaipur, one in Delhi and Gujarat each, and two in Bangalore.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-how-well-prepared-is-india-to-tackle-a-possible-spread-of-new-covid-variant-434064">Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant?</a></o:p>

Out of the seven new Omicron cases reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, six are in Pimpri and one in Pune. “Four persons who returned from foreign tours and three of their close contacts have tested positive for the new variant,” Maharashtra health ministry said.<o:p></o:p>

In addition to this, two close contacts of a Covid positive patient with Omicron variant in Gujarat have also tested positive for coronavirus. However, it is not yet clear if they have been infected with the same variant or not.<o:p></o:p>

It is also being reported that Jaipur has reported nine cases of Omicron variant. All these nine patients are reported to be from the same family.&nbsp;Four of these patients had returned from South Africa and the rest of five had been in contact with the first four.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a></o:p>

India reported its first case of Omicron variant when a 72-year-old Zimbabwe resident travelled to Jamnagar, Gujarat and tested positive for coronavirus.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has warned that the concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed. The report has urged the government and experts to do an efficacy check on the existing vaccines against coronavirus conduct more extensive research to analyse the need and urgency of booster shots against the new variant of COVID-19.<o:p></o:p>

"The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report<o:p></o:p>

The new variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly across India. Seven more cases of the Omicron have been reported in Maharashtra and nine in Jaipur today. With the additional cases in Maharashtra and Jaipur, the tally of Omicron infections has increased to 21 in India.

The new variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly across India. Seven more cases of the Omicron have been reported in Maharashtra and nine in Jaipur today. With the additional cases in Maharashtra and Jaipur, the tally of Omicron infections has increased to 21 in India. Out of these 21, eight are in Maharashtra, nine in Jaipur, one in Delhi and Gujarat each, and two in Bangalore. Also read | Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant? Out of the seven new Omicron cases reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, six are in Pimpri and one in Pune. “Four persons who returned from foreign tours and three of their close contacts have tested positive for the new variant,” Maharashtra health ministry said. In addition to this, two close contacts of a Covid positive patient with Omicron variant in Gujarat have also tested positive for coronavirus. However, it is not yet clear if they have been infected with the same variant or not. It is also being reported that Jaipur has reported nine cases of Omicron variant. All these nine patients are reported to be from the same family. Four of these patients had returned from South Africa and the rest of five had been in contact with the first four. WATCH | India reported its first case of Omicron variant when a 72-year-old Zimbabwe resident travelled to Jamnagar, Gujarat and tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has warned that the concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed. The report has urged the government and experts to do an efficacy check on the existing vaccines against coronavirus conduct more extensive research to analyse the need and urgency of booster shots against the new variant of COVID-19. "The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report

Covid: India reports 16 new cases of Omicron variant, tally rises to 21

A British scientist has warned the world that the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus shows that the world is closer to the start of a pandemic than the end.<o:p></o:p>

Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, has claimed that leaders around the globe have been assuming that the worst of this pandemic is behind us, but that is far from the truth.<o:p></o:p>

Rich countries have been adopting "a very blinkered domestic focus, lulled into thinking that the worst of the pandemic was behind us," he said.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-advocates-offer-rides-to-teens-to-inoculation-site-spark-controversy-434276">Vaccine advocates offer rides to teens to inoculation site, spark controversy</a></o:p>

Farrar also added that he is hopeful that the existing vaccines can protect masses against the deadly coronavirus, but he is not sure if the same can be said for the new variants that may emerge in the future.<o:p></o:p>

"The longer this virus continues to spread in largely unvaccinated populations globally, the more likely it is that a variant that can overcome our vaccines and treatments will emerge," he wrote in the Observer. "If that happens, we could be close to square one."<o:p></o:p>

He also slammed the political leaders for not being able to put the politics aside and coming together to eradicate the pandemic on a global level. He has accused leaders of only focusing on domestic matters related to Covid, rather than on a global level. "This political drift and lack of leadership is prolonging the pandemic for everyone, with governments unwilling to really address inequitable access to the vaccines, tests and treatment. There have been wonderful speeches, warm words, but not the actions needed to ensure fair access to what we know works and would bring the pandemic to a close."

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, the UK has been trying to battle the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the country. The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has been urging all eligible people to get a booster shot as soon as possible. "It's absolutely crucial that everybody who is eligible gets their booster jab to top up their immunity before spending time with loved ones," he said. "While our brilliant scientists learn more about the new Omicron variant, we need to do everything we can to strengthen our defences, and vaccines are the best way to do that."<o:p></o:p>

Boris Johnson’s government has also announced that all incoming travellers will now have to show negative RT-PCR Covid test 48 hours before entering the country.<o:p></o:p>

A British scientist has warned the world that the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus shows that the world is closer to the start of a pandemic than the end.

A British scientist has warned the world that the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus shows that the world is closer to the start of a pandemic than the end. Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, has claimed that leaders around the globe have been assuming that the worst of this pandemic is behind us, but that is far from the truth. Rich countries have been adopting "a very blinkered domestic focus, lulled into thinking that the worst of the pandemic was behind us," he said. Also read | Vaccine advocates offer rides to teens to inoculation site, spark controversy Farrar also added that he is hopeful that the existing vaccines can protect masses against the deadly coronavirus, but he is not sure if the same can be said for the new variants that may emerge in the future. "The longer this virus continues to spread in largely unvaccinated populations globally, the more likely it is that a variant that can overcome our vaccines and treatments will emerge," he wrote in the Observer. "If that happens, we could be close to square one." He also slammed the political leaders for not being able to put the politics aside and coming together to eradicate the pandemic on a global level. He has accused leaders of only focusing on domestic matters related to Covid, rather than on a global level. "This political drift and lack of leadership is prolonging the pandemic for everyone, with governments unwilling to really address inequitable access to the vaccines, tests and treatment. There have been wonderful speeches, warm words, but not the actions needed to ensure fair access to what we know works and would bring the pandemic to a close." WATCH | Meanwhile, the UK has been trying to battle the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the country. The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has been urging all eligible people to get a booster shot as soon as possible. "It's absolutely crucial that everybody who is eligible gets their booster jab to top up their immunity before spending time with loved ones," he said. "While our brilliant scientists learn more about the new Omicron variant, we need to do everything we can to strengthen our defences, and vaccines are the best way to do that." Boris Johnson’s government has also announced that all incoming travellers will now have to show negative RT-PCR Covid test 48 hours before entering the country.

Omicron variant proof that Covid pandemic is just starting, warns UK scientist

Indian capital&nbsp;Delhi, on December 5, reported its first-ever case of the new Covid variant Omicron, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to five.

A Tanzanian returnee who had been admitted to a local hospital is positive for the new variant.

News agency PTI quoting an unnamed official said, "The patient's travel history is being collated and contacts being traced."&nbsp; 
The official further said that 12 samples had been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control. Out of those, one was found carrying the new Covid strain.&nbsp;

The first case was detected from India's western Gujarat state, where a 72-year-old man tested positive. A resident of Zimbabwe, he had returned to Jamnagar city on November 28.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-how-well-prepared-is-india-to-tackle-a-possible-spread-of-new-covid-variant-434064">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant?</a>

The second case was reported from the neighbouring Maharashtra state. The person infected by the strain returned from South Africa to Kalyan Dombivali municipal area near Mumbai, Maharashtra state's health department said.&nbsp;

After that two people, including, a 66-year-old South African national and an Indian doctor, tested positive for the new strain in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The foreigner somehow managed to escape from India. However, the doctor is under quarantine at his home.

The WHO has said that Omicron may spread more quickly than any other strain.

India expects the Omicron variant to cause less severe illness, due to rising vaccination rates.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian capital Delhi, on December 5, reported its first-ever case of the new Covid variant Omicron, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to five.

Indian capital Delhi, on December 5, reported its first-ever case of the new Covid variant Omicron, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to five. A Tanzanian returnee who had been admitted to a local hospital is positive for the new variant. News agency PTI quoting an unnamed official said, "The patient's travel history is being collated and contacts being traced." The official further said that 12 samples had been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control. Out of those, one was found carrying the new Covid strain. The first case was detected from India's western Gujarat state, where a 72-year-old man tested positive. A resident of Zimbabwe, he had returned to Jamnagar city on November 28. Also read | Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant? The second case was reported from the neighbouring Maharashtra state. The person infected by the strain returned from South Africa to Kalyan Dombivali municipal area near Mumbai, Maharashtra state's health department said. After that two people, including, a 66-year-old South African national and an Indian doctor, tested positive for the new strain in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The foreigner somehow managed to escape from India. However, the doctor is under quarantine at his home. The WHO has said that Omicron may spread more quickly than any other strain. India expects the Omicron variant to cause less severe illness, due to rising vaccination rates. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian capital reports first case of Omicron variant, taking country's total to 5

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 variant Omicron, Japan will add India, Greece, Romania and four US states under strict quarantine vigilance.

Japanese nationals and foreign residents travelling to Japan from India, Greece, Romania and four US states will have to undergo stringent quarantine regulations Sunday onwards, in order to control the spread of the Omicron variant, reported Kyodo news.

While, foreign residents, as well as Japanese nationals travelling from Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York to Japan, will have to mandatorily spend three days of their two-week quarantine at government-designated facilities, reported Kyodo news.

With emerging Omicron cases in the country and to curb the further spread, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Friday announced the expansion of the list addressing a press conference.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-capital-reports-first-case-of-omicron-variant-taking-countrys-total-to-5-434252">Also read |&nbsp;Indian capital reports first case of Omicron variant, taking country's total to 5</a>

A government task force made the decision to control the increasing number of new variant cases in Japan.

The list for three-day mandatory quarantine at government-designated facilities already includes countries such as Austria, Ecuador and France.

While many are being subject to stringent quarantine requirements, such as staying in government-designated facilities for over 10 days, reported Kyodo News.

The first Omicron case was reported on Tuesday in Japan, causing it to deny re-entry of all foreigners, including residents with long-term visas, who have recently been to any of 10 African countries likely to have widespread infections of the variant.

The country has further banned new entries by foreigners from around the globe.

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 variant Omicron, Japan will add India, Greece, Romania and four US states under strict quarantine vigilance. Japanese nationals and foreign residents travelling to Japan from India, Greece, Romania and four US states will have to undergo stringent quarantine regulations Sunday onwards, in order to control the spread of the Omicron variant, reported Kyodo news.

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 variant Omicron, Japan will add India, Greece, Romania and four US states under strict quarantine vigilance. Japanese nationals and foreign residents travelling to Japan from India, Greece, Romania and four US states will have to undergo stringent quarantine regulations Sunday onwards, in order to control the spread of the Omicron variant, reported Kyodo news. While, foreign residents, as well as Japanese nationals travelling from Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York to Japan, will have to mandatorily spend three days of their two-week quarantine at government-designated facilities, reported Kyodo news. With emerging Omicron cases in the country and to curb the further spread, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Friday announced the expansion of the list addressing a press conference. Also read | Indian capital reports first case of Omicron variant, taking country's total to 5 A government task force made the decision to control the increasing number of new variant cases in Japan. The list for three-day mandatory quarantine at government-designated facilities already includes countries such as Austria, Ecuador and France. While many are being subject to stringent quarantine requirements, such as staying in government-designated facilities for over 10 days, reported Kyodo News. The first Omicron case was reported on Tuesday in Japan, causing it to deny re-entry of all foreigners, including residents with long-term visas, who have recently been to any of 10 African countries likely to have widespread infections of the variant. The country has further banned new entries by foreigners from around the globe.

Omicron scare: Japan imposes strict quarantine rules for travellers from India

President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and a potential winter surge, laid out a pandemic strategy Thursday that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travellers and free at-home tests.

After nearly a year of pushing vaccination as the way out of the pandemic, Biden has been unable to overcome resistance to the shots in red states and rural areas. His new strategy shifts away from a near-singular focus on vaccination and places a fresh emphasis on testing — a tacit acknowledgement by the White House that vaccination is not enough to end the worst public health crisis in a century.

Biden’s announcement came as several new cases of the omicron variant were reported in the United States, including five people in New York state, a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to New York City and a Colorado resident who had recently returned from southern Africa. Hawaii also reported its first known case, and California its second.

Biden’s remarks at the National Institutes of Health were the second time this week that he had addressed the nation on the pandemic; on Monday, he spoke about new travel restrictions he imposed last week on eight African nations.

“We’re going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion,” Biden said Thursday.

Conquering the pandemic — or at least bringing it under control — is by far Biden’s most daunting task as president, and it is all the more complicated because it has become so divisive. Biden struck a theme of unity in his remarks, urging Americans to come together around his plan.

Yet even as the president spoke, Republicans on Capitol Hill threatened to shut down the government over his vaccine rules for large employers. Vaccine mandates have been held up in court, and Biden emphasized that his current plan does not “expand or add to those mandates” and “doesn’t include shutdowns or lockdowns.”

Experts agree that widespread vaccination is critical to controlling the pandemic. But they also argue that masks and testing are essential and say that the testing will become even more urgent if the omicron variant is found to evade protection from vaccines, which has not yet been established. Biden, they say, faces a huge challenge.

“You can’t ban your way out of this pandemic, and at the same time you have to have a response,” said Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, referring to the travel restrictions. “This virus has not dealt us a very good hand, and we’ve got to play the cards we’ve been given.”

The president is also imposing new testing rules on international travellers to the United States; beginning early next week, White House officials said, such travellers, will be required to present evidence of a negative test within a day before departure. He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was studying alternatives to quarantining in schools, including “test-to-stay” policies, in which exposed students wear masks and keep testing to remain in school.

Much of what Biden announced was fairly modest. He steered clear of the contentious topic of mask mandates, except to announce that he was extending the current mandate for people on airplanes, trains and buses, and in terminals and transit hubs, through mid-March. It was originally set to expire on Jan. 18.

“They should have highlighted the importance of masking,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University, adding, “This virus has proved to be a formidable enemy, and we need to require multiple strategies.”

White House officials, and the president himself, have said the plan is aimed at keeping the economy and schools open. Yet it remains unclear how the strategy, and the administration’s new policies, will affect an economic recovery that faces new waves of uncertainty from omicron.

Analysts on Wall Street and elsewhere have issued a range of forecast warnings for growth and inflation in recent days as concern over the new variant has increased, predicting it could prove to be a relatively small setback for a still-healing global economy — or a major hit to it, if it produces widespread infection and death.

Some warn that new restrictions, like those on travel that Biden and European nations have begun to impose, could push consumers to spend even more of their incomes on goods, as opposed to travel or dining out, adding new strains to global supply chains and potentially fueling even faster price increases for items like furniture and electronics. And they could discourage virus-wary Americans from returning to the workforce in droves in January, as White House officials had hoped would be the case.

White House economists are analyzing those possibilities, along with the chance that omicron does not materially hurt growth — or that it could help tame inflation by easing demand for gasoline and other items.

A big part of Biden’s plan is a renewed push to get people vaccinated — including the latest group to become eligible, children ages 5 to 11. After winding down mass vaccination sites this year, the administration plans to open “hundreds of family vaccination clinics” that will offer vaccinations and boosters for people of all eligible ages, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.

The plan also includes a national campaign to reach the 100 million Americans who are eligible for boosters and have not had them. The campaign will include paid advertising and free rides to vaccination sites coordinated by AARP, the advocacy group for older Americans.

And the Federal Emergency Management Agency will start what the administration is calling family mobile vaccination clinics, beginning with deployments to Washington and New Mexico. The goal is for states and localities to replicate the model “with full federal funding and support,” officials said.

Biden also called on employers to provide paid time off for their workers to get boosters and said his administration would do the same for federal employees.

Many experts predict a winter surge in the United States, regardless of whether omicron spreads widely here. The nation has been reporting an average of more than 80,000 new cases a day over the past few weeks, according to a New York Times database; six months ago, the average was roughly 12,000 new cases a day.

Much remains unknown about omicron, which was spotted by scientists in southern Africa last week and is now known to be present in more than 30 countries. It has mutations that scientists say may allow it to spread more quickly and cause more breakthrough infections in vaccinated or previously infected people, though neither characteristic has yet been confirmed.

Experts welcomed Biden’s new emphasis on testing. Dr. Michael Mina, a former Harvard University public health researcher who has been a forceful advocate for greater use of testing, said it could be used both as a medical device, to detect whether someone is sick, and as a public health tool, to determine whether a person is infectious and a risk to others.

“Testing is one of the cornerstones of public health, especially in a pandemic,” said Mina, who is now the chief science officer for eMed, a company that makes at-home tests. “But for unknown reasons, we still have considered it primarily as a medical device.”

Under Biden’s plan, at-home tests would be reimbursed for the 150 million Americans with private insurance starting early next year. To ensure access for those who lack insurance, or who are covered by Medicaid, the administration intends to distribute an additional 25 million tests to community health centers and rural clinics, which tend to treat lower-income patients.

Experts envision a world where people can test themselves as soon as they exhibit symptoms — and then, if they are positive, go into isolation and seek treatment with new antiviral medicines. Early testing is important because the antivirals work best just after symptom onset. The White House says it has preordered 13 million courses of antiviral treatments. Two companies, Merck and Pfizer, are seeking emergency authorization for their antiviral pills.

In the United States, home tests have been relatively hard to come by because of supply shortages. Del Rio said that rather than have people go through the cumbersome process of seeking insurance reimbursement for tests, “we should just subsidize them and make it incredibly cheap.”

In Britain, he noted, rapid tests are free, and in Germany they cost consumers about $1 apiece. In the United States, the tests are typically sold in packs of two, with prices ranging from $14 to $34.

Private insurers already cover the cost of tests administered in doctors’ offices and other medical facilities. At least eight at-home tests are on the U.S. market.

White House officials suggested there were still large questions to be resolved about the new policies. Reimbursement for at-home tests in the United States will not happen immediately and will not be retroactive, the senior administration officials said, adding that federal agencies would issue guidance by Jan. 15 to clarify that insurers would have to reimburse people for at-home tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said she expected that Americans would need to file claims for reimbursement in some capacity. But Dr. Nirav Shah, president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said his group would prefer that people be reimbursed when they buy the tests, as opposed to having to file later for reimbursement.

“For this next phase of the pandemic, rapid access to rapid testing will be key,” Shah said.

It was unclear how many tests a person could be reimbursed for buying. But Biden promised the free at-home tests would be available next month.

“The bottom line,” he said, “is this winter you’ll be able to test for free in the comfort of your home and have some peace of mind.”

President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and a potential winter surge, laid out a pandemic strategy Thursday that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travellers and free at-home tests.

President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and a potential winter surge, laid out a pandemic strategy Thursday that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travellers and free at-home tests. After nearly a year of pushing vaccination as the way out of the pandemic, Biden has been unable to overcome resistance to the shots in red states and rural areas. His new strategy shifts away from a near-singular focus on vaccination and places a fresh emphasis on testing — a tacit acknowledgement by the White House that vaccination is not enough to end the worst public health crisis in a century. Biden’s announcement came as several new cases of the omicron variant were reported in the United States, including five people in New York state, a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to New York City and a Colorado resident who had recently returned from southern Africa. Hawaii also reported its first known case, and California its second. Biden’s remarks at the National Institutes of Health were the second time this week that he had addressed the nation on the pandemic; on Monday, he spoke about new travel restrictions he imposed last week on eight African nations. “We’re going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion,” Biden said Thursday. Conquering the pandemic — or at least bringing it under control — is by far Biden’s most daunting task as president, and it is all the more complicated because it has become so divisive. Biden struck a theme of unity in his remarks, urging Americans to come together around his plan. Yet even as the president spoke, Republicans on Capitol Hill threatened to shut down the government over his vaccine rules for large employers. Vaccine mandates have been held up in court, and Biden emphasized that his current plan does not “expand or add to those mandates” and “doesn’t include shutdowns or lockdowns.” Experts agree that widespread vaccination is critical to controlling the pandemic. But they also argue that masks and testing are essential and say that the testing will become even more urgent if the omicron variant is found to evade protection from vaccines, which has not yet been established. Biden, they say, faces a huge challenge. “You can’t ban your way out of this pandemic, and at the same time you have to have a response,” said Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, referring to the travel restrictions. “This virus has not dealt us a very good hand, and we’ve got to play the cards we’ve been given.” The president is also imposing new testing rules on international travellers to the United States; beginning early next week, White House officials said, such travellers, will be required to present evidence of a negative test within a day before departure. He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was studying alternatives to quarantining in schools, including “test-to-stay” policies, in which exposed students wear masks and keep testing to remain in school. Much of what Biden announced was fairly modest. He steered clear of the contentious topic of mask mandates, except to announce that he was extending the current mandate for people on airplanes, trains and buses, and in terminals and transit hubs, through mid-March. It was originally set to expire on Jan. 18. “They should have highlighted the importance of masking,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University, adding, “This virus has proved to be a formidable enemy, and we need to require multiple strategies.” White House officials, and the president himself, have said the plan is aimed at keeping the economy and schools open. Yet it remains unclear how the strategy, and the administration’s new policies, will affect an economic recovery that faces new waves of uncertainty from omicron. Analysts on Wall Street and elsewhere have issued a range of forecast warnings for growth and inflation in recent days as concern over the new variant has increased, predicting it could prove to be a relatively small setback for a still-healing global economy — or a major hit to it, if it produces widespread infection and death. Some warn that new restrictions, like those on travel that Biden and European nations have begun to impose, could push consumers to spend even more of their incomes on goods, as opposed to travel or dining out, adding new strains to global supply chains and potentially fueling even faster price increases for items like furniture and electronics. And they could discourage virus-wary Americans from returning to the workforce in droves in January, as White House officials had hoped would be the case. White House economists are analyzing those possibilities, along with the chance that omicron does not materially hurt growth — or that it could help tame inflation by easing demand for gasoline and other items. A big part of Biden’s plan is a renewed push to get people vaccinated — including the latest group to become eligible, children ages 5 to 11. After winding down mass vaccination sites this year, the administration plans to open “hundreds of family vaccination clinics” that will offer vaccinations and boosters for people of all eligible ages, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House. The plan also includes a national campaign to reach the 100 million Americans who are eligible for boosters and have not had them. The campaign will include paid advertising and free rides to vaccination sites coordinated by AARP, the advocacy group for older Americans. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency will start what the administration is calling family mobile vaccination clinics, beginning with deployments to Washington and New Mexico. The goal is for states and localities to replicate the model “with full federal funding and support,” officials said. Biden also called on employers to provide paid time off for their workers to get boosters and said his administration would do the same for federal employees. Many experts predict a winter surge in the United States, regardless of whether omicron spreads widely here. The nation has been reporting an average of more than 80,000 new cases a day over the past few weeks, according to a New York Times database; six months ago, the average was roughly 12,000 new cases a day. Much remains unknown about omicron, which was spotted by scientists in southern Africa last week and is now known to be present in more than 30 countries. It has mutations that scientists say may allow it to spread more quickly and cause more breakthrough infections in vaccinated or previously infected people, though neither characteristic has yet been confirmed. Experts welcomed Biden’s new emphasis on testing. Dr. Michael Mina, a former Harvard University public health researcher who has been a forceful advocate for greater use of testing, said it could be used both as a medical device, to detect whether someone is sick, and as a public health tool, to determine whether a person is infectious and a risk to others. “Testing is one of the cornerstones of public health, especially in a pandemic,” said Mina, who is now the chief science officer for eMed, a company that makes at-home tests. “But for unknown reasons, we still have considered it primarily as a medical device.” Under Biden’s plan, at-home tests would be reimbursed for the 150 million Americans with private insurance starting early next year. To ensure access for those who lack insurance, or who are covered by Medicaid, the administration intends to distribute an additional 25 million tests to community health centers and rural clinics, which tend to treat lower-income patients. Experts envision a world where people can test themselves as soon as they exhibit symptoms — and then, if they are positive, go into isolation and seek treatment with new antiviral medicines. Early testing is important because the antivirals work best just after symptom onset. The White House says it has preordered 13 million courses of antiviral treatments. Two companies, Merck and Pfizer, are seeking emergency authorization for their antiviral pills. In the United States, home tests have been relatively hard to come by because of supply shortages. Del Rio said that rather than have people go through the cumbersome process of seeking insurance reimbursement for tests, “we should just subsidize them and make it incredibly cheap.” In Britain, he noted, rapid tests are free, and in Germany they cost consumers about $1 apiece. In the United States, the tests are typically sold in packs of two, with prices ranging from $14 to $34. Private insurers already cover the cost of tests administered in doctors’ offices and other medical facilities. At least eight at-home tests are on the U.S. market. White House officials suggested there were still large questions to be resolved about the new policies. Reimbursement for at-home tests in the United States will not happen immediately and will not be retroactive, the senior administration officials said, adding that federal agencies would issue guidance by Jan. 15 to clarify that insurers would have to reimburse people for at-home tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency. White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said she expected that Americans would need to file claims for reimbursement in some capacity. But Dr. Nirav Shah, president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said his group would prefer that people be reimbursed when they buy the tests, as opposed to having to file later for reimbursement. “For this next phase of the pandemic, rapid access to rapid testing will be key,” Shah said. It was unclear how many tests a person could be reimbursed for buying. But Biden promised the free at-home tests would be available next month. “The bottom line,” he said, “is this winter you’ll be able to test for free in the comfort of your home and have some peace of mind.”

Emphasising tests, Biden vows to fight Omicron with ‘science and speed’

The International Monetary Fund is likely to lower its global economic growth estimates due to the new&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;variant of the coronavirus, the global lender's chief said at the Reuters Next conference on Friday in another sign of the turmoil unleashed by the ever-changing pandemic.

Omicron&nbsp;has spread rapidly to at least 40 countries since it was first reported in South Africa last week, officials say, and many governments have tightened travel rules to try to keep it out.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence, and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the conference.

Much remains unknown about&nbsp;Omicron. Researchers said it could have picked up genetic material from another virus, perhaps one that causes the common cold, which would allow it to more easily evade human immune system defences.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999">Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

Parts of Europe and the United States are grappling with a wave of infections of the more familiar Delta variant. The new strain could further destabilize economies that are still emerging from COVID-19 related lockdowns and disruptions.

A corporate Christmas party in the Norwegian capital Oslo resulted in at least 13 infections, making it the biggest outbreak outside of South Africa, officials said.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Reuters Next that the fast-spreading variant would have to become more transmissible to out-compete Delta, which accounts for 99 per cent&nbsp;of current transmissions.

"We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," she said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-fears-of-new-covid-variant-looms-europe-surpasses-75-million-covid-cases-433994">As fears of new Covid variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases</a>

WHO's emergencies director Mike Ryan said there was no evidence that existing vaccines needed to be modified to fight&nbsp;Omicron. He said officials should work on getting more people inoculated with vaccines currently on the market.

"We need to focus on getting people most at risk vaccinated," Ryan said at a social media event.

However, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a United Nations briefing in Geneva that vaccine makers should prepare for the likelihood of adjusting their products.

Ugur Sahin, CEO of Germany's BioNTech, which makes a COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer, told Reuters Next the company should be able to adapt the shots relatively quickly.

Sahin also said current vaccines should continue to provide protection against severe disease, despite mutations.

"I believe in principle at a certain timepoint we will need a new vaccine against this new variant. The question is how urgent it needs to be available," Sahin said.

Worrying gaps in vaccination

Australia became the latest country to report community transmission of the new variant. Officials have found the new strain in 10 US&nbsp;states, adding another challenge to a healthcare system that is already dealing with more COVID-19 illness caused by Delta.

More than 264 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus since it was first detected in central China in late 2019 and 5.49 million people have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Cases in Europe, the pandemic's current epicentre, crossed the 75 million mark on Friday.

Vaccination rates vary from country to country but there are worrying gaps in poorer nations. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and once Asia's COVID-19 epicentre, has fully inoculated only about 35 per cent&nbsp;of its population.

In the United States, fewer than 60 per cent&nbsp;of the population have been fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates among wealthy nations.

Aside from wreaking havoc in the travel industry, the clampdown has pounded financial markets and undermined major economies just as they were beginning to recover from the lockdowns triggered by Delta.

Germany said it would bar the unvaccinated from all but essential businesses, and legislation to make vaccination mandatory would be drafted for early next year.

Several countries, including Britain and the United States, were bringing forward plans to offer booster shots, but, like travel bans, they are controversial.

Many scientists say the way to stop the virus spreading is to make sure poorer countries have access to vaccines, not to give blanket booster shots to people in richer countries.

The International Monetary Fund is likely to lower its global economic growth estimates due to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the global lender's chief said at the Reuters Next conference on Friday in another sign of the turmoil unleashed by the ever-changing pandemic.

The International Monetary Fund is likely to lower its global economic growth estimates due to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the global lender's chief said at the Reuters Next conference on Friday in another sign of the turmoil unleashed by the ever-changing pandemic. Omicron has spread rapidly to at least 40 countries since it was first reported in South Africa last week, officials say, and many governments have tightened travel rules to try to keep it out. "A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence, and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the conference. Much remains unknown about Omicron. Researchers said it could have picked up genetic material from another virus, perhaps one that causes the common cold, which would allow it to more easily evade human immune system defences. Also read | Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist Parts of Europe and the United States are grappling with a wave of infections of the more familiar Delta variant. The new strain could further destabilize economies that are still emerging from COVID-19 related lockdowns and disruptions. A corporate Christmas party in the Norwegian capital Oslo resulted in at least 13 infections, making it the biggest outbreak outside of South Africa, officials said. The World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Reuters Next that the fast-spreading variant would have to become more transmissible to out-compete Delta, which accounts for 99 per cent of current transmissions. "We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," she said. Also read | As fears of new Covid variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases WHO's emergencies director Mike Ryan said there was no evidence that existing vaccines needed to be modified to fight Omicron. He said officials should work on getting more people inoculated with vaccines currently on the market. "We need to focus on getting people most at risk vaccinated," Ryan said at a social media event. However, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a United Nations briefing in Geneva that vaccine makers should prepare for the likelihood of adjusting their products. Ugur Sahin, CEO of Germany's BioNTech, which makes a COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer, told Reuters Next the company should be able to adapt the shots relatively quickly. Sahin also said current vaccines should continue to provide protection against severe disease, despite mutations. "I believe in principle at a certain timepoint we will need a new vaccine against this new variant. The question is how urgent it needs to be available," Sahin said. Worrying gaps in vaccination Australia became the latest country to report community transmission of the new variant. Officials have found the new strain in 10 US states, adding another challenge to a healthcare system that is already dealing with more COVID-19 illness caused by Delta. More than 264 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus since it was first detected in central China in late 2019 and 5.49 million people have died, according to a Reuters tally. Cases in Europe, the pandemic's current epicentre, crossed the 75 million mark on Friday. Vaccination rates vary from country to country but there are worrying gaps in poorer nations. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and once Asia's COVID-19 epicentre, has fully inoculated only about 35 per cent of its population. In the United States, fewer than 60 per cent of the population have been fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates among wealthy nations. Aside from wreaking havoc in the travel industry, the clampdown has pounded financial markets and undermined major economies just as they were beginning to recover from the lockdowns triggered by Delta. Germany said it would bar the unvaccinated from all but essential businesses, and legislation to make vaccination mandatory would be drafted for early next year. Several countries, including Britain and the United States, were bringing forward plans to offer booster shots, but, like travel bans, they are controversial. Many scientists say the way to stop the virus spreading is to make sure poorer countries have access to vaccines, not to give blanket booster shots to people in richer countries.

IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued an apology for breaking the Covid mask regulations, saying she regrets the mistake.<o:p></o:p>

"It was simply an oversight after the new rules came into force," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on social networks.&nbsp;"I know it can happen to anyone. But ideally not me. So, I obviously regret it and I want to thank you again for everything we are doing together to contain the epidemic."<o:p></o:p>

Frederiksen was photographed not wearing a face mask while shopping. A passer-by had spotted her without the mask at a clothes shop in Copenhagen and had recorded a video of the prime minister. This video evidence was then published on the website of the Ekstra Bladet&nbsp;media house on Sunday.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Her video surfaced almost four days after the Danish government had re-imposed strict measures related to face coverings. <o:p></o:p>

While the government had earlier relaxed Covid-related regulations, the recent increase in spread of the new variant Omicron has led to the government re-imposing some of the regulations. Officials have urged locals to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings at all times when stepping outdoors to make sure the chain of spread can be broken as soon as possible.<o:p></o:p>

This incident by the prime minister has come at a time when the minister is already gearing up to face a parliamentary committee this week about her decision to cull more than 15 million mink in 2020. Her fear that the Covid strain was mutating through minks had translated into killings of minks.<o:p></o:p>

The parliamentary committee is now investigating to see if the minister knew that she was not legally allowed to take this decision.<o:p></o:p>

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued an apology for breaking the Covid mask regulations, saying she regrets the mistake. "It was simply an oversight after the new rules came into force," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on social networks.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued an apology for breaking the Covid mask regulations, saying she regrets the mistake. "It was simply an oversight after the new rules came into force," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on social networks. "I know it can happen to anyone. But ideally not me. So, I obviously regret it and I want to thank you again for everything we are doing together to contain the epidemic." Frederiksen was photographed not wearing a face mask while shopping. A passer-by had spotted her without the mask at a clothes shop in Copenhagen and had recorded a video of the prime minister. This video evidence was then published on the website of the Ekstra Bladet media house on Sunday. WATCH | Her video surfaced almost four days after the Danish government had re-imposed strict measures related to face coverings. While the government had earlier relaxed Covid-related regulations, the recent increase in spread of the new variant Omicron has led to the government re-imposing some of the regulations. Officials have urged locals to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings at all times when stepping outdoors to make sure the chain of spread can be broken as soon as possible. This incident by the prime minister has come at a time when the minister is already gearing up to face a parliamentary committee this week about her decision to cull more than 15 million mink in 2020. Her fear that the Covid strain was mutating through minks had translated into killings of minks. The parliamentary committee is now investigating to see if the minister knew that she was not legally allowed to take this decision.

Denmark's PM apologises for not wearing mask in public amid fears of Omicron variant

While the world struggles to battle with the delta variant, another variant of Covid has already emerged.&nbsp; 
The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible. She further added that a different vaccine may not be needed.

"It is possible that it could become (the) dominant variant," Swaminathan said.&nbsp;She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus.&nbsp; "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said.&nbsp;

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The World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReutersNext?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReutersNext</a> conference that while the Omicron coronavirus variant appeared to be very transmissible, the right response was to be prepared, cautious and not panic <a href="https://t.co/POlVHCPEcd">https://t.co/POlVHCPEcd</a> <a href="https://t.co/x93cE5gBHe">pic.twitter.com/x93cE5gBHe</a>
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Several scientists in the EU and Australia have predicted that Omicron may lead to more infections than Delta as it may spread more rapidly.&nbsp;

Earlier, Dr Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College had deemed the combination of mutations found in the new Covid variant as "horrific".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-world-continues-to-battle-the-delta-variant-a-new-variant-worse-than-delta-emerges-431786">Also read |&nbsp;As world continues to battle the Delta variant, a new variant 'worse than delta' emerges</a>

He further said that the variant could be 'worse than nearly anything else about', including the highly transmissible Delta strain.&nbsp;

Taking to his Twitter, he wrote, "Worth emphasising this is at super low numbers right now in a region of Africa that is fairly well sampled, however it very very much should be monitored due to that horrific spike profile."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-fears-of-new-covid-variant-looms-europe-surpasses-75-million-covid-cases-433994">Also read |&nbsp;As fears of new Covid variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases</a>

However, Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies. "It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection.

The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

While the world struggles to battle with the delta variant, another variant of Covid has already emerged. The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible.

While the world struggles to battle with the delta variant, another variant of Covid has already emerged. The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible. She further added that a different vaccine may not be needed. "It is possible that it could become (the) dominant variant," Swaminathan said. She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus. "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said. The World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told the #ReutersNext conference that while the Omicron coronavirus variant appeared to be very transmissible, the right response was to be prepared, cautious and not panic https://t.co/POlVHCPEcd pic.twitter.com/x93cE5gBHe — Reuters (@Reuters) December 3, 2021 × Several scientists in the EU and Australia have predicted that Omicron may lead to more infections than Delta as it may spread more rapidly. Earlier, Dr Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College had deemed the combination of mutations found in the new Covid variant as "horrific". Also read | As world continues to battle the Delta variant, a new variant 'worse than delta' emerges He further said that the variant could be 'worse than nearly anything else about', including the highly transmissible Delta strain. Taking to his Twitter, he wrote, "Worth emphasising this is at super low numbers right now in a region of Africa that is fairly well sampled, however it very very much should be monitored due to that horrific spike profile." Also read | As fears of new Covid variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases However, Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies. "It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection. The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist

India reported two more cases of Omicron&nbsp;Covid variant on Saturday, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to four.

The first case was detected from India's western Gujarat state, where a 72-year-old man tested positive.

A resident of Zimbabwe, he had returned to Jamnagar city on November 28.

The sample of the elderly man was sent for genome sequencing, after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, it said.

Gujarat's Commissioner of Health Jai Prakash Shivhare confirmed that the man was found infected with the Omicron strain.

The second case was reported from the neighbouring Maharashtra state in Mumbai city.&nbsp;

The infected man&nbsp;returned from South Africa to Kalyan Dombivali municipal area near Mumbai, Maharashtra state's health department said.

"On November 24, the passenger reported a mild fever after landing in Mumbai. He had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine. However, no other symptoms were observed. This mildly symptomatic patient is being treated at the Covid Care Centre in Kalyan-Dombivali,"&nbsp;a government statement said.

Watch |&nbsp;India details plan to combat omicron threat

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-details-plan-to-combat-omicron-threat-434163/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier on Thursday, two people—a 66-year-old South African national and an India doctor—tested positive for the new strain in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

While the foreigner escaped from India, the doctor is under quarantine at his home.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-how-well-prepared-is-india-to-tackle-a-possible-spread-of-new-covid-variant-434064">Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant?</a>

Meanwhile, India reported 8,603 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total to 34.62 million. Deaths rose by 415 to 470,530.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month asked officials to focus on countries identified at risk, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new variant to be "of concern".

Up to 84% have received at least one dose, with more than 125 million people due for a second shot.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

The WHO said Omicron, initially detected in South Africa, may spread more quickly than other forms of the virus.

India expects the Omicron variant to cause less severe illness, due to rising vaccination rates and high prior exposure to the Delta variant that infected nearly 70% of the population by July.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

The WHO has said it had not seen any reports of deaths relating to the new Omicron variant.

The WHO said it was collecting evidence about the variant of concern (VOC), as countries around the world scramble to stop it from spreading.

But despite a growing number of countries registering infections with the new variant, no deaths have yet been reported to the UN health agency.

(With inputs from agencies)

India reported two more cases of Omicron Covid variant on Saturday, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to four. The first case was detected from India's western Gujarat state, where a 72-year-old man tested positive.

India reported two more cases of Omicron Covid variant on Saturday, taking the country's total tally of new strain cases to four. The first case was detected from India's western Gujarat state, where a 72-year-old man tested positive. A resident of Zimbabwe, he had returned to Jamnagar city on November 28. The sample of the elderly man was sent for genome sequencing, after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, it said. Gujarat's Commissioner of Health Jai Prakash Shivhare confirmed that the man was found infected with the Omicron strain. The second case was reported from the neighbouring Maharashtra state in Mumbai city. The infected man returned from South Africa to Kalyan Dombivali municipal area near Mumbai, Maharashtra state's health department said. "On November 24, the passenger reported a mild fever after landing in Mumbai. He had not taken any COVID-19 vaccine. However, no other symptoms were observed. This mildly symptomatic patient is being treated at the Covid Care Centre in Kalyan-Dombivali," a government statement said. Watch | India details plan to combat omicron threat Earlier on Thursday, two people—a 66-year-old South African national and an India doctor—tested positive for the new strain in Bengaluru, Karnataka. While the foreigner escaped from India, the doctor is under quarantine at his home. Also read | Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant? Meanwhile, India reported 8,603 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total to 34.62 million. Deaths rose by 415 to 470,530. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month asked officials to focus on countries identified at risk, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new variant to be "of concern". Up to 84% have received at least one dose, with more than 125 million people due for a second shot. Also read | Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist The WHO said Omicron, initially detected in South Africa, may spread more quickly than other forms of the virus. India expects the Omicron variant to cause less severe illness, due to rising vaccination rates and high prior exposure to the Delta variant that infected nearly 70% of the population by July. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated The WHO has said it had not seen any reports of deaths relating to the new Omicron variant. The WHO said it was collecting evidence about the variant of concern (VOC), as countries around the world scramble to stop it from spreading. But despite a growing number of countries registering infections with the new variant, no deaths have yet been reported to the UN health agency. (With inputs from agencies)

India reports two more Omicron cases, total tally reaches 4

When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world. <o:p></o:p>

While the WHO is busy trying to fight the new variant and protect the humankind from a growing pandemic, a Siberian entrepreneur has sued the organisation for ruining the image of his business.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">New Variant LIVE: UK reports 75 more Omicron cases; confirmed cases rise to 134</a></o:p>

The CEO of the Omicron Network of ophthalmology clinics has filed a case against the global organisation. Alexander Padar, the CEO, has alleged that the naming of the new Covid variant is bound to cause harm to his business.<o:p></o:p>

"Our name is a registered trademark, primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, since this is our core service," he said. <o:p></o:p>

The businessman had invested a huge sum of money for marketing his clinics all around the world. However, now, due to the new Covid variant name and its rapid outbreak, when someone searches for his clinics, they only see news and information about the Covid variant. "Think about it, if someone dies from ‘Omicron’ – your relative or friend, you are unlikely to go to the clinic with the same name," he explained.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Increase in the spread of this variant and the growing number of cases around the world are bound to bring irreparable financial losses for him and his company, Padar fears.<o:p></o:p>

WHO has been naming the Covid variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet to make sure they are able to steer clear of geographical and political bias and stereotypes.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has been spreading around the world at a fast rate, and several countries are now going back to their 2020 defense strategies such as limiting travel, routine RT-PCR tests, necessary lockdowns, social distancing and mask mandates.<o:p></o:p>

Researchers believe at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus<o:p></o:p>

When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world. While the WHO is busy trying to fight the new variant and protect the humankind from a growing pandemic, a Siberian entrepreneur has sued the organisation for ruining the image of his business. Also read | New Variant LIVE: UK reports 75 more Omicron cases; confirmed cases rise to 134 The CEO of the Omicron Network of ophthalmology clinics has filed a case against the global organisation. Alexander Padar, the CEO, has alleged that the naming of the new Covid variant is bound to cause harm to his business. "Our name is a registered trademark, primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, since this is our core service," he said. The businessman had invested a huge sum of money for marketing his clinics all around the world. However, now, due to the new Covid variant name and its rapid outbreak, when someone searches for his clinics, they only see news and information about the Covid variant. "Think about it, if someone dies from ‘Omicron’ – your relative or friend, you are unlikely to go to the clinic with the same name," he explained. WATCH | Increase in the spread of this variant and the growing number of cases around the world are bound to bring irreparable financial losses for him and his company, Padar fears. WHO has been naming the Covid variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet to make sure they are able to steer clear of geographical and political bias and stereotypes. Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has been spreading around the world at a fast rate, and several countries are now going back to their 2020 defense strategies such as limiting travel, routine RT-PCR tests, necessary lockdowns, social distancing and mask mandates. Researchers believe at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus

Omicron variant: Russian businessman sues WHO for stealing his company name

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. &nbsp;

The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2. It is, however, present in common cold virus and in human genome, said researchers. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-covid-variants-origin-linked-to-immunocompromised-people-434103" hreflang="en">Is Covid variants' origin linked to immunocompromised people?</a>

By adopting this snippet into itself, the new variant seems to be making it look itself "more human" to help it evade attack by human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan, who belongs to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm ‘nference’. Soundararajan led the study, which was posted on the website ‘OSF Preprints’ on Thursday. &nbsp;

It means the virus may transmit easily but may cause only mild or asymptomatic disease. &nbsp;&nbsp;

As per earlier studies, the cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal system can harbour coronavirus and common cold virus simultaneously. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-spreads-in-australia-as-authorities-look-to-reopen-economy-434065" hreflang="en">Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy</a>

This co-infection can lead to viral recombination, where two different viruses in the same host cell interact to make copies. The new copies have genetic material of both "parents." &nbsp;

In the study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, Soundararajan and colleagues said that the new mutation may have first occurred in a person, who was infected with both pathogens. It helped the version of SARS-CoV-2 pick up the genetic sequence from the other virus. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2.

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2. It is, however, present in common cold virus and in human genome, said researchers. Also Read: Is Covid variants' origin linked to immunocompromised people? By adopting this snippet into itself, the new variant seems to be making it look itself "more human" to help it evade attack by human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan, who belongs to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm ‘nference’. Soundararajan led the study, which was posted on the website ‘OSF Preprints’ on Thursday. It means the virus may transmit easily but may cause only mild or asymptomatic disease. As per earlier studies, the cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal system can harbour coronavirus and common cold virus simultaneously. Also Read: Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy This co-infection can lead to viral recombination, where two different viruses in the same host cell interact to make copies. The new copies have genetic material of both "parents." In the study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, Soundararajan and colleagues said that the new mutation may have first occurred in a person, who was infected with both pathogens. It helped the version of SARS-CoV-2 pick up the genetic sequence from the other virus. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron may have acquired a mutation from common cold virus, say researchers

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain 
 
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed.

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In view of loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee noted that the measures taken by the health ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines. 
 
With the threat of a third wave looming around, the government should utilise the time in strengthening public health infrastructure.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212" hreflang="en">LIVE: India reports third Omicron case from Gujarat</a> 
 
This is evident from the fact that unlike the first wave (which peaked in September 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely was restricted to urban areas where testing was introduced rapidly, the second wave (peaked in May) largely spread through rural towns and villages, it said in its report 
 
The committee, thus, observed that there is a dire need for improving the geographical spread of testing facilities in rural regions of the country. It also recommended establishing sync between PHCs/CHCs with the VRDLs in the states. 
 
In its report, the committee said it apprehends that a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of more virulent and transmissible strain of the Covid virus in the country and strongly recommended the Union health ministry to adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track Covid cases across the country.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/omicron-travel-chaos-countries-that-imposed-travel-curbs-over-new-covid-variant-432196">Omicron travel chaos: Countries that imposed travel curbs over new Covid variant</a> 
 
"The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report 
 
Besides, the government must aggressively keep pushing the vaccination programme in terms of granting approval to more vaccines, ramping up vaccine production, enhancing delivery capacity and increasing the vaccination rate, the committee said in its recommendations 
 
"With the incidence of highly mutated Omicron (B.1.1.529) strain of Covid virus, the committee strongly believes that the efficacy of the vaccines must be evaluated. The concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism need to be critically addressed," it recommended 
 
An efficient and widely deployed testing mechanism will go a long way in preventing the spread of the infection, the panel noted 
 
The committee said although the second wave came almost six months after the peak of the first wave, India's testing infrastructure remained "abysmal and highly insufficient" 
 
The report stated that to combat the current pandemic and other future emergencies, India must realise its full testing capacity and augment this capacity even further and that the government should ensure that the testing should far outpace the growth of the cases to arrest future waves of Covid early 
 
"The committee also noted that with the new strain of Covid, Omicron (B.1.1.529), exhibiting 30 plus mutations, tracking and testing facilities especially at airports must also be strengthened and rigorous testing and screening of travellers must be carried out," it said 
 
"The committee is also concerned about the efficacy of the present vaccines and the possibility of mutated strain like Omicron evading vaccine immunity. The committee, therefore recommends the government to conduct more research and examine the need of administering booster dose of vaccines for containing the newer strain of virus," the committee said in its recommendations 
 
The committee recommended Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia INSACOG to closely monitor the new strain of the virus and work towards upgrading the genome sequencing infrastructure in the country 
 
With WHO designating Omicorn as a "Variant of Concern", the government must take immediate measures to prevent the transmission of any newer strains in the country, the committee said in its recommendations 
 
Further noting that the North-East region was engulfed during the second wave of the pandemic, the committee said it is high time the ministry pulls up its socks and take concrete steps to improve the largely insufficient healthcare facilities in the North-East Region of the country. 
 
The committee also sought to be apprised of the 'plan of action' with respect to utilisation of Rs 64,179.55 crore allocated for strengthening public health infrastructure for pandemic preparedness.

&nbsp;

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed.

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed. In view of loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee noted that the measures taken by the health ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines. With the threat of a third wave looming around, the government should utilise the time in strengthening public health infrastructure. Also read | LIVE: India reports third Omicron case from Gujarat This is evident from the fact that unlike the first wave (which peaked in September 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely was restricted to urban areas where testing was introduced rapidly, the second wave (peaked in May) largely spread through rural towns and villages, it said in its report The committee, thus, observed that there is a dire need for improving the geographical spread of testing facilities in rural regions of the country. It also recommended establishing sync between PHCs/CHCs with the VRDLs in the states. In its report, the committee said it apprehends that a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of more virulent and transmissible strain of the Covid virus in the country and strongly recommended the Union health ministry to adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track Covid cases across the country. Also see | Omicron travel chaos: Countries that imposed travel curbs over new Covid variant "The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report Besides, the government must aggressively keep pushing the vaccination programme in terms of granting approval to more vaccines, ramping up vaccine production, enhancing delivery capacity and increasing the vaccination rate, the committee said in its recommendations "With the incidence of highly mutated Omicron (B.1.1.529) strain of Covid virus, the committee strongly believes that the efficacy of the vaccines must be evaluated. The concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism need to be critically addressed," it recommended An efficient and widely deployed testing mechanism will go a long way in preventing the spread of the infection, the panel noted The committee said although the second wave came almost six months after the peak of the first wave, India's testing infrastructure remained "abysmal and highly insufficient" The report stated that to combat the current pandemic and other future emergencies, India must realise its full testing capacity and augment this capacity even further and that the government should ensure that the testing should far outpace the growth of the cases to arrest future waves of Covid early "The committee also noted that with the new strain of Covid, Omicron (B.1.1.529), exhibiting 30 plus mutations, tracking and testing facilities especially at airports must also be strengthened and rigorous testing and screening of travellers must be carried out," it said "The committee is also concerned about the efficacy of the present vaccines and the possibility of mutated strain like Omicron evading vaccine immunity. The committee, therefore recommends the government to conduct more research and examine the need of administering booster dose of vaccines for containing the newer strain of virus," the committee said in its recommendations The committee recommended Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia INSACOG to closely monitor the new strain of the virus and work towards upgrading the genome sequencing infrastructure in the country With WHO designating Omicorn as a "Variant of Concern", the government must take immediate measures to prevent the transmission of any newer strains in the country, the committee said in its recommendations Further noting that the North-East region was engulfed during the second wave of the pandemic, the committee said it is high time the ministry pulls up its socks and take concrete steps to improve the largely insufficient healthcare facilities in the North-East Region of the country. The committee also sought to be apprised of the 'plan of action' with respect to utilisation of Rs 64,179.55 crore allocated for strengthening public health infrastructure for pandemic preparedness.

Omicron: Parliamentary panel recommends evaluation of vaccines, more research for booster dose

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results.

“This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.”

Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday.

Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines.

In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged.

And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived.

Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated.

“The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?”

As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not.

Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity.

So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii.

On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel.

All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection.

They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results.

“If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?”

That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials.

“It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.”

At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests.

For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast.

“It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area.

In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab.

“It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.”

The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic.

Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated.

“It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director.

It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.”

“Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement.

He pledged that those policies would continue.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet. In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results. “This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.” Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday. Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines. In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged. And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived. Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated. “The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?” As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not. Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity. So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii. On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel. All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection. They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results. “If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?” That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials. “It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.” At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests. For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast. “It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area. In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab. “It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.” The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic. Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated. “It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director. It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.” “Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement. He pledged that those policies would continue.

Inside a sequencing lab on the front lines of America’s search for Omicron

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland. &nbsp;

The recent developments will test the plans of the authorities to reopen the economy. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-fears-of-new-variant-looms-europe-surpasses-75-million-covid-cases-433994" hreflang="en">As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases</a>

On Friday, Australia reported its first community transmission of the new variant at a school in Sydney. As the authorities are probing the source, the number of cases is expected to rise. &nbsp;

On the hope that Omicron may be milder than previous strains, federal authorities seem to be sticking to the plan to reopen the economy. It comes as some state and territory governments are looking to tighten domestic border controls.&nbsp;

"The public health unit have ruled out that it is Delta but we haven't been able to confirm if it is Omicron. But it is being treated as if it is," state Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999" hreflang="en">Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

Authorities in Queensland suspect its first case of Omicron to be a person, who travelled from South Africa. The genome sequencing is still being done. &nbsp;

On Saturday, authorities in South Australia said that arrivals from Victoria, New South Wales and the capital territory will be tested. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland.

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland. The recent developments will test the plans of the authorities to reopen the economy. Also Read: As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases On Friday, Australia reported its first community transmission of the new variant at a school in Sydney. As the authorities are probing the source, the number of cases is expected to rise. On the hope that Omicron may be milder than previous strains, federal authorities seem to be sticking to the plan to reopen the economy. It comes as some state and territory governments are looking to tighten domestic border controls. "The public health unit have ruled out that it is Delta but we haven't been able to confirm if it is Omicron. But it is being treated as if it is," state Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Also Read: Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist Authorities in Queensland suspect its first case of Omicron to be a person, who travelled from South Africa. The genome sequencing is still being done. On Saturday, authorities in South Australia said that arrivals from Victoria, New South Wales and the capital territory will be tested. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa. It rapidly spread to various parts of the world, including India.

On Thursday, the Central government reported two cases of the Omicron variant in the Southern state of Karnataka.

As fears of the new variant have engulfed the nation, there is one question that needs to be answered- Is India prepared to tackle the spread of the growing Omicron variant?

One of the most concerning things about this new variant is its transmissibility rate. While experts have been warning of its low virulence, there is a fear that it may cause more infections than any previous variant.&nbsp;

Earlier, on Friday, the World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

"It is possible that it could become dominant variant," Swaminathan said. She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus. "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said.&nbsp;

As per the scientists, the symptoms, as of now, are mild. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, "All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied."

Will the vaccines work against new variant? 
India, in October, achieved a new milestone of administering a billion vaccine doses. However, with the emergence of this new variant, there has come a big question mark on the vaccination status.

While ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava has said that at this stage it is very premature to comment on the efficacy of the vaccines, WHO Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said that a new vaccine may not be needed.&nbsp;

Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies.&nbsp;"It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection."

"The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said.

The head of India’s Covid task, Dr V K Paul has said that the vaccine manufacturers are also examining the issue of vaccine efficacy.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

Elaborating on the importance of getting vaccinated, he said that vaccination remains “the most critical tool”. 
He said that Indians are fortunate enough to have the tool in abundance.

Are there any chances of a third wave?&nbsp;

As of now, the severity of the variant is not clear. But keeping in mind the pace at which it is spreading, it is likely to move to more states in India. The scientific evidence, pertaining to the new variant, is still evolving.

(With inputs from agencies)

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa.

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa. It rapidly spread to various parts of the world, including India. On Thursday, the Central government reported two cases of the Omicron variant in the Southern state of Karnataka. As fears of the new variant have engulfed the nation, there is one question that needs to be answered- Is India prepared to tackle the spread of the growing Omicron variant? One of the most concerning things about this new variant is its transmissibility rate. While experts have been warning of its low virulence, there is a fear that it may cause more infections than any previous variant. Earlier, on Friday, the World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible. Also read | Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist "It is possible that it could become dominant variant," Swaminathan said. She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus. "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said. As per the scientists, the symptoms, as of now, are mild. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, "All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied." Will the vaccines work against new variant? India, in October, achieved a new milestone of administering a billion vaccine doses. However, with the emergence of this new variant, there has come a big question mark on the vaccination status. While ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava has said that at this stage it is very premature to comment on the efficacy of the vaccines, WHO Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said that a new vaccine may not be needed. Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies. "It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection." "The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said. The head of India’s Covid task, Dr V K Paul has said that the vaccine manufacturers are also examining the issue of vaccine efficacy. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated Elaborating on the importance of getting vaccinated, he said that vaccination remains “the most critical tool”. He said that Indians are fortunate enough to have the tool in abundance. Are there any chances of a third wave? As of now, the severity of the variant is not clear. But keeping in mind the pace at which it is spreading, it is likely to move to more states in India. The scientific evidence, pertaining to the new variant, is still evolving. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country. However, Shah said Team India will travel to South Africa only for three Tests and three ODIs while the four-match T20I series will be played at a later date.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding India's upcoming tour of South Africa as COVID-19 cases have surged in the country after the emergence of the Omicron variant which has been labelled as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The cases have gone up significantly in the Gauteng province where India and South Africa are scheduled to play the first two Tests of the three-match series.

However, after assurance from Cricket South Africa over the strict bio-bubble arrangements for the visitors, BCCI has decided to give a go-ahead to the Indian team for the tour. "BCCI has confirmed CSA that the Indian team will travel for three Tests and three ODIs. The remaining four T20Is will be played at a later date," Shah told ANI.

Omicron recently led to the suspension of all major sporting events in South Africa with the Netherlands cricket team also cutting short their tour of the country. A few golf and Rugby games also had to be postponed or called off in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-r-ashwin-signals-for-drs-after-getting-bowled-gets-trolled-by-former-australian-cricketer-434047">WATCH: R Ashwin signals for DRS after getting bowled, gets trolled by former Australian cricketer</a>

The India A cricket team, however, has stayed back in South Africa for their three unofficial Test matches against the South Africa A side. While two games have concluded the third match is all set to get underway from Monday (December 06).

As per their original schedule, India had to leave for South Africa next week after the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand. The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway from December 17 as per the schedule. However, it remains to be seen if BCCI will stick with the old schedule or a new schedule will be followed.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country. However, Shah said Team India will travel to South Africa only for three Tests and three ODIs while the four-match T20I series will be played at a later date. There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding India's upcoming tour of South Africa as COVID-19 cases have surged in the country after the emergence of the Omicron variant which has been labelled as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The cases have gone up significantly in the Gauteng province where India and South Africa are scheduled to play the first two Tests of the three-match series. However, after assurance from Cricket South Africa over the strict bio-bubble arrangements for the visitors, BCCI has decided to give a go-ahead to the Indian team for the tour. "BCCI has confirmed CSA that the Indian team will travel for three Tests and three ODIs. The remaining four T20Is will be played at a later date," Shah told ANI. Omicron recently led to the suspension of all major sporting events in South Africa with the Netherlands cricket team also cutting short their tour of the country. A few golf and Rugby games also had to be postponed or called off in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. Also Read: WATCH: R Ashwin signals for DRS after getting bowled, gets trolled by former Australian cricketer The India A cricket team, however, has stayed back in South Africa for their three unofficial Test matches against the South Africa A side. While two games have concluded the third match is all set to get underway from Monday (December 06). As per their original schedule, India had to leave for South Africa next week after the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand. The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway from December 17 as per the schedule. However, it remains to be seen if BCCI will stick with the old schedule or a new schedule will be followed.

India to tour South Africa for three Tests, three ODIs; T20Is to be played later: BCCI secretary Jay Shah

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