Covid Omicron news latest:: End of pandemic ‘not far away’ in UK as England restrictions ‘to be scrapped within weeks’

China reported 171 new confirmed COVID-19 cases for Jan. 17, down from 223 a day earlier, its health authority said on Tuesday.

Of the new infections, 127 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, down from 163 a day earlier. The other new cases were imported.

The new locally transmitted cases were in Henan, Tianjin, Guangdong, Beijing and Shaanxi, the NHC said.

The country reported 33 new asymptomatic cases for Jan. 17, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, up from 28 infections a day earlier.

There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,636.

As of Jan. 17, mainland China had 105,258 confirmed cases.

Australia on Tuesday suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly.

Australia is dealing with its worst COVID-19 outbreak, fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that has put more people in hospitals and intensive care than at any time during the pandemic.

A total of 74 deaths were registered by late morning between New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Australia’s three most populous states, exceeding the previous national high of 57 last Thursday, official data showed.

“Today, is a very difficult day for our state,” New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said during a media briefing as the state reported 36 deaths, a new pandemic high.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that his country will send an additional 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries, calling for global cooperation to tackle the pandemic and other challenges while urging other powers to discard a “Cold-War mentality” — a veiled swipe at the United States.

Xi touted China’s efforts to share vaccines, fight climate change and promote development in the opening speech of a virtual gathering hosted by the World Economic Forum. The online event is being held after the group put off its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Efforts to battle the global outbreak that has claimed over 5.5 million lives and upended the world economy and climate change were prominent themes Monday.

In a panel session on the virus, Moderna’s CEO said the vaccine maker was working on a single-shot booster for both COVID-19 and the flu, while U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci lamented as “very disturbing” the reluctance of many Americans to follow basic measures like mask-wearing and getting vaccinated.

Xi, who hasn’t left China since the coronavirus emerged in early 2020, said his country has exported more than 2 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries and international institutions. He announced plans to provide an additional 1 billion, including a donation of 600 million doses to Africa and an extra 150 million to Southeast Asia.

“We need to discard Cold War mentality and seek peaceful coexistence and win-win outcomes,” Xi said through a translator. “Protectionism and unilateralism can protect no one. … Even worse are the practices of hegemony and bullying, which run counter to the tide of history” — terms Beijing has used to describe U.S. policy and actions.

“A zero-sum approach that enlarges one’s own gain at the expense of others will not help,” he added. “The right way forward for humanity is peaceful development and win-win cooperation.”

Hong Kong police said they have arrested and charged two former flight attendants over allegations they broke the city’s coronavirus rules.

The statement, which was published late on Monday, did not name the airline but the announcement comes after Cathay Pacific said in January it had fired two aircrew who were suspected of breaching COVID-19 protocols.

Police said the two had returned to Hong Kong from the United States on Dec. 24 and 25 where they had “conducted unnecessary activities” during their home isolation period.

They both later tested positive for the fast-spreading Omicron strain. If convicted, they could face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to HK$5,000 ($642).

They have been released on bail with their case to be heard on Feb. 9.

China is urging people to wear masks and gloves when opening their mail, especially if it is from abroad, following the discovery of the first case of Omicron in the country.

Authorities have suggested that the variant might have arrived in China via a package from Canada.

“Minimize purchases of overseas goods or receiving mail from abroad,” state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday in a post on social media.

“Be sure to protect yourself during face-to-face handovers and wear masks and gloves; try to open the package outdoors”.

New York City, as well as some other US states, has started to see a rapid decline in the number of Covid-19 cases over the past few days.

In New York City the seven-day average of new cases was standing at 28,000 a day on January 16, down an average of more than 40,000 on January 9.

The same was true of positivity rates. Of the 400,000 Covid tests carried out in New York on Saturday, 12.9 percent came back positive.

This is a fall on the week before, where the positivity rate was recorded around 20 percent.

Several other north-east states, such as New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are also seeing a decline in recorded cases.

The World Health Organisation’s special envoy, Dr David Nabarro, has repeated his comments that the UK could be nearing the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

He told BBC Breakfast this morning: “The situation in the UK. It gives us grounds for hope and I’m personally very pleased to see that. The goal that we’re all aiming for is a situation where this virus is present, but life is organised so that it is not disrupted.”

He added: “We need real honesty – it’s just no good anybody suggesting that the situation is rosier than it really is.

“That’s why I’ve been careful. I’m saying I can see where the end is, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but I really do anticipate right throughout the world a bumpy journey ahead during 2022.”

Vaccine company Moderna has set its sights on a single booster jab for Covid-19 and the flu, its chief executive has said.

Stephane Bancel thinks that the vaccine could be ready within the next two years and could be made available before the winter flu season in 2023.

He said: “Our goal is to be able to have a single annual booster so that we don’t have compliance issues where people don’t want to get two or three shots a winter. The best-case scenario would be the fall of 2023.”

Government ministers are said to be drawing up plans to get rid of Covid-19 restrictions from as early as Spring.

The restrictions currently include advice for people to work from home where possible, the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport and in some indoor places.

There is also a requirement to show Covid-19 immunity passes for entry to certain venues.

Read the full story here:

The coronavirus pandemic may be coming to an end in the UK, an expert at the World Health Organisation has said.

Dr David Nabarro, a WHO special envoy for Covid-19, has said that there is now “light at the end of the tunnel” for this country.

Read my colleague Rebecca Thomas’s report for more detail about Dr Nabarro’s comments.