Covid stay information: UK minister says chopping self-isolation could be ‘useful’; Philippines units new day by day case report

London’s public well being chief has stated the Omicron variant “could have handed its peak” within the UK capital. Talking to Sky Information’ Trevor Phillips this morning, Prof Kevin Fenton stated:

Knowledge from the ONS (Workplace for Nationwide Statistics) means that the height could have occurred at or simply concerning the New 12 months interval.

We’re seeing reductions in total case charges throughout the town and the prevalence of an infection inside the group.

However he warned an infection ranges are nonetheless “very, very excessive” and that a couple of in 10 Londoners are nonetheless contaminated with the illness.

It means we’re not but out of this essential section of the pandemic, though we might be previous its peak.

For the second day in a row, the Philippines has reported a report variety of new Covid-19 circumstances. Well being officers right this moment confirmed 28,707 new infections, up from 26,458 circumstances the day past.

The entire variety of lively circumstances reached 128,114, the very best in additional than three months. This includes 4.3% of all confirmed circumstances.

Earlier this week, the nation’s president Rodrigo Duterte ordered the arrest of unvaccinated individuals who violate stay-at-home orders geared toward curbing “galloping” circumstances pushed by the Omicron variant.

Tianjin, a significant Chinese language port metropolis close to the capital Beijing, has begun mass-testing its 14 million residents after a cluster of 20 kids and adults examined constructive for Covid-19, together with at the very least two with the Omicron variant.

The citywide testing, which started on Sunday, is to be accomplished over two days. Residents have been suggested to remain at or close to house to be accessible for the community-level nucleic-acid screening. They’ve been advised that till they acquire a destructive take a look at consequence, they won’t obtain a “inexperienced” code on smartphone Covid-tracing apps that just about all individuals in China are actually required to current when utilizing public transport and in different conditions.

China has stepped up its zero-tolerance Covid-19 technique within the run-up to the Winter Olympics, which open on 4 February in Beijing. The Chinese language capital is 150km (90 miles) north-west of Tianjin and related by a high-speed rail hyperlink that takes lower than one hour.

Elsewhere in China, thousands and thousands of persons are being confined to their houses in Xi’an and Yuzhou, two different cities which might be farther away however have bigger outbreaks. Town of Zhengzhou, a provincial capital 70km (40 miles) north of Yuzhou, can also be conducting mass testing and shutting colleges beginning Monday.

China reported 165 confirmed coronavirus circumstances for 8 January, up from 159 a day earlier, its well being authority stated on Sunday.

Hiya and welcome to The Guardian’s rolling protection of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Léonie Chao-Fong. Right here’s a rundown of all the latest information from around the globe:

• Tianjin, a significant Chinese language port metropolis close to Beijing, has begun mass-testing its 14m residents after a cluster of 20 kids and adults examined constructive for Covid-19, together with at the very least two with the Omicron variant. Residents have been advised that they have to acquire a destructive take a look at consequence as a way to obtain a “inexperienced” code on smartphone Covid-tracing apps as a way to use public transport and in different conditions.
• The Philippines broke its personal report for the very best single-day tally of recent Covid-19 circumstances on Sunday, with 28,707 new infections reported by the well being division. Performing presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles has reportedly denied rumours {that a} “whole lockdown” might be imposed within the nation.
• Slicing the self-isolation interval to 5 days could be “useful”, the UK’s former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has stated. Zahawi grew to become the primary authorities minister to publicly assist the discount of the Covid isolation interval from seven to 5 days, amid staffing pressures throughout many non-public and public sectors.
• The dissident Iranian poet and filmmaker Baktash Abtin, 48, has died after contracting Covid-19 in a hospital in Tehran after being launched on a furlough from jail the place he was contaminated twice, Iranian information companies stated on Saturday. Abtin was serving a six-year sentence for “anti-government propaganda” and “actions towards nationwide safety”.
• Moderna donated 2.7m doses of coronavirus vaccines to Mexico, after the nation exceeded 300,000 test-confirmed coronavirus deaths this week. The Mexican authorities stated the doses will go to academics because the nation tries to return to totally in-person studying.
• Greater than 150,000 individuals have died within the UK from coronavirus because the begin of the pandemic, in accordance with authorities figures. Britain on Saturday grew to become the seventh nation to move the milestone after the US, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru.
  
• Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned Boris Johnson that axing common free lateral movement checks could be an “totally wrongheaded” method to coping with coronavirus. Her warnings got here after reviews that checks might be restricted to high-risk settings – reminiscent of care houses, hospitals and colleges – and to individuals with signs.
• Greater than 105,000 individuals took to the streets throughout France on Saturday in protest towards the introduction of a brand new coronavirus move that may in impact ban unvaccinated individuals from public life. Inside Ministry officers stated 34 individuals had been arrested and 10 law enforcement officials had been injured after the protests turned violent in some locations.
• The US has administered greater than 518m doses of coronavirus vaccines as of Saturday morning and distributed 639.7m doses, the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention stated.

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