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COVID: Omicron spreading at unprecedented rate, says WHO

The Omicron variant was first identified by South Africa

The Omicron variant was first identified by South Africa

The new coronavirus variant Omicron is spreading across the globe at an unprecedented rate, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned

Cases of the heavily mutated variant have been confirmed in 77 countries.

But at a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was probably in many others that had yet to detect it.

Dr Tedros said he was concerned that not enough was being done to tackle the variant.

“Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” he said.

The Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa in November, and the country has since seen a surge in infections. President Cyril Ramaphosa has tested positive for Covid-19, and is currently isolating with mild symptoms.

A number of countries have introduced travel bans affecting South Africa and its neighbours following the emergence of Omicron, but this has failed to stop it from spreading around the world.

In other developments

  • More than 800,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus – the highest recorded national death toll from the global pandemic
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson won backing for Covid passes in England, despite the biggest revolt by members of his party since he became PM
  • The UK government also announced on Tuesday that all 11 countries on its travel red list would be taken off, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying the Omicron variant had spread so widely the rules no longer had much purpose.
  • Italy has extended a state of emergency until 31 March 2022, citing concerns over Omicron. The measures, which were due to expire at the end of December, give the government more power to limit travel and public gatherings
  • The Netherlands says it will close primary schools a week before the Christmas holidays are due to start, in a pre-emptive bid to tackle infections
  • Norway has announced a ban on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants, among other measures

In the press conference on Tuesday, Dr Tedros reiterated concerns about vaccine inequity, as some countries accelerate rollouts of a booster shot in response to Omicron.

Recent studies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine showed it produced far fewer neutralising antibodies against Omicron than against the original strain, but that this deficit could be reversed by a third, booster, jab.

Dr Tedros said boosters “could play an important role” in curbing the spread of Covid-19, but that it was “a question of prioritisation”.

“The order matters. Giving boosters to groups at low risk of severe disease or death simply endangers the lives of those at high risk who are still waiting for their primary doses because of supply constraints,” he said.

Supplies to the global vaccine-sharing programme Covax have increased in recent months. But world health officials fear a repeat of a shortfall of tens of millions of doses which occurred in the middle of this year, partly as a result of India suspending exports during a surge in cases there.

In poorer countries, some vulnerable people are yet to receive a single dose.

Global vaccine rollout


The World
Africa
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Latin America & Caribbean
North America
Oceania
World
46
8,511,726,559
China
80
2,621,190,000
India
37
1,335,465,563
US
60
485,359,746
Brazil
65
320,737,938
Indonesia
37
249,974,816
Japan
78
198,248,857
Mexico
51
137,357,032
Russia
42
136,087,233
Germany
69
135,406,073
Pakistan
25
134,818,017
Vietnam
59
132,873,501
Bangladesh
26
129,238,605
Turkey
60
121,804,033
UK
69
121,616,098
France
71
112,800,038
Iran
58
109,807,742
Italy
73
102,029,307
Thailand
62
97,403,117
Philippines
37
97,237,440
South Korea
81
90,413,574
Spain
81
80,647,211
Argentina
68
71,507,682
Canada
77
63,335,536
Colombia
51
60,630,010
Malaysia
78
54,591,679
Morocco
61
49,316,418
Saudi Arabia
65
48,104,477
Egypt
17
46,239,670
Peru
59
45,021,391
Poland
55
44,239,198
Chile
85
42,219,185
Australia
75
40,331,164
Uzbekistan
17
36,064,004
Taiwan
63
33,607,831
Sri Lanka
64
31,054,377
Cambodia
80
29,502,058
Cuba
83
29,006,443
Myanmar
22
28,707,770
South Africa
26
27,090,975
Ukraine
29
26,718,836
Venezuela
34
26,314,390
Ecuador
66
25,840,596
Netherlands
74
24,791,526
United Arab Emirates
90
22,166,754
Belgium
75
19,877,988
Nepal
29
19,157,444
Portugal
89
18,411,867
Kazakhstan
44
17,147,214
Sweden
71
16,584,289
Israel
62
16,337,639
Greece
65
15,645,361
Romania
40
15,407,313
Austria
69
15,271,012
Hungary
61
14,655,778
Czech Republic
61
14,468,552
Dominican Republic
52
13,945,195
Iraq
13
13,174,583
Switzerland
66
12,637,185
Algeria
12
12,293,060
Nigeria
2
11,863,889
Mozambique
14
11,730,770
Tunisia
45
11,012,280
Azerbaijan
45
10,894,080
Guatemala
24
10,586,654
Ethiopia
1
10,429,727
Denmark
77
10,347,965
Angola
10
10,319,552
Rwanda
29
10,268,499
Hong Kong
61
9,663,557
Singapore
87
9,489,264
El Salvador
63
9,395,152
Norway
71
9,117,805
Bolivia
37
9,064,726
Honduras
39
9,030,824
Finland
74
8,928,976
Ireland
77
8,659,409
Kenya
6
8,198,259
Serbia
46
8,075,369
Jordan
37
8,065,101
New Zealand
73
7,897,646
Uganda
3
7,813,170
Turkmenistan
52
7,580,976
Costa Rica
64
7,222,020
Zimbabwe
20
6,956,144
Nicaragua
38
6,942,756
Uruguay
76
6,865,377
Belarus
30
6,677,937
Kuwait
74
6,677,397
Paraguay
38
6,324,638
Oman
54
5,934,585
Laos
42
5,830,021
Tajikistan
27
5,711,036
Panama
56
5,685,382
Afghanistan
9
5,228,706
Qatar
76
5,066,606
Slovakia
43
5,055,765
Ivory Coast
6
4,812,235
Mongolia
65
4,419,007
Croatia
50
4,386,603
Lithuania
67
3,888,676
Lebanon
26
3,825,224
Bulgaria
27
3,506,354
Ghana
3
3,493,688
Sudan
3
3,276,654
Palestinian Territories
27
3,184,868
Bahrain
67
3,055,893
Slovenia
56
2,762,009
Libya
11
2,536,160
Guinea
6
2,502,912
Georgia
26
2,324,131
Latvia
66
2,250,883
Albania
35
2,196,145
Togo
10
2,159,257
Kyrgyzstan
14
2,122,034
Senegal
5
1,928,411
Mauritius
72
1,875,132
Mauritania
15
1,812,604
Tanzania
2
1,699,523
Moldova
24
1,686,020
North Macedonia
38
1,675,793
Kosovo
43
1,644,358
Bosnia and Herzegovina
22
1,553,874
Malawi
3
1,553,347
Estonia
61
1,498,693
Botswana
22
1,483,181
Syria
4
1,422,377
Cyprus
66
1,413,274
Trinidad and Tobago
47
1,353,722
Armenia
17
1,352,805
Zambia
4
1,264,656
Fiji
66
1,257,375
Jamaica
18
1,164,194
Bhutan
72
1,154,093
Somalia
4
1,147,627
Benin
7
1,144,390
Timor-Leste
36
1,142,003
Malta
84
993,372
Luxembourg
68
973,411
Cameroon
2
972,360
Niger
2
971,636
Mali
2
963,968
Macau
68
945,950
Sierra Leone
5
923,880
Yemen
1
786,027
Brunei
86
783,549
Maldives
67
781,076
Madagascar
2
742,069
Namibia
12
697,262
Iceland
82
689,243
Guyana
36
687,627
Congo
2
686,096
Burkina Faso
2
661,796
Lesotho
29
635,881
Liberia
11
605,863
Cape Verde
45
550,192
Montenegro
42
543,835
Comoros
28
527,119
Papua New Guinea
2
498,598
Suriname
38
484,487
Equatorial Guinea
14
446,624
Central African Republic
7
436,772
Belize
49
416,878
Guinea-Bissau
1
406,401
Gabon
8
392,898
Eswatini
24
344,255
Barbados
49
294,304
Bahamas
36
288,008
Chad
0.4769
285,922
Gambia
9
273,365
South Sudan
2
263,939
Samoa
61
262,895
DR Congo
0.0832
246,840
Solomon Islands
7
228,912
Jersey
75
194,274
Haiti
0.5795
184,769
Seychelles
79
182,903
Vanuatu
15
147,609
Sao Tome and Principe
22
134,615
Isle of Man
76
133,548
Cayman Islands
85
128,181
Antigua and Barbuda
59
119,809
Tonga
43
119,535
Djibouti
3
108,945
Bermuda
73
106,520
Andorra
65
106,428
Guernsey
21
104,457
Gibraltar
118
103,818
Saint Lucia
26
102,696
Kiribati
19
82,167
Faroe Islands
78
78,347
Greenland
66
78,120
Grenada
31
75,893
St Vincent and the Grenadines
22
57,295
Turks and Caicos Islands
69
56,343
Dominica
38
56,179
Liechtenstein
66
55,894
Saint Kitts and Nevis
47
53,486
Monaco
59
49,980
San Marino
70
48,672
British Virgin Islands
55
34,992
Cook Islands
67
24,326
Anguilla
61
20,284
Nauru
67
14,863
Tuvalu
49
12,114
Saint Helena
58
7,892
Falkland Islands
50
4,407
Burundi
0.0169
4,010
Montserrat
28
2,949
Niue
71
2,352
Tokelau
71
1,936
Pitcairn
100
94
British Indian Ocean Territory
0
0
Eritrea
0
0
North Korea
0
0
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
0
0
Vatican
0
0

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