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

Covid News: Australia witnesses massive spike, surge fuelled by Omicron variant

Cyprus has discovered a new variant called 'Deltacron' which is a combination of Delta & Omicron. The global case tally meanwhile has breached the 307 million mark. India alone added 179,000+ cases on Sunday. Palki Sharma gets you a detailed report.

Gravitas: Amid Omicron surge, Deltacron discovered in Cyprus

2022 was expected to be the year of economic recovery, but Omicron has the potential to send economies back in the ICU. Financial bodies are already revising their economic forecasts. Governments across the world are lowering their projections. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Will Omicron send economies back to the ICU?

On Dec. 29, The Gateway Pundit, a far-right website that often spreads conspiracy theories, published an article falsely implying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had withdrawn authorization of all PCR tests for detecting COVID-19. The article collected 22,000 likes, comments and shares on Facebook and Twitter.

On TikTok and Instagram, videos of at-home COVID-19 tests displaying positive results after being soaked in drinking water and juice have gone viral in recent weeks, and were used to push the false narrative that coronavirus rapid tests do not work. Some household liquids can make a test show a positive result, health experts say, but the tests remain accurate when used as directed. One TikTok video showing a home test that came out positive after being placed under running water was shared at least 140,000 times.

And on YouTube, a video titled “Rapid antigen tests debunked” was posted on Jan. 1 by the Canadian far-right website Rebel News. It generated over 40,000 views, and its comments section was a hotbed of misinformation. “The straight up purpose of this test is to keep the case #’s as high as possible to maintain fear &amp;amp; incentive for more restrictions,” said one comment with more than 200 likes. “And of course Profit.”

Misinformation about COVID-19 tests has spiked across social media in recent weeks, researchers say, as coronavirus cases have surged again worldwide because of the highly infectious omicron variant.

The burst of misinformation threatens to further stymie public efforts to keep the health crisis under control. Previous spikes in pandemic-related falsehoods focused on the vaccines, masks and the severity of the virus. The falsehoods help undermine best practices for controlling the spread of the coronavirus, health experts say, noting that misinformation remains a key factor in vaccine hesitancy.

The categories include falsehoods that PCR tests do not work; that the counts for flu and COVID-19 cases have been combined; that PCR tests are vaccines in disguise; and that at-home rapid tests have a predetermined result or are unreliable because different liquids can turn them positive.

These themes jumped into the thousands of mentions in the last three months of 2021, compared with just a few dozen in the same time period in 2020, according to Zignal Labs, which tracks mentions on social media, on cable television and in print and online outlets.

The added demand for testing due to omicron and the higher prevalence of breakthrough cases has given purveyors of misinformation an “opportune moment” to exploit, said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. The false narratives “support the whole idea of not trusting the infection numbers or trusting the death count,” she said.

The Gateway Pundit did not respond to a request for comment. TikTok pointed to its policies that prohibit misinformation that could cause harm to people’s physical health. YouTube said it was reviewing the videos shared by The New York Times in line with its COVID-19 misinformation policies on testing and diagnostics. Twitter said that it had applied a warning to The Gateway Pundit’s article in December for violating its coronavirus misinformation policy and that tweets containing false information about widely accepted testing methods would also violate its policy. But the company said it does not take action on personal anecdotes.

Facebook said it had worked with its fact-checking partners to label many of the posts with warnings that directed people toward fact checks of the false claims, and reduced their prominence on its users’ feeds.

“The challenges of the pandemic are constantly changing, and we’re consistently monitoring for emerging false claims on our platforms,” Aaron Simpson, a Facebook spokesman, said in an email.

No medical test is perfect, and legitimate questions about the accuracy of COVID-19 tests have abounded throughout the pandemic. There has always been a risk of a false positive or a false negative result. The Food and Drug Administration says there is a potential for antigen tests to return false positive results when users do not follow the instructions. Those tests are generally accurate when used correctly but in some cases can appear to show a positive result when exposed to other liquids, said Dr. Glenn Patriquin, who published a study about false positives in antigen tests using various liquids in a publication of the American Society for Microbiology.

“Using a fluid with a different chemical makeup than what was designed means that result lines might appear unpredictably,” said Patriquin, an assistant professor of pathology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

Complicating matters, there have been some defective products. Last year, the Australian company Ellume recalled about 2 million of the at-home testing products that it had shipped to the United States.

But when used correctly, coronavirus tests are considered reliable at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. Experts say our evolving knowledge of tests should be a distinct issue from lies about testing that have spread widely on social media — though it does make debunking those lies more challenging.

“Science is inherently uncertain and changes, which makes tackling misinformation exceedingly difficult,” Koltai said.

Researchers say that the falsehoods are rising despite efforts by social media companies to crack down and that many contain lies that had surfaced in the past.

The surge “fits with the misinformation industry’s pattern during the pandemic,” said John Gregory, deputy health editor at NewsGuard, which rates the credibility of news sites and has tracked the prevalence of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation. “Whatever the current mainstream story is, they seek their own narrative to undermine it.”

The CDC said in July that it would withdraw its request to the FDA for emergency-use authorization of one specific test at the end of the year. Hundreds of other COVID-19 tests are still available from other manufacturers, the CDC later clarified.

Still, posts claiming that the agency had withdrawn support of PCR tests went viral on Facebook. The most widely shared post pushing the falsehood in July collected 11,500 likes, shares and comments, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned social media analytics tool. The post added the falsehood that the CDC’s advisory meant that PCR tests could not distinguish between the coronavirus and the flu, when in fact the agency had simply recommended the use of tests that could simultaneously detect and distinguish between the flu and COVID-19.

Despite being fact-checked within days, the claim never fully went away. The Gateway Pundit article revived the claim at the end of the year, collecting nearly double the earlier post’s likes, shares and comments on Facebook. On Instagram, screenshots of the article also went viral, collecting hundreds of likes.

Gregory said a similar phenomenon had occurred with social media posts claiming various liquids turned at-home coronavirus tests positive.

On Dec. 23, 2020, a video on YouTube showed coronavirus tests turning positive after being tested on kiwi, orange and berry fruit juice. It collected over 102,000 views. In the same month, a video producing the same results with Coca-Cola was posted on YouTube, collecting 16,800 views.

One year later, a spate of similar videos with the same theme appeared on TikTok and Instagram.

For Koltai, the reemergence of false narratives even after social media companies labeled them a year earlier shows the power of misinformation to “thrive when it can latch on to a current event.”

“That is how narratives can peak at different times,” she said.

On Dec. 29, The Gateway Pundit, a far-right website that often spreads conspiracy theories, published an article falsely implying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had withdrawn authorization of all PCR tests for detecting COVID-19.

On Dec. 29, The Gateway Pundit, a far-right website that often spreads conspiracy theories, published an article falsely implying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had withdrawn authorization of all PCR tests for detecting COVID-19. The article collected 22,000 likes, comments and shares on Facebook and Twitter. On TikTok and Instagram, videos of at-home COVID-19 tests displaying positive results after being soaked in drinking water and juice have gone viral in recent weeks, and were used to push the false narrative that coronavirus rapid tests do not work. Some household liquids can make a test show a positive result, health experts say, but the tests remain accurate when used as directed. One TikTok video showing a home test that came out positive after being placed under running water was shared at least 140,000 times. And on YouTube, a video titled “Rapid antigen tests debunked” was posted on Jan. 1 by the Canadian far-right website Rebel News. It generated over 40,000 views, and its comments section was a hotbed of misinformation. “The straight up purpose of this test is to keep the case #’s as high as possible to maintain fear &amp; incentive for more restrictions,” said one comment with more than 200 likes. “And of course Profit.” Misinformation about COVID-19 tests has spiked across social media in recent weeks, researchers say, as coronavirus cases have surged again worldwide because of the highly infectious omicron variant. The burst of misinformation threatens to further stymie public efforts to keep the health crisis under control. Previous spikes in pandemic-related falsehoods focused on the vaccines, masks and the severity of the virus. The falsehoods help undermine best practices for controlling the spread of the coronavirus, health experts say, noting that misinformation remains a key factor in vaccine hesitancy. The categories include falsehoods that PCR tests do not work; that the counts for flu and COVID-19 cases have been combined; that PCR tests are vaccines in disguise; and that at-home rapid tests have a predetermined result or are unreliable because different liquids can turn them positive. These themes jumped into the thousands of mentions in the last three months of 2021, compared with just a few dozen in the same time period in 2020, according to Zignal Labs, which tracks mentions on social media, on cable television and in print and online outlets. The added demand for testing due to omicron and the higher prevalence of breakthrough cases has given purveyors of misinformation an “opportune moment” to exploit, said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. The false narratives “support the whole idea of not trusting the infection numbers or trusting the death count,” she said. The Gateway Pundit did not respond to a request for comment. TikTok pointed to its policies that prohibit misinformation that could cause harm to people’s physical health. YouTube said it was reviewing the videos shared by The New York Times in line with its COVID-19 misinformation policies on testing and diagnostics. Twitter said that it had applied a warning to The Gateway Pundit’s article in December for violating its coronavirus misinformation policy and that tweets containing false information about widely accepted testing methods would also violate its policy. But the company said it does not take action on personal anecdotes. Facebook said it had worked with its fact-checking partners to label many of the posts with warnings that directed people toward fact checks of the false claims, and reduced their prominence on its users’ feeds. “The challenges of the pandemic are constantly changing, and we’re consistently monitoring for emerging false claims on our platforms,” Aaron Simpson, a Facebook spokesman, said in an email. No medical test is perfect, and legitimate questions about the accuracy of COVID-19 tests have abounded throughout the pandemic. There has always been a risk of a false positive or a false negative result. The Food and Drug Administration says there is a potential for antigen tests to return false positive results when users do not follow the instructions. Those tests are generally accurate when used correctly but in some cases can appear to show a positive result when exposed to other liquids, said Dr. Glenn Patriquin, who published a study about false positives in antigen tests using various liquids in a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. “Using a fluid with a different chemical makeup than what was designed means that result lines might appear unpredictably,” said Patriquin, an assistant professor of pathology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Complicating matters, there have been some defective products. Last year, the Australian company Ellume recalled about 2 million of the at-home testing products that it had shipped to the United States. But when used correctly, coronavirus tests are considered reliable at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. Experts say our evolving knowledge of tests should be a distinct issue from lies about testing that have spread widely on social media — though it does make debunking those lies more challenging. “Science is inherently uncertain and changes, which makes tackling misinformation exceedingly difficult,” Koltai said. Researchers say that the falsehoods are rising despite efforts by social media companies to crack down and that many contain lies that had surfaced in the past. The surge “fits with the misinformation industry’s pattern during the pandemic,” said John Gregory, deputy health editor at NewsGuard, which rates the credibility of news sites and has tracked the prevalence of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation. “Whatever the current mainstream story is, they seek their own narrative to undermine it.” The CDC said in July that it would withdraw its request to the FDA for emergency-use authorization of one specific test at the end of the year. Hundreds of other COVID-19 tests are still available from other manufacturers, the CDC later clarified. Still, posts claiming that the agency had withdrawn support of PCR tests went viral on Facebook. The most widely shared post pushing the falsehood in July collected 11,500 likes, shares and comments, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned social media analytics tool. The post added the falsehood that the CDC’s advisory meant that PCR tests could not distinguish between the coronavirus and the flu, when in fact the agency had simply recommended the use of tests that could simultaneously detect and distinguish between the flu and COVID-19. Despite being fact-checked within days, the claim never fully went away. The Gateway Pundit article revived the claim at the end of the year, collecting nearly double the earlier post’s likes, shares and comments on Facebook. On Instagram, screenshots of the article also went viral, collecting hundreds of likes. Gregory said a similar phenomenon had occurred with social media posts claiming various liquids turned at-home coronavirus tests positive. On Dec. 23, 2020, a video on YouTube showed coronavirus tests turning positive after being tested on kiwi, orange and berry fruit juice. It collected over 102,000 views. In the same month, a video producing the same results with Coca-Cola was posted on YouTube, collecting 16,800 views. One year later, a spate of similar videos with the same theme appeared on TikTok and Instagram. For Koltai, the reemergence of false narratives even after social media companies labeled them a year earlier shows the power of misinformation to “thrive when it can latch on to a current event.” “That is how narratives can peak at different times,” she said.

Covid test misinformation spikes along with spread of Omicron

Several scientists working on genome sequencing of Covid positive samples have said that Omicron's sub-lineage, BA.1, is circulating dominantly. Also, it is now replacing the Delta variant in Maharashtra and several other states.&nbsp;

The revelation&nbsp;has&nbsp;been made by scientists working at the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).&nbsp;

Omicron has two other sub-lineages as well - BA.2 and BA.3. However, according to an INSACOG virologist, the presence of BA.2 is far too low and BA.3 has not been identified in India as of now.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-records-179723-fresh-covid-19-cases-146-new-deaths-in-24-hours-443504">Also read |&nbsp;India records 1,79,723 fresh COVID-19 cases, 146 new deaths in 24 hours</a>

The Omicron variant is highly transmissible and has been spreading rapidly in the nation. It has also imposed several state governments impose certain restrictions.&nbsp;

India recorded 1,79,723 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The count is 12.5 per cent higher than the previous day's figure. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The tally of Omicron cases in the country has also gone up and reached 4,033. Of these, 1,552 have been recovered.&nbsp;

Several scientists working on genome sequencing of Covid positive samples have said that Omicron's sub-lineage, BA.1, is circulating dominantly. Also, it is now replacing the Delta variant in Maharashtra and several other states.

Several scientists working on genome sequencing of Covid positive samples have said that Omicron's sub-lineage, BA.1, is circulating dominantly. Also, it is now replacing the Delta variant in Maharashtra and several other states. The revelation has been made by scientists working at the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). Omicron has two other sub-lineages as well - BA.2 and BA.3. However, according to an INSACOG virologist, the presence of BA.2 is far too low and BA.3 has not been identified in India as of now. Also read | India records 1,79,723 fresh COVID-19 cases, 146 new deaths in 24 hours The Omicron variant is highly transmissible and has been spreading rapidly in the nation. It has also imposed several state governments impose certain restrictions. India recorded 1,79,723 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The count is 12.5 per cent higher than the previous day's figure. The tally of Omicron cases in the country has also gone up and reached 4,033. Of these, 1,552 have been recovered.

Omicron's sub-lineage replaces Delta, becomes dominant strain in most Indian states

South Africa quickly became the epicenter of the Omicron wave. Today this variant has reached most countries prompting a big spike in cases. But a study in South Africa is teaching the world about the trajectory of omicron, hinting that the acute wave may be ending soon.

When will the Omicron wave end? A learning for the world

India has reported nearly about 1,80,000 cases of covid-19 infections as the country has now begun administering precautionary doses to certain priority groups. Now, the number of cases have risen by 13% in comparison with yesterday, the country has been reporting over 1,00,000 cases of infections over the course of the last four days and so far India has also recorded 4,000 cases of omicron variant.

India records 1,79,723 new covid-19 cases, drive for precautionary doses begin

Before he took office as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams repeatedly said that his top priority was to serve as the city’s cheerleader and promote its recovery.

Adams has quickly begun to fulfill that vow. In his first week in office, he moved to buttress the city’s health system during a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations. He fought to keep schools open even as they closed in other cities like Chicago.

And Sunday, he faced a devastating new challenge when the city had its deadliest fire in decades, and at least 19 people died, including nine children. He held two news conferences at the site of the fire in the Bronx and called for unity at a time of horrific loss. “During a tragedy, we’re going to be here for each other,” he said.

Adams, a Democrat and former police captain, confronts the most daunting challenges to face a mayor since Michael Bloomberg was inaugurated after the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City had started to recover from the economic devastation of the pandemic this fall, but the omicron surge last month led to the cancellation of some Broadway shows and emptied offices once again just as the new mayor took office.

Much of his first week focused on keeping public schools open and sending a message that the city is ready to move forward. He said he decided shortly before taking office that he would do everything he could to keep the school system open after reviewing low transmission rates in schools.

“It was clear to me that no matter what the heat was and the pressure was, unless the doctors said, ‘Eric, it’s dangerous to have these children in school,’ then I was going to push forward and be very clear so that parents wouldn’t have a level of uncertainty,” he said in a recent interview.

But to do that, Adams needs the numbers to back his optimism. So each day, he convenes an 8:30 a.m. video briefing with his top health advisers to review the latest COVID-related data.

“We say, ‘Where are we, give us the counts, are the hospitals stabilized, what do the numbers look like, what are the fatalities? How many schools were closed the day before?’” Adams said. “Then we decide, are we staying the course? How are we pivoting?”

His administration distributed more than 1 million coronavirus home tests in recent days so that students could test at home. He filmed a video of himself taking a home test Thursday to show families how to do it. A day earlier, he announced additional funding for hospitals to shore up staffing.

In his first week, Adams was seemingly everywhere — riding an electric Citi Bike in Manhattan, announcing 17 arrests in a gang crackdown in Brooklyn and sliding down a pole at a fire station in Queens. On Sunday, he delivered remarks at a church, held a news conference with Sen. Chuck Schumer, visited a Burger King where someone was killed during a robbery, and then headed twice to the Bronx to the scene of the deadly fire. The Bronx building is owned by Camber Property Group, a developer whose co-founder, Rick Gropper, was a member of the Adams transition team for housing issues.

In doing so, the mayor exhibited a tireless energy many found lacking in his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, leaving Gracie Mansion in the darkened predawn to make a 6:45 a.m. news conference on a snowstorm Friday, and visiting hospital workers at 9:30 p.m. to thank nurses working the night shift Tuesday.

He also traded barbs with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she took issue with his calling cooks and Dunkin’ Donuts employees “low-skill workers,” and then found himself on the defensive for making two personnel moves: He named Philip Banks, a former police chief, as his deputy mayor for public safety, despite ethical concerns over Banks’ past as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal corruption investigation; he also took steps to give his brother a job as a deputy police commissioner to run the mayor’s security detail.

Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, said Sunday that he wanted his brother to oversee his security because of concerns over white supremacy and hate crimes; he said his brother was qualified for the job, adding, “I need someone that I trust.”

The mayor said that Banks acknowledged that he had made mistakes, but he had not been accused of a crime.

“I need the best person for the job,” Adams said on CNN, in one of two Sunday national news show appearances. The mayor also returned to another of his first-week themes: He intends to keep schools open.

But as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are surging, some elected officials, union leaders and health experts have urged Adams to do even more to stop the spread of the virus.

The city has recorded more than 40,000 cases per day, and more than 5,700 people are hospitalized with the virus, including 620 patients in intensive care units — the highest levels since the spring of 2020. Some working-class neighborhoods like South Jamaica in Queens, where Adams was born, have alarming test positivity rates higher than 40%.

The teachers union called for a temporary return to remote learning. The largest municipal union called for nonessential city employees to work from home.

Instead, Adams pushed for the city to reopen, urging private employers to bring workers back to offices.

“I met with a number of business leaders,” Adams said in the interview. “Instead of going to a five-day week all at once, let’s do two days a week or three days a week — let people get over their fear that we can come back.”

Asked about the criticism that his upbeat tone did not match difficult realities, Adams said that the omicron variant was less severe and it was “just as dangerous not to open the city.”

Denis Nash, a public health researcher at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, said that Adams should do more to rein in the virus.

“I certainly agree that we need to learn to live with COVID — that is what New York City has been doing as much, if not more, than any other city in the country,” Nash said. “But from an epidemiologic perspective, we do not have to learn to live with unbridled surges in community transmission that overwhelm the health care system, like the one we are going through right now.”

Adams’ push for New Yorkers to return to offices led to his first public spat with Ocasio-Cortez, the left-leaning congresswoman who endorsed Adams’ competitor, Maya Wiley, in the Democratic primary last year. Adams said the city must remain open because “low-skill workers” could not work remotely.

Ocasio-Cortez and a like-minded ally, Tiffany Cabán, a new City Council member, criticized his choice of words.

“The suggestion that any job is ‘low skill’ is a myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no health care, and low wages,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on Twitter.

Adams said he should have used the term “low-wage workers,” noting that he had been one himself, washing dishes, shining shoes and working in a mailroom. He said Ocasio-Cortez was acting as “word police” and that he sometimes made mistakes.

“I would rather be authentic and make errors than be robotic and not be sincere in what they’re doing,” he said, adding: “I know they’re perfect, and there’s not much I can do about that. I can only aspire one day to be as perfect as they are.”

Adams said he nonetheless wanted to work with progressives like Ocasio-Cortez. But he encouraged them to reach out to him directly.

“I can sit there and work with any group,” he said. “But you don’t work with a group by just tweeting. ”

With Adams newly elected and at the peak of his political power, Democratic leaders have seemed reluctant to get in a public spat with him. Michael Mulgrew, the teachers union president who often plays the role of mayoral antagonist, has shown unusual deference to the mayor.

The mayor has also moved to quickly cement a positive relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, putting an end to the feud that typified the tenures of their predecessors, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio.

Adams and Hochul appeared together again Sunday evening at the site of the fire and vowed to work together to help the victims.

Before he took office as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams repeatedly said that his top priority was to serve as the city’s cheerleader and promote its recovery.

Before he took office as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams repeatedly said that his top priority was to serve as the city’s cheerleader and promote its recovery. Adams has quickly begun to fulfill that vow. In his first week in office, he moved to buttress the city’s health system during a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations. He fought to keep schools open even as they closed in other cities like Chicago. And Sunday, he faced a devastating new challenge when the city had its deadliest fire in decades, and at least 19 people died, including nine children. He held two news conferences at the site of the fire in the Bronx and called for unity at a time of horrific loss. “During a tragedy, we’re going to be here for each other,” he said. Adams, a Democrat and former police captain, confronts the most daunting challenges to face a mayor since Michael Bloomberg was inaugurated after the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City had started to recover from the economic devastation of the pandemic this fall, but the omicron surge last month led to the cancellation of some Broadway shows and emptied offices once again just as the new mayor took office. Much of his first week focused on keeping public schools open and sending a message that the city is ready to move forward. He said he decided shortly before taking office that he would do everything he could to keep the school system open after reviewing low transmission rates in schools. “It was clear to me that no matter what the heat was and the pressure was, unless the doctors said, ‘Eric, it’s dangerous to have these children in school,’ then I was going to push forward and be very clear so that parents wouldn’t have a level of uncertainty,” he said in a recent interview. But to do that, Adams needs the numbers to back his optimism. So each day, he convenes an 8:30 a.m. video briefing with his top health advisers to review the latest COVID-related data. “We say, ‘Where are we, give us the counts, are the hospitals stabilized, what do the numbers look like, what are the fatalities? How many schools were closed the day before?’” Adams said. “Then we decide, are we staying the course? How are we pivoting?” His administration distributed more than 1 million coronavirus home tests in recent days so that students could test at home. He filmed a video of himself taking a home test Thursday to show families how to do it. A day earlier, he announced additional funding for hospitals to shore up staffing. In his first week, Adams was seemingly everywhere — riding an electric Citi Bike in Manhattan, announcing 17 arrests in a gang crackdown in Brooklyn and sliding down a pole at a fire station in Queens. On Sunday, he delivered remarks at a church, held a news conference with Sen. Chuck Schumer, visited a Burger King where someone was killed during a robbery, and then headed twice to the Bronx to the scene of the deadly fire. The Bronx building is owned by Camber Property Group, a developer whose co-founder, Rick Gropper, was a member of the Adams transition team for housing issues. In doing so, the mayor exhibited a tireless energy many found lacking in his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, leaving Gracie Mansion in the darkened predawn to make a 6:45 a.m. news conference on a snowstorm Friday, and visiting hospital workers at 9:30 p.m. to thank nurses working the night shift Tuesday. He also traded barbs with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she took issue with his calling cooks and Dunkin’ Donuts employees “low-skill workers,” and then found himself on the defensive for making two personnel moves: He named Philip Banks, a former police chief, as his deputy mayor for public safety, despite ethical concerns over Banks’ past as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal corruption investigation; he also took steps to give his brother a job as a deputy police commissioner to run the mayor’s security detail. Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, said Sunday that he wanted his brother to oversee his security because of concerns over white supremacy and hate crimes; he said his brother was qualified for the job, adding, “I need someone that I trust.” The mayor said that Banks acknowledged that he had made mistakes, but he had not been accused of a crime. “I need the best person for the job,” Adams said on CNN, in one of two Sunday national news show appearances. The mayor also returned to another of his first-week themes: He intends to keep schools open. But as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are surging, some elected officials, union leaders and health experts have urged Adams to do even more to stop the spread of the virus. The city has recorded more than 40,000 cases per day, and more than 5,700 people are hospitalized with the virus, including 620 patients in intensive care units — the highest levels since the spring of 2020. Some working-class neighborhoods like South Jamaica in Queens, where Adams was born, have alarming test positivity rates higher than 40%. The teachers union called for a temporary return to remote learning. The largest municipal union called for nonessential city employees to work from home. Instead, Adams pushed for the city to reopen, urging private employers to bring workers back to offices. “I met with a number of business leaders,” Adams said in the interview. “Instead of going to a five-day week all at once, let’s do two days a week or three days a week — let people get over their fear that we can come back.” Asked about the criticism that his upbeat tone did not match difficult realities, Adams said that the omicron variant was less severe and it was “just as dangerous not to open the city.” Denis Nash, a public health researcher at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, said that Adams should do more to rein in the virus. “I certainly agree that we need to learn to live with COVID — that is what New York City has been doing as much, if not more, than any other city in the country,” Nash said. “But from an epidemiologic perspective, we do not have to learn to live with unbridled surges in community transmission that overwhelm the health care system, like the one we are going through right now.” Adams’ push for New Yorkers to return to offices led to his first public spat with Ocasio-Cortez, the left-leaning congresswoman who endorsed Adams’ competitor, Maya Wiley, in the Democratic primary last year. Adams said the city must remain open because “low-skill workers” could not work remotely. Ocasio-Cortez and a like-minded ally, Tiffany Cabán, a new City Council member, criticized his choice of words. “The suggestion that any job is ‘low skill’ is a myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no health care, and low wages,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on Twitter. Adams said he should have used the term “low-wage workers,” noting that he had been one himself, washing dishes, shining shoes and working in a mailroom. He said Ocasio-Cortez was acting as “word police” and that he sometimes made mistakes. “I would rather be authentic and make errors than be robotic and not be sincere in what they’re doing,” he said, adding: “I know they’re perfect, and there’s not much I can do about that. I can only aspire one day to be as perfect as they are.” Adams said he nonetheless wanted to work with progressives like Ocasio-Cortez. But he encouraged them to reach out to him directly. “I can sit there and work with any group,” he said. “But you don’t work with a group by just tweeting. ” With Adams newly elected and at the peak of his political power, Democratic leaders have seemed reluctant to get in a public spat with him. Michael Mulgrew, the teachers union president who often plays the role of mayoral antagonist, has shown unusual deference to the mayor. The mayor has also moved to quickly cement a positive relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, putting an end to the feud that typified the tenures of their predecessors, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio. Adams and Hochul appeared together again Sunday evening at the site of the fire and vowed to work together to help the victims.

Eric Adams' first days: Battling Omicron, then a deadly fire

After a spate of recent Covid cases, the northern Chinese city of Tianjin is conducting mass Covid testing. The city has advised its nearly 14 million people to stay at home

China steps up its zero-tolerance Covid-19 strategy

A government scientific adviser, Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick has termed the Omicron variant as "the first ray of light” amid the pandemic. The member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M) said that there might hopefully be a shift in the pandemic by spring. As per the adviser, Omicron can be seen as an indication of less severe variants in the future.

While speaking to the Times Radio, he said, "The thing that might happen in the future is you may see the emergence of a new variant that is less severe, and ultimately, in the long term, what happens is Covid becomes endemic and you have a less severe version. It’s very similar to the common cold that we’ve lived with for many years."

He further added, "We’re not quite there yet but possibly Omicron is the first ray of light there that suggests that may happen in the longer term. It is, of course, much more transmissible than Delta was, which is concerning, but much less severe."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-more-infectious-than-delta-experts-reveal-why-the-variant-is-affecting-kids-442963">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron more infectious than Delta? Experts reveal why the variant is affecting kids</a>

On the other hand, a report by Forbes states that the early data suggests that the Omicron variant could be up to 3 times more infectious than delta and children being more vulnerable to infection.&nbsp;

This comes in at a time when hospitalisation rates among children are soaring unprecedently.

According to the latest CDC data, an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals due to Covid each day last week. This has become a worrying trend among the experts and they believe that the hospitalisations are triggered by low vaccination rates and the very easily transmissible omicron variant.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A government scientific adviser, Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick has termed the Omicron variant as "the first ray of light” amid the pandemic. The member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M) said that there might hopefully be a shift in the pandemic by spring.

A government scientific adviser, Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick has termed the Omicron variant as "the first ray of light” amid the pandemic. The member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M) said that there might hopefully be a shift in the pandemic by spring. As per the adviser, Omicron can be seen as an indication of less severe variants in the future. While speaking to the Times Radio, he said, "The thing that might happen in the future is you may see the emergence of a new variant that is less severe, and ultimately, in the long term, what happens is Covid becomes endemic and you have a less severe version. It’s very similar to the common cold that we’ve lived with for many years." He further added, "We’re not quite there yet but possibly Omicron is the first ray of light there that suggests that may happen in the longer term. It is, of course, much more transmissible than Delta was, which is concerning, but much less severe." Also read | Omicron more infectious than Delta? Experts reveal why the variant is affecting kids On the other hand, a report by Forbes states that the early data suggests that the Omicron variant could be up to 3 times more infectious than delta and children being more vulnerable to infection. This comes in at a time when hospitalisation rates among children are soaring unprecedently. According to the latest CDC data, an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals due to Covid each day last week. This has become a worrying trend among the experts and they believe that the hospitalisations are triggered by low vaccination rates and the very easily transmissible omicron variant. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron 'ray of light' amid pandemic? Here is what an expert says

Flights are empty due to Omicron surge and has caused needless carbon emissions damaging the climate. Travel industry is largely stricken by this new wave as well.

Flights fly empty due to Omicron surge

The population of the Chinese city Tianjin is being rigorously tested after two Omicron cases were reported.

The first two cases confirmed in Tianjin were a 10-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman working at the after-school center. Both were infected by the omicron variant.

In subsequent testing of close contacts, 18 others tested positive and 767 tested negative as of Saturday night.

The outbreak poses risks to Beijing and the upcoming Winter Olympics, because of the large number of commuters working and living in the two cities.

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According to the National Health Commission, the city emerged as a new area of concern after more than 20 Covid cases were reported there in the last few days, most of them imported from abroad.

Authorities have advised residents to stay at or near home to be available for the community-level nucleic-acid screening.&nbsp;

They have been told that until they obtain a negative test result, they will not receive a "green" code on smartphone Covid-tracing apps that nearly all people in China are now required to present when using public transport and in other situations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wrongful-act-beijing-fines-7-eleven-for-calling-taiwan-an-independent-country-443367" hreflang="en">'Wrongful act': Beijing fines 7-Eleven for calling Taiwan an 'independent country'</a>

It comes after the local transmission of the imported Omicron variant was found in the southern city of Guangzhou.

China has already been struggling with a larger outbreak centred on the northwestern city of Xi'an that has sparked questioning of the country's zero-tolerance policy of strict lockdowns and immediate mass testing to curb outbreaks.

Chinese authorities have adopted draconian measures throughout the pandemic under their policy of seeking to stamp out every last case.

That “zero tolerance” policy, which has led to frequent lockdowns, universal masking, and mass testing, has not been entirely successful.

It has resulted in massive disruptions to travel and trade, but Beijing credits it with largely containing the spread of the virus.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The population of the Chinese city Tianjin is being rigorously tested after two Omicron cases were reported. The first two cases confirmed in Tianjin were a 10-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman working at the after-school center.

The population of the Chinese city Tianjin is being rigorously tested after two Omicron cases were reported. The first two cases confirmed in Tianjin were a 10-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman working at the after-school center. Both were infected by the omicron variant. In subsequent testing of close contacts, 18 others tested positive and 767 tested negative as of Saturday night. The outbreak poses risks to Beijing and the upcoming Winter Olympics, because of the large number of commuters working and living in the two cities. According to the National Health Commission, the city emerged as a new area of concern after more than 20 Covid cases were reported there in the last few days, most of them imported from abroad. Authorities have advised residents to stay at or near home to be available for the community-level nucleic-acid screening. They have been told that until they obtain a negative test result, they will not receive a "green" code on smartphone Covid-tracing apps that nearly all people in China are now required to present when using public transport and in other situations. Also read | 'Wrongful act': Beijing fines 7-Eleven for calling Taiwan an 'independent country' It comes after the local transmission of the imported Omicron variant was found in the southern city of Guangzhou. China has already been struggling with a larger outbreak centred on the northwestern city of Xi'an that has sparked questioning of the country's zero-tolerance policy of strict lockdowns and immediate mass testing to curb outbreaks. Chinese authorities have adopted draconian measures throughout the pandemic under their policy of seeking to stamp out every last case. That “zero tolerance” policy, which has led to frequent lockdowns, universal masking, and mass testing, has not been entirely successful. It has resulted in massive disruptions to travel and trade, but Beijing credits it with largely containing the spread of the virus. (With inputs from agencies)

Two Omicron cases reported in Chinese city Tianjin, population of around 14 million being rigorously tested

After a relatively stable trend in the COVID-19 cases, India is recording a rise in the number of infections dominated by the omicron variant. A total of 141,986 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India in the last 24 hours.

India records 141,986 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

Amid the ongoing spread of the Omicron mutant variant of the Coronavirus, Global COVID-19 cases cross 300 million mark.

Global COVID-19 cases cross 300 million mark amid Omicron spread

The British Armed Forces have sent 200 personnel into NHS hospitals across London to plug staff shortages. Last week, 9.5 million people worldwide tested positive for the Wuhan virus. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Omicron Surge: Troops deployed to London hospitals

Chinese authorities have locked down several supermarkets after coronavirus traces were found in fruits imported from Vietnam.

Reports claim at least nine cities in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces have found coronavirus samples in dragon fruit imported from Vietnam.

The authorities have begun emergency screening of imported food products&nbsp;and ordered fruit buyers to quarantine themselves although there is no evidence of coronavirus spreading from food but Chinese health officials are being cautious as the country grapples with the virus wave.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-app-crash-and-hunger-challenge-chinas-biggest-lockdown-since-wuhan-442506">Also Read:&nbsp;COVID app crash and hunger challenge China's biggest lockdown since Wuhan</a>

China had earlier imposed a ban on dragon fruit imported from Vietnam lasting until January 26 as COVID-19 traces were detected in the last week of December.&nbsp;

The ban was imposed on Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son province which sends dragon fruit to China. The authorities&nbsp;also banned the import of dragon fruit from another border gate named Tan Thanh as container trucks were sent back.

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas: Covid-19 in fruit? China shuts supermarkets

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China is set to host the Winter Olympics next month with authorities on alert to combat the virus.

China has been battling the coronavirus wave with Xi'an city under lockdown amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Yuzhou city in Henan province was the lastest to come under lockdown after three COVID-19 cases were discovered.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-rule-violators-allegedly-paraded-through-streets-in-china-441055">Also Read:&nbsp;Covid rule violators allegedly paraded through streets in China</a>

The authorities ordered people not to go out and shut down bus and taxi services in Yuzhou city including shopping malls and other community areas.

China had reported 175 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday with Henan province accounting for five&nbsp;cases including a cluster in eastern city of Ningbo. Xi'an which has emerged as the epicentre of the virus has reported more than 1,600 COVID-19 cases since December.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Chinese authorities have locked down several supermarkets after coronavirus traces were found in fruits imported from Vietnam. Reports claim at least nine cities in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces have found coronavirus samples in dragon fruit imported from Vietnam.

Chinese authorities have locked down several supermarkets after coronavirus traces were found in fruits imported from Vietnam. Reports claim at least nine cities in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces have found coronavirus samples in dragon fruit imported from Vietnam. The authorities have begun emergency screening of imported food products and ordered fruit buyers to quarantine themselves although there is no evidence of coronavirus spreading from food but Chinese health officials are being cautious as the country grapples with the virus wave. Also Read: COVID app crash and hunger challenge China's biggest lockdown since Wuhan China had earlier imposed a ban on dragon fruit imported from Vietnam lasting until January 26 as COVID-19 traces were detected in the last week of December. The ban was imposed on Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son province which sends dragon fruit to China. The authorities also banned the import of dragon fruit from another border gate named Tan Thanh as container trucks were sent back. Watch: Gravitas: Covid-19 in fruit? China shuts supermarkets China is set to host the Winter Olympics next month with authorities on alert to combat the virus. China has been battling the coronavirus wave with Xi'an city under lockdown amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Yuzhou city in Henan province was the lastest to come under lockdown after three COVID-19 cases were discovered. Also Read: Covid rule violators allegedly paraded through streets in China The authorities ordered people not to go out and shut down bus and taxi services in Yuzhou city including shopping malls and other community areas. China had reported 175 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday with Henan province accounting for five cases including a cluster in eastern city of Ningbo. Xi'an which has emerged as the epicentre of the virus has reported more than 1,600 COVID-19 cases since December. (With inputs from Agencies)

China shuts supermarkets after virus traces found in dragon fruit from Vietnam

India witnessed the highest surge in coronavirus cases recording 1,17,100 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 28 per cent since Thursday. The country had recorded&nbsp;90,928 coronavirus cases on January 6.

The number of Omicron cases has risen to 3,007 in the country and it has now spread to 27 states including Union Territories, the health ministry said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-cases-at-new-high-in-mumbai-nearly-1-in-3-test-results-positive-442798">Also Read:&nbsp;COVID-19 cases at new high in Mumbai; nearly 1 in 3 test results positive</a>

Health authorities also recorded 302 fatalities taking the total death toll to 4,83,178 in the country. The number of active cases stands at 3,71,363 in India.

The health ministry informed the daily positivity rate has risen to 7.74 per cent.&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas: Why India is preparing for a big surge

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Maharashtra which is the hardest-hit state due to the virus informed on Friday that 338 resident doctors in various hospitals in the state had contacted the virus.&nbsp;

The state had recorded over 36,000 COVID-19 on Thursday with Mumbai recording over 20,000 coronavirus cases. The positivity rate in Mumbai city stands at 29.90 per cent, the state health officials said.

Maharashtra had recorded 13 deaths in 24 hours with 76 new Omicron cases taking the total number of the new variant cases to 876 in the state.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, the southern state of Tamil Nadu imposed night curfew from 10pm to 5pm as the state recorded 6,983 new coronavirus cases.

The eastern state of West Bengal recorded 15,421 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths in the last 24 hours even as Gujarat reported 4,213 new COVID-19 cases and 1 death.

(With inputs from Agencies)

India witnessed the highest surge in coronavirus cases recording 1,17,100 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 28 per cent since Thursday.

India witnessed the highest surge in coronavirus cases recording 1,17,100 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 28 per cent since Thursday. The country had recorded 90,928 coronavirus cases on January 6. The number of Omicron cases has risen to 3,007 in the country and it has now spread to 27 states including Union Territories, the health ministry said. Also Read: COVID-19 cases at new high in Mumbai; nearly 1 in 3 test results positive Health authorities also recorded 302 fatalities taking the total death toll to 4,83,178 in the country. The number of active cases stands at 3,71,363 in India. The health ministry informed the daily positivity rate has risen to 7.74 per cent. Watch | Gravitas: Why India is preparing for a big surge Maharashtra which is the hardest-hit state due to the virus informed on Friday that 338 resident doctors in various hospitals in the state had contacted the virus. The state had recorded over 36,000 COVID-19 on Thursday with Mumbai recording over 20,000 coronavirus cases. The positivity rate in Mumbai city stands at 29.90 per cent, the state health officials said. Maharashtra had recorded 13 deaths in 24 hours with 76 new Omicron cases taking the total number of the new variant cases to 876 in the state. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, the southern state of Tamil Nadu imposed night curfew from 10pm to 5pm as the state recorded 6,983 new coronavirus cases. The eastern state of West Bengal recorded 15,421 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths in the last 24 hours even as Gujarat reported 4,213 new COVID-19 cases and 1 death. (With inputs from Agencies)

India reports over 1,17,000 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours; 302 deaths

India is reporting a record surge in covet 19 infections fueled by the omicron variant in the last 24 hours India has reported over a 100,000 cases.

Omicron Scare: India crosses 100,000 mark in just 8 days

Amid the global spread of the Omicron mutant variant, Chile is all set to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccination dose for people at high-risk.

Chile to offer a fourth COVID-19 shot for people at high-risk amid Omicron spread

Covid hospitalisations among children are rising in the US as the country continues to battle against the pandemic. According to the latest CDC data, an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals due to &nbsp;Covid each day last week. This has become a worrying trend among the experts and they believe that the hospitalisations are triggered by low vaccination rates and the very easily transmissible omicron variant.&nbsp;

Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, while speaking to Forbes said, "It’s not surprising to see cases and hospitalisations rise” among children."

Experts have said that there are several reasons for a surge in pediatric cases - including the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. A report by Forbes states that early data suggests the variant could be up to 3 times more infectious than delta and children being more vulnerable to infection.&nbsp;

Another reason can be the lower rate of vaccination among children in the US. The vaccination rate remains drastically low with just 25 per cent vaccinated among ages 5-11 and 64 per cent among ages 12-17.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-10-bodies-left-in-car-outside-a-state-governors-office-442919">Also read |&nbsp;Mexico: 10 bodies left in car outside a state governor's office</a>

Also, children under 5 are not eligible for vaccination at all.

Doctors say it is too early to determine whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children than other variants of the coronavirus.

“At my own hospital, where I work and practice here in DC at Children's National, about half of our hospitalisations ... are children under five,” Dr Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN.

New York is among the worst-hit states where on average 109 people aged 18 and younger have been hospitalised between December 19 and December 23.

Other parts of the US are also seeing a spike in cases among children. Ohio has seen a 125 per cent increase in hospitalisations among children 17, according to data from the Ohio Hospital Association.

(With inputs from agencies)

Covid hospitalisations among children are rising in the US as the country continues to battle against the pandemic. According to the latest CDC data, an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals due to Covid each day last week.

Covid hospitalisations among children are rising in the US as the country continues to battle against the pandemic. According to the latest CDC data, an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals due to Covid each day last week. This has become a worrying trend among the experts and they believe that the hospitalisations are triggered by low vaccination rates and the very easily transmissible omicron variant. Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, while speaking to Forbes said, "It’s not surprising to see cases and hospitalisations rise” among children." Experts have said that there are several reasons for a surge in pediatric cases - including the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. A report by Forbes states that early data suggests the variant could be up to 3 times more infectious than delta and children being more vulnerable to infection. Another reason can be the lower rate of vaccination among children in the US. The vaccination rate remains drastically low with just 25 per cent vaccinated among ages 5-11 and 64 per cent among ages 12-17. Also read | Mexico: 10 bodies left in car outside a state governor's office Also, children under 5 are not eligible for vaccination at all. Doctors say it is too early to determine whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children than other variants of the coronavirus. “At my own hospital, where I work and practice here in DC at Children's National, about half of our hospitalisations ... are children under five,” Dr Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN. New York is among the worst-hit states where on average 109 people aged 18 and younger have been hospitalised between December 19 and December 23. Other parts of the US are also seeing a spike in cases among children. Ohio has seen a 125 per cent increase in hospitalisations among children 17, according to data from the Ohio Hospital Association. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron more infectious than Delta? Experts reveal why the variant is affecting kids

The WHO has issued a warning on the spread of Omicron variant and asked people to be careful as the cases of the variant rise.

World Health Organisation issues warning on Omicron spread

Countries around the world are battling with the fresh wave of the pandemic and the highly contagious Omicron variant. Now here's a quick roundup on the measure that are taken by various countries around the globe.

Countries around the globe battle Omicron variant

The northern Bremen state in Germany has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country.

Around 84 per cent of the population in Bremen, the smallest of Germany's 16 federal states with fewer than 700,000 people, are double-vaccinated, compared with a national figure of around 72 per cent, reports news agency Reuters.

Roughly 44 per cent of the population have received a booster shot, compared with 42 per cent nationally.

Yet, Bremen is reporting one of the highest coronavirus cases in the country spurred by the Omicron variant.

The seven-day infection rate in Bremen stood at 800 cases per 100,000 residents on Thursday, the highest in Germany and more than double the national rate of 303, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

A data from the RKI on Thursday highlighted that Omicron accounts for more than 85 per cent of Covid infections in Bremen, well above the national figure of around 44 per cent.

As Omicron rages in the country, Germany's leaders are holding a discussion on Friday to discuss how to respond to the new variant.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/party-gone-wrong-canadian-passengers-stranded-in-mexico-after-airlines-refuse-to-fly-them-home-442907">Party gone wrong: Canadian passengers stranded in Mexico after airlines refuse to fly them home</a>

Among the measures that are being considered include shortening COVID-19 self-isolation periods over fears that health services might be stretched as case numbers spike.

The latest spurge in cases among the vaccinated corroborates several studies which noted that Omicron easily bypass immunity offered by the Covid vaccines.

However, the study also stated that vaccines help lower hospitalisation rates.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wionews.com/world/omicron-surge-uk-to-deploy-troops-military-medics-to-help-hospital-staff-442887">Omicron surge: UK to deploy troops, military medics to help hospital staff</a>

This is being witnessed in Breman. According to spokesperson for the state’s health senate Lukas Fuhrmann, the hospitals in the region were not as burdened as they were in the first three waves of the pandemic.

He said the patients infected with the new variant were coming in with milder symptoms.

However, doctors say that the non-intensive care units were already overburdened with patients with milder symptoms and added that the situation can worsen in the coming days.

(With inputs from agencies)

The northern Bremen state in Germany has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country. Around 84 per cent of the population in Bremen, the smallest of Germany's 16 federal states with fewer than 700,000 people, are double-vaccinated, compared with a national figure of around 72 per cent, reports news agency Reuters.

The northern Bremen state in Germany has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country. Around 84 per cent of the population in Bremen, the smallest of Germany's 16 federal states with fewer than 700,000 people, are double-vaccinated, compared with a national figure of around 72 per cent, reports news agency Reuters. Roughly 44 per cent of the population have received a booster shot, compared with 42 per cent nationally. Yet, Bremen is reporting one of the highest coronavirus cases in the country spurred by the Omicron variant. The seven-day infection rate in Bremen stood at 800 cases per 100,000 residents on Thursday, the highest in Germany and more than double the national rate of 303, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. A data from the RKI on Thursday highlighted that Omicron accounts for more than 85 per cent of Covid infections in Bremen, well above the national figure of around 44 per cent. As Omicron rages in the country, Germany's leaders are holding a discussion on Friday to discuss how to respond to the new variant. Also read | Party gone wrong: Canadian passengers stranded in Mexico after airlines refuse to fly them home Among the measures that are being considered include shortening COVID-19 self-isolation periods over fears that health services might be stretched as case numbers spike. The latest spurge in cases among the vaccinated corroborates several studies which noted that Omicron easily bypass immunity offered by the Covid vaccines. However, the study also stated that vaccines help lower hospitalisation rates. Also read | Omicron surge: UK to deploy troops, military medics to help hospital staff This is being witnessed in Breman. According to spokesperson for the state’s health senate Lukas Fuhrmann, the hospitals in the region were not as burdened as they were in the first three waves of the pandemic. He said the patients infected with the new variant were coming in with milder symptoms. However, doctors say that the non-intensive care units were already overburdened with patients with milder symptoms and added that the situation can worsen in the coming days. (With inputs from agencies)

In this German state, Omicron spreading among vaccinated people

British comedian and TV show host James Corden has tested positive for COVID-19. Corden took to his Instagram handle on Thursday to break the news.&nbsp; 
 
"I just tested positive for Covid 19. I'm fully vaccinated, boosted, and because of this, am fortunate enough to say I feel completely fine." 
 
He also announced that CBS' 'The Late Late Show' "will be off the air for the next few days."

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Corden is the latest host who tested positive for the virus after Late Night host Seth Meyers announced earlier this week that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was feeling fine. Meyers cancelled his Late Night shows for the upcoming week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-hollywood-to-bollywood-celebrities-who-have-tested-covid-19-positive-recently-442641" hreflang="en">From Hollywood to Bollywood: Celebrities who have tested Covid-19 positive recently</a> 
 
'The Tonight Show` host Jimmy Fallon also revealed in an Instagram post that he had tested positive over the holiday break. Fallon recovered in time for the show's Monday return from break.

British comedian and TV show host James Corden has tested positive for COVID-19. Corden took to his Instagram handle on Thursday to break the news. "I just tested positive for Covid 19.

British comedian and TV show host James Corden has tested positive for COVID-19. Corden took to his Instagram handle on Thursday to break the news. "I just tested positive for Covid 19. I'm fully vaccinated, boosted, and because of this, am fortunate enough to say I feel completely fine." He also announced that CBS' 'The Late Late Show' "will be off the air for the next few days." View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Corden (@j_corden) × Corden is the latest host who tested positive for the virus after Late Night host Seth Meyers announced earlier this week that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was feeling fine. Meyers cancelled his Late Night shows for the upcoming week. From Hollywood to Bollywood: Celebrities who have tested Covid-19 positive recently 'The Tonight Show` host Jimmy Fallon also revealed in an Instagram post that he had tested positive over the holiday break. Fallon recovered in time for the show's Monday return from break.

James Corden tests positive for COVID-19, 'Late Late Show' goes off air for few days

Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has tested positive for COVID-19. The actress is under home quarantine.&nbsp; 
 
In a Twitter post, Bhasker revealed that she and her family members developed symptoms for COVID-19 since January 5 and had isolated themselves.

"Hello Covid! Just got my RT-PCR test resulted and have tested positive. Been isolating and in quarantine. Symptoms include fever, a splitting headache and loss of taste. Double vaccinated so hope this passes soon. So grateful for family &amp; to be at home. Stay safe everyone," Bhasker said.

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Hello Covid! 😬 
Just got my RT-PCR test resulted and have tested positive. Been isolating &amp; in quarantine. Symptoms include fever, a splitting headache and loss of taste. Double vaccinated so hope this passes soon. 🤞🏾 
SO grateful for family &amp; to be at home. 
Stay safe everyone 🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/2vk7Ei7QyG">pic.twitter.com/2vk7Ei7QyG</a>
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReallySwara/status/1479177165539188736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-hollywood-to-bollywood-celebrities-who-have-tested-covid-19-positive-recently-442641" hreflang="en">From Hollywood to Bollywood: Celebrities who have tested Covid-19 positive recently</a> 
 
In an accompanying statement, the actor urged everyone who came in contact with her to get themselves tested. 
"I'm taking all necessary precautions. I've informed everyone I met in the week prior about my having Covid; but if anyone else did come into contact with me please get yourself tested. Double mask up and stay safe you all," Bhasker added. 
 
Bhasker joins a long list of Bollywood stars who have contracted the virus in recent weeks. Arjun Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, Prem Chopra and others have tested positive for the virus.&nbsp;

Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has tested positive for COVID-19. The actress is under home quarantine. In a Twitter post, Bhasker revealed that she and her family members developed symptoms for COVID-19 since January 5 and had isolated themselves.

Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has tested positive for COVID-19. The actress is under home quarantine. In a Twitter post, Bhasker revealed that she and her family members developed symptoms for COVID-19 since January 5 and had isolated themselves. "Hello Covid! Just got my RT-PCR test resulted and have tested positive. Been isolating and in quarantine. Symptoms include fever, a splitting headache and loss of taste. Double vaccinated so hope this passes soon. So grateful for family & to be at home. Stay safe everyone," Bhasker said. Hello Covid! 😬 Just got my RT-PCR test resulted and have tested positive. Been isolating & in quarantine. Symptoms include fever, a splitting headache and loss of taste. Double vaccinated so hope this passes soon. 🤞🏾 SO grateful for family & to be at home. Stay safe everyone 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/2vk7Ei7QyG — Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 6, 2022 × From Hollywood to Bollywood: Celebrities who have tested Covid-19 positive recently In an accompanying statement, the actor urged everyone who came in contact with her to get themselves tested. "I'm taking all necessary precautions. I've informed everyone I met in the week prior about my having Covid; but if anyone else did come into contact with me please get yourself tested. Double mask up and stay safe you all," Bhasker added. Bhasker joins a long list of Bollywood stars who have contracted the virus in recent weeks. Arjun Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, Prem Chopra and others have tested positive for the virus.

Swara Bhaskar tests positive for COVID 19, under home quarantine

World Health Organization says that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is killing people around the world, and should not be disregarded as mild.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief, hospitals are overburdened by the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, which is rapidly outcompeting the Delta variant in many countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/research-model-predicts-omicron-is-not-done-evolving-it-can-further-evolve-to-increase-transmission-442604" hreflang="en">Research model predicts Omicron is not done evolving, it can further evolve to increase transmission</a>

"While Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorised as mild," Tedros told a press conference.

"Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people," he explained.&nbsp;"In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world."

Nearly 9.5 million new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the WHO last week, which is a record 71 per cent increase from the previous week.

However, even this was an underestimate, Tedros said since it did not include the backlog of testing around the Christmas and New Year holidays, positive tests that were not registered, and overburdened surveillance systems that missed cases.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-sceptic-bolsonaro-criticises-health-regulator-dismisses-vaccinating-children-442782" hreflang="en">'Vaccine sceptic' Bolsonaro criticises health regulator, dismisses vaccinating children</a>

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said it was "very unlikely" that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/omicron">Omicron</a> would be the last variant of concern before the pandemic ended.

In the face of the more transmissible Omicron variant, Van Kerkhove encouraged the general public to step up the measures they were already taking for their own protection.

"Do everything that we have been advising better, more comprehensively, more purposefully," she said.&nbsp;"We need people to hang in there and really fight."

She said she was amazed at how sloppily some people wore facemasks.

"It needs to cover your nose and mouth... wearing a mask below your chin is useless," she said.

Using his first speech of 2022, Tedros condemned the way wealthy nations hoarded vaccine doses last year. He said it had created the perfect breeding ground for the emergence of virus variants. To stop the "death and destruction" of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>, he urged the world in 2022 to share out vaccine doses more fairly.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/child-in-los-angeles-detected-with-flurona-what-are-the-symptoms-442563" hreflang="en">Child in Los Angeles detected with 'flurona'; what are the symptoms?</a>

Tedros had hoped to have 10 per cent of every country's population vaccinated by September 2021 and 40 per cent by December 2021.

As per WHO estimates 92 of its 194 members missed the target set for the end of 2021, and 36 did not even vaccinate the first 10 per cent due to lack of access to vaccines.

Now, he wants 70 per cent of people in each country to be jabbed by mid-2022. However, 109 countries will miss the target due to the current pace of vaccine deployment.

"Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery," said Tedros.

"Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected."

Watch |&nbsp;WHO: Dismissing the Omicron variant as a mild infection will be a monumental mistake

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-dismissing-the-omicron-variant-as-a-mild-infection-will-be-a-monumental-mistake-442856/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Bruce Aylward, the WHO's lead on accessing coronavirus tools, said that there was "no need to finish 2022 in a pandemic".

Michael Ryan, WHO's director of emergencies, however, said that without vaccine equity, "we will be sitting here at the end of 2022 having somewhat the same conversation, which, in itself, would be a great tragedy".

(With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organization says that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is killing people around the world, and should not be disregarded as mild. According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief, hospitals are overburdened by the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, which is rapidly outcompeting the Delta variant in many countries.

World Health Organization says that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is killing people around the world, and should not be disregarded as mild. According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief, hospitals are overburdened by the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, which is rapidly outcompeting the Delta variant in many countries. Also read | Research model predicts Omicron is not done evolving, it can further evolve to increase transmission "While Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorised as mild," Tedros told a press conference. "Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people," he explained. "In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world." Nearly 9.5 million new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the WHO last week, which is a record 71 per cent increase from the previous week. However, even this was an underestimate, Tedros said since it did not include the backlog of testing around the Christmas and New Year holidays, positive tests that were not registered, and overburdened surveillance systems that missed cases. Also read | 'Vaccine sceptic' Bolsonaro criticises health regulator, dismisses vaccinating children Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said it was "very unlikely" that Omicron would be the last variant of concern before the pandemic ended. In the face of the more transmissible Omicron variant, Van Kerkhove encouraged the general public to step up the measures they were already taking for their own protection. "Do everything that we have been advising better, more comprehensively, more purposefully," she said. "We need people to hang in there and really fight." She said she was amazed at how sloppily some people wore facemasks. "It needs to cover your nose and mouth... wearing a mask below your chin is useless," she said. Using his first speech of 2022, Tedros condemned the way wealthy nations hoarded vaccine doses last year. He said it had created the perfect breeding ground for the emergence of virus variants. To stop the "death and destruction" of COVID-19, he urged the world in 2022 to share out vaccine doses more fairly. Also read | Child in Los Angeles detected with 'flurona'; what are the symptoms? Tedros had hoped to have 10 per cent of every country's population vaccinated by September 2021 and 40 per cent by December 2021. As per WHO estimates 92 of its 194 members missed the target set for the end of 2021, and 36 did not even vaccinate the first 10 per cent due to lack of access to vaccines. Now, he wants 70 per cent of people in each country to be jabbed by mid-2022. However, 109 countries will miss the target due to the current pace of vaccine deployment. "Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery," said Tedros. "Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected." Watch | WHO: Dismissing the Omicron variant as a mild infection will be a monumental mistake Bruce Aylward, the WHO's lead on accessing coronavirus tools, said that there was "no need to finish 2022 in a pandemic". Michael Ryan, WHO's director of emergencies, however, said that without vaccine equity, "we will be sitting here at the end of 2022 having somewhat the same conversation, which, in itself, would be a great tragedy". (With inputs from agencies)

WHO cautions against underestimating Omicron as 'mild', decries vaccine inequity

Feeling like March 2020? Here's how Covid Omicron is affecting entertainment again

Globally, about 294 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, with more than 5.8 million deaths.

Since the first cases were discovered in central China in December 2019, infections have been reported in over 210 countries and territories.&nbsp;

Now, a South African scientist believes she and her colleagues have discovered a crucial answer to the enigma of long COVID.&nbsp;

In an op-ed published Wednesday, Resia Pretorius, the head of the science department at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, wrote, "A recent investigation in my lab found that there is significant microclot formation in the blood of both acute COVID-19 and long COVID patients."&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-update-fda-amends-emergency-use-of-pfizer-booster-dose-for-more-teens-442035">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron update: FDA amends emergency use of Pfizer booster dose for more teens</a>

She discovered a correlation between microclots and lengthy COVID, which she believes is a critical step toward better understanding the disease that affects 100 million people worldwide.

Resia Pretorius and her team discovered large quantities of inflammatory chemicals "locked" in the persistent microclots seen in extended COVID patients during the summer.

In June, the Department of Human and Health Services issued new guidelines that define some long-term COVID symptoms as an impairment under the Americans with Disabilities Act.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | China shuts market due to virus found in fruits | Dragon fruit | Omicron

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-shuts-market-due-to-virus-found-in-fruits-dragon-fruit-omicron-442738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the Pretorius's op-ed "Patients with long Covid complain of numerous symptoms, the main ones being recurring fatigue and brain fog, muscle weakness, being out of breath and having low oxygen levels, sleep difficulties and anxiety or depression. Some patients are so sick that they cannot work or even walk a few steps. There is possibly also an elevated risk of stroke and heart attacks. One of the biggest sources of concern is that even mild and sometimes asymptomatic initial Covid-19 infection may lead to debilitating, long-term disability."

According to a study published in November by researchers at the University of Michigan, as many as 100 million people worldwide have or have had lengthy COVID.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a patient is diagnosed with protracted COVID when the consequences of a COVID-19 infection last for longer than four weeks.

While elderly persons and those with major medical issues are more prone to have protracted COVID, many young and healthy people have reported feeling ill for weeks or even months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Globally, about 294 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, with more than 5.8 million deaths. Since the first cases were discovered in central China in December 2019, infections have been reported in over 210 countries and territories.

Globally, about 294 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, with more than 5.8 million deaths. Since the first cases were discovered in central China in December 2019, infections have been reported in over 210 countries and territories. Now, a South African scientist believes she and her colleagues have discovered a crucial answer to the enigma of long COVID. In an op-ed published Wednesday, Resia Pretorius, the head of the science department at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, wrote, "A recent investigation in my lab found that there is significant microclot formation in the blood of both acute COVID-19 and long COVID patients." Also read | Omicron update: FDA amends emergency use of Pfizer booster dose for more teens She discovered a correlation between microclots and lengthy COVID, which she believes is a critical step toward better understanding the disease that affects 100 million people worldwide. Resia Pretorius and her team discovered large quantities of inflammatory chemicals "locked" in the persistent microclots seen in extended COVID patients during the summer. In June, the Department of Human and Health Services issued new guidelines that define some long-term COVID symptoms as an impairment under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Watch | China shuts market due to virus found in fruits | Dragon fruit | Omicron According to the Pretorius's op-ed "Patients with long Covid complain of numerous symptoms, the main ones being recurring fatigue and brain fog, muscle weakness, being out of breath and having low oxygen levels, sleep difficulties and anxiety or depression. Some patients are so sick that they cannot work or even walk a few steps. There is possibly also an elevated risk of stroke and heart attacks. One of the biggest sources of concern is that even mild and sometimes asymptomatic initial Covid-19 infection may lead to debilitating, long-term disability." According to a study published in November by researchers at the University of Michigan, as many as 100 million people worldwide have or have had lengthy COVID. According to the Mayo Clinic, a patient is diagnosed with protracted COVID when the consequences of a COVID-19 infection last for longer than four weeks. While elderly persons and those with major medical issues are more prone to have protracted COVID, many young and healthy people have reported feeling ill for weeks or even months after being diagnosed with COVID-19. (With inputs from agencies)

'Mystery of long COVID-19 is solved! This scientist believes so

Even as Covid cases due to Omicron variant have surged, global as well as India's own domestic diplomatic engagements have been impacted. Several events have been postponed and cancelled. The biennial investor mega-summit, Vibrant Gujarat was postponed due to increasing number of Covid cases.

The summit initially due to take place from January 10th to 12th was also expected to be a major diplomatic event involving participation from 5 heads of government--Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Nepal's new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi, Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth and Slovenia's PM Janez Jansa.&nbsp;

The summit was to see a special session of PM Narendra Modi with governors and heads of Far Eastern Federal Districts of the Russian Federation. Country sessions for Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mozambique, UK, Japan, Sweden, Norway, South Korea were also planned.

Earlier, PM Modi's visit to United Arab Emirates initially slated for January 6th was postponed due to increase in number of cases caused by Omicron variant in Dubai. He was to visit India pavillion at Dubai Expo during the one-day visit. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's planned visit to Dubai on January 2nd was also called off due to Covid crisis.&nbsp;

Globally, Japan PM Fumio Kishida has had to cancel his US and Australia visit in new year due to Covid crisis. Both Japanese, Australian PM later held a virtual summit. During the opening statement at the virtual summit, Australian PM said, "I’m sorry we could not be doing this in person, as I’m sure you are also, here in Australia, but I very much respect and understand the need for us both to be also very focused on the challenges that we are facing domestically to deal with the Omicron variant of Covid."

Covid was first reported from China's Wuhan in 2019 and it has been more than 2 years since the crisis has ravaged the world. In last 2 years, many global engagements have gone in virtual or hybrid mode. The first Quad summit between India, US, Australia and Japan took place virtually. 2020 saw the G20 Summit happening virtually for the very first time. The BRICS Summit has been taking place virtually for last 2 years, SCO summit was held in hybrid mode in 2021.

Even as Covid cases due to Omicron variant have surged, global as well as India's own domestic diplomatic engagements have been impacted. Several events have been postponed and cancelled.

Even as Covid cases due to Omicron variant have surged, global as well as India's own domestic diplomatic engagements have been impacted. Several events have been postponed and cancelled. The biennial investor mega-summit, Vibrant Gujarat was postponed due to increasing number of Covid cases. The summit initially due to take place from January 10th to 12th was also expected to be a major diplomatic event involving participation from 5 heads of government--Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Nepal's new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi, Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth and Slovenia's PM Janez Jansa. The summit was to see a special session of PM Narendra Modi with governors and heads of Far Eastern Federal Districts of the Russian Federation. Country sessions for Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mozambique, UK, Japan, Sweden, Norway, South Korea were also planned. Earlier, PM Modi's visit to United Arab Emirates initially slated for January 6th was postponed due to increase in number of cases caused by Omicron variant in Dubai. He was to visit India pavillion at Dubai Expo during the one-day visit. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's planned visit to Dubai on January 2nd was also called off due to Covid crisis. Globally, Japan PM Fumio Kishida has had to cancel his US and Australia visit in new year due to Covid crisis. Both Japanese, Australian PM later held a virtual summit. During the opening statement at the virtual summit, Australian PM said, "I’m sorry we could not be doing this in person, as I’m sure you are also, here in Australia, but I very much respect and understand the need for us both to be also very focused on the challenges that we are facing domestically to deal with the Omicron variant of Covid." Covid was first reported from China's Wuhan in 2019 and it has been more than 2 years since the crisis has ravaged the world. In last 2 years, many global engagements have gone in virtual or hybrid mode. The first Quad summit between India, US, Australia and Japan took place virtually. 2020 saw the G20 Summit happening virtually for the very first time. The BRICS Summit has been taking place virtually for last 2 years, SCO summit was held in hybrid mode in 2021.

Omicron crisis: Indian as well as global diplomatic engagements impacted

This year`s Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organizers said on Wednesday. 
 
The show had been scheduled to take place at an arena in downtown Los Angeles and broadcast live on the CBS network on Jan. 31. 
 
"Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks," CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement, adding that a new date would be announced soon. 
Nominations for the awards were announced in November. Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste led a field that spanned rap to jazz music and embraced newcomers from teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo to veteran crooner Tony Bennett, 95, who won his first Grammy in 1963. 
 
The 2021 Grammy awards also were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was staged in March instead of January and included a mix of pre-recorded and live segments in front of a small, socially distanced crowd. 
 
Organizers had hoped to return this year to something closer to the traditional celebration with a large audience inside the former Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena. Late-night television host Trevor Noah had been tapped to host the event. 
 
CBS and the Recording Academy said they consulted local officials, health experts and artists before deciding to scrap the January date. 
 
"The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remain our top priority," they said. 
 
Other entertainment industry events have been delayed or scaled back. 
 
Organizers of this month`s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, said on Tuesday they had canceled in-person events and would move them online. 
 
The Critics Choice Awards, which had been set for this Sunday, have been postponed with no new date scheduled.

This year`s Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organizers said on Wednesday.

This year`s Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organizers said on Wednesday. The show had been scheduled to take place at an arena in downtown Los Angeles and broadcast live on the CBS network on Jan. 31. "Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks," CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement, adding that a new date would be announced soon. Nominations for the awards were announced in November. Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste led a field that spanned rap to jazz music and embraced newcomers from teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo to veteran crooner Tony Bennett, 95, who won his first Grammy in 1963. The 2021 Grammy awards also were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was staged in March instead of January and included a mix of pre-recorded and live segments in front of a small, socially distanced crowd. Organizers had hoped to return this year to something closer to the traditional celebration with a large audience inside the former Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena. Late-night television host Trevor Noah had been tapped to host the event. CBS and the Recording Academy said they consulted local officials, health experts and artists before deciding to scrap the January date. "The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remain our top priority," they said. Other entertainment industry events have been delayed or scaled back. Organizers of this month`s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, said on Tuesday they had canceled in-person events and would move them online. The Critics Choice Awards, which had been set for this Sunday, have been postponed with no new date scheduled.

Grammy Awards indefinitely postponed as Omicron spreads

Despite Omicron dampening the new year, India ended 2021 with some impressive milestones. $300 billion in exports, IIT placements at an all-time high and a green energy target achieved 8 years ahead of schedule. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Trade, jobs, climate: India's highs despite Omicron dampener

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