‘PLAN B’ TO CONTAIN OMICRON; BRITISH PM ANNOUNCED TOUGHER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

Thu 09 December 2021: As the number of Covid cases in England continues to rise amid fears of a new variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced further measures to help stem the spread of the deadly virus. Vaccine passports have been made mandatory for venues with large crowds as part of ‘Plan B.’ Work-from-home […]

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OMICRON COULD BE MILDER THAN DELTA; TRANSMITS MORE RAPIDLY: WHO

Thu 09 December 2021: Early evidence suggests that the Omicron coronavirus variant is more likely than previous variants to reinfect people who have already had the virus or been vaccinated, but it may also cause milder disease, according to the World Health Organization. “Emerging data from South Africa suggests increased risk of reinfection with Omicron,” […]

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UK’S JOHNSON APOLOGISES FOR VIDEO BUT STILL DENIES CHRISTMAS PARTY

Wed 08 December 2021: Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has apologized for holding a Christmas party last year when the country was under lockdown. He has promised “disciplinary action,” as well as an internal investigation into the leaked video of senior aides joking about a Christmas party. Despite his apologies, Johnson […]

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OMICRON REPORTED IN 57 COUNTRIES, HOSPITALIZATIONS SET TO RISE: WHO

Wed 08 December 2021:  The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations, with COVID cases rising in southern Africa including Zimbabwe, and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological report, said more data was needed […]

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SOUTH AFRICAN FORUM TO DISCUSS COVID-19 VACCINE MANUFACTURING

Wed 08 December 2021: Leading a world-class consortium to create the first technology transfer hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation is convening a multi-stakeholder forum on Thursday, in collaboration with local and international partners, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. “Omicron is the latest COVID-19 variant to give […]

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CANADA WON’T ALLOW UNVACCINATED NBA PLAYERS TO ENTER THE COUNTRY STARTING IN 2022

Wed 08 December 2021: A ban on unvaccinated NBA players entering Canada will take effect in January, requiring players without the vaccinations to either get vaccinated or remain home from Canada away games with the Toronto Raptors. “NBA informed teams today that unvaccinated players will no longer be allowed to travel to Toronto to play […]

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COMPULSORY COVID-19 VACCINES ARE ‘AN ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT’ -WHO

Tue 07 December 2021: Covid-19 vaccine mandates are still a controversial subject, and the issue is as relevant as ever as the globe grapples with not only the delta variant but also fears about the spread of omicron, a virus mutation whose risk profile is mostly unknown. As some governments are considering, or have already […]

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AFRICAN UNION CALLS FOR RESCINDING OF TRAVEL BANS

Tue 07 December 2021: The African Union (AU) has condemned and called for the lifting of travel bans on Southern African countries, most notably South Africa, following the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The variant was detected and announced by South Africa’s National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in November and was declared […]

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WORLD BANK SAYS ITS CONTRIBUTING TO THE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF 100 MILLION COVID-19 VACCINES

Tue 07 December 2021: The World Bank announced on Monday that its support had assisted in the delivery of 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, with the total projected to reach 150 million by the end of the month assuming doses arrive on time. President David Malpass of the World Agency said […]

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EU REGULATOR APPROVED ARTHRITIS DRUG FOR SEVERE COVID CASES

Tue 07 December 2021: In a statement released on Monday, the European Medicines Agency recommended the use of an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug for severe COVID-19 patients because it lowers the risk of death. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) human medicines committee “has recommended extending the indication of RoActemra to include the treatment of adults with […]

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