Malaysia today lifted a travel ban on eight southern African nations that reported the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Malaysian health minister said.
Nonetheless, the eight countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, will remain on a list of nations deemed as high-risk, with travellers from those countries would be subjected to additional restrictions upon arrival, Khairy Jamaluddin told media on Dec 28.
First US Covid-19 jab recipient becomes vaccine activist
Since being hailed as the first person in the United States to get a Covid-19 vaccine, New York nurse Sandra Lindsay has become a prominent face in the country’s biggest-ever vaccination campaign. She has been promoting the shots on panels, in Zoom town halls and at other events.
“I encourage people to speak to experts who can answer their questions, to access trusted science. I let them know that it’s OK to ask questions,” said Lindsay, who has spoken at events in the US and Jamaica, where she is from.
China expands lockdowns as virus surges in US, Europe
China has put hundreds of thousands more people under lockdown to try and stamp out a worsening coronavirus outbreak.
Despite facing a much smaller outbreak compared with global virus hotspots, China has not relaxed its “zero Covid” strategy, imposing stay-at-home orders in many parts of the city of Yan’an.
The hundreds of thousands of affected residents there joined the 13 million people in the city of Xi’an, who entered a sixth day of home confinement as China battled its highest daily case numbers in 21 months.
Hong Kong to tighten air crew quarantine rules amid Omicron threat
Hong Kong health authorities said the city would tighten quarantine rules for air cargo crew to tackle the growing threat of the Omicron variant.
The global financial hub has identified several dozen Omicron infections via regular testing during quarantine but neither Omicron, nor other variants, have spread into the community in recent months.
But some of the new infections with Omicron were detected among air crew, who had only been required to quarantine at home, unlike most other people returning to the city, who have to quarantine in hotels.
South Africa study suggests Omicron could displace Delta
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one.
The study only covered a small group of people and has not been peer-reviewed, but it found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who were vaccinated, developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant.
The analysis enrolled 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated people who were infected with the Omicron variant in South Africa.
India boosts arsenal against Covid-19 with Merck pill, two more vaccines
India has approved Merck’s Covid-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use as the world’s second most populous country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases.
Asia’s third-largest economy has already said it will allow Covid-19 booster shots for some of its population as someIndian states logged an uptick in Omicron cases.
The emergency approvals come at a time measures are being taken to ramp up oxygen supplies and strengthen the country’s health infrastructure.
