South Africa Lifts Curfew, Says COVID-19 Fourth Wave Peaked
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa has lifted a midnight-to-4 a.m. curfew on people’s movement, effective immediately, saying the country has passed the peak of its fourth COVID-19 wave driven by the omicron variant, a government statement said Thu…
Low Vaccination Rates a Concern Amid African COVID Surge
Low vaccination rates are of mounting concern amid a new wave of COVID-19 infections in Africa, where nearly 227,000 deaths have been reported, according to the Africa CDC’s COVID-19 dashboard. Only 20 African countries had vaccinated at least 10% of t…
Omicron Grounds Hundreds More US Flights over Christmas Weekend
WASHINGTON — U.S. airlines called off hundreds of flights for a third day in a row on Sunday as surging COVID-19 infections due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant grounded crews and forced tens of thousands of Christmas weekend travelers to ch…
Nigeria Hits New COVID-19 Infections Record
ABUJA — Nigeria’s number of confirmed COVID-19 infections nearly doubled on Wednesday, to a record of more than 4,000 — the most since the start of the pandemic. Nigerian officials say the jump raises serious concerns and are urging people to stay away…
WHO Chief Warns COVID Booster Programs May Prolong Pandemic
The World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Wednesday that blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programs will not bring a definite end to the global pandemic, but prolong it, as poorer countries struggle to vacci…
Biden Announces New Effort to Fight Omicron Coronavirus Surge
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden laid out a new concerted effort Tuesday to combat the surging omicron variant of the coronavirus, dispatching federal health care workers to short-handed hospitals, pre-positioning the national stockpile of medical…
US Senators Warren, Booker Test Positive for COVID Breakthrough
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey say they have tested positive for COVID-19, as the country deals with another surge in cases and the emergence of the omicron variant.In separate statements Sund…
Omicron Variant May Sideline 2 Leading Anti-COVID Drugs
WASHINGTON — As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they’ve used to fight infections are unlikely to work aga…
Four Children Die, Five Hospitalised In Bouncy Castle Accident In Australia
SYDNEY, Four children died, in the Australian state of Tasmania, today, in a tragic incident, which saw a bouncy castle, blown into the air by strong wind.Tasmanian police said, the children fell from a height of 10 metres, during a fun day, on the las…
Britain Announces First Death from Omicron Variant of Coronavirus
Britain has recorded its first death from the omicron variant of the coronavirus.Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the death Monday, the day after he warned during a nationally televised speech that Britain was facing a “tidal wave” of new infecti…