Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron
The US has hit its highest-ever average of new coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant spreads at a blistering pace, amid testing woes and health worker shortages.
The moving seven-day average of new cases was 265,427 as of Tuesday, surpassing the previous peak of 251,989 set in mid-January 2021, a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University showed.
The heavily mutated Omicron strain, which according to government modelling accounted for around 59 percent of national US cases in the week ending December 25, is the most transmissible seen to date.
It is frequently able to bypass immunity conferred by vaccination and prior infection.
Though the rate of severe outcomes appears to be lower, Omicron is already stretching previously strained hospital systems throughout the country, with health workers leaving in droves because of burnout.
Still, with many testing centres closed for the holidays, the total number of cases may not be known until later because of a delay in state reporting.
Nationwide, almost 9,000 Covid patients are being admitted every day, according to data collected by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), still some way short of the peak of 16,500 per day seen in January, though this is a lagging indicator.
Around 1,200 people were dying on average every day on December 23, the day before data collection was disrupted by Christmas holidays.
In January, deaths peaked at an average of 3,400 a day.
Paediatric hospital admittances are, however, rising nationwide — nearing a peak experienced earlier this fall, when the Delta variant hit the younger unvaccinated population hard.
Children under the age of five are still ineligible to be vaccinated.
More than 820,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, making the US the hardest-hit country in the world in terms of numbers, ahead of Brazil and of India.
By October, the latest month for which data has been analysed, unvaccinated people had a five times greater chance of being infected with Covid, and 14 times higher chance of dying, compared to vaccinated people.
Though those data do not account for Omicron, accumulating research shows that vaccination and boosting continue to protect well against severe outcomes.
The latest milestone comes as the CDC shortened recommended times that people should isolate after a positive test from 10 to five days, so long as they do not have symptoms and continue to wear a mask.
The move was praised by airlines and the hospitality industry, but public health experts criticised the decision to omit a requirement for a negative Covid test — even via rapid antigen, which correlates well with infectiousness.
Adding to confusion, the CDC on Tuesday revised its Omicron case projection in the US. The health agency estimated Omicron's proportion of cases for the week ending December 18 to 22 per cent, down from 73 per cent.
The Omicron variant currently accounts for 58.6 per cent of cases circulating in the US, according to data from the CDC.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Quick%20facts
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
