New Delhi: The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, has caused fresh concern, with a renewed spurt in cases.
While several hospital trusts in the UK have declared “critical incidents”, Rio has cancelled its famous carnival in view of increased infections and in China, residents of cities in lockdown, are complaining of lack of access to medical care.
The total number of Covid cases reported worldwide has touched 295,639,850, with 5,474,752 deaths.
ThePrint brings you some important global stories on the Covid pandemic.
UK hospital trusts hit hard by Covid declare critical incidents
Several hospital trusts in the UK have declared critical incidents amid staff shortages and pressures due to Covid-19, the BBC has reported.
Critical incidents are declared when it is felt priority services cannot be provided, including treatment for cancer or heart diseases. Declaring such an incident indicates that the situation creates a significant risk of substantial or serious harm to the physical or mental health, safety or well-being of employees — in this case health workers.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and Great Western Hospitals in Wiltshire are some of the trusts that have declared critical incidents.
This comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the National Health Service (NHS) was facing “huge pressures”.
The UK has registered 13,641,520 Covid cases and 148,941 deaths so far.
Rio cancels world-famous Carnival street parades for second time
Responding to the threat of the new Omicron variant and rising cases, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro has canceled street parades and parties for its world-famous Carnival for the second year, reported Reuters.
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes made the announcement Tuesday following a meeting with health authorities.
“The street carnival, by its very nature, due to the democratic aspect it has, makes it impossible to exercise any kind of inspection,” he said.
However, unlike last year, he gave a green light to the parade by Rio’s samba schools, which the public watches from the stands of the city’s Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome.
Brazil has registered 22,323,837 cases and 619,426 deaths so far.
Israel study says five-fold antibody rise with 4th vaccine jab
Preliminary findings from an Israeli study on the effects of a fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose indicate it produces a fivefold increase in the level of antibodies, reported Haaretz.
The study, conducted by the Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, focused on the safety and effectiveness of a fourth dose, or a second booster dose, which Israel has begun administering following a surge in Omicron infections.
The study began last week on 154 employees of the medical center. All those participating in the study had received their first booster shots no later than 20 August last year and had antibody blood test readings under 700.
Israel has reported 1,411,805 cases and 8,247 deaths.
Lockdown woes in China’s Xi’an, Yuzhou cities
Residents in Chinese cities of Xi’an and Yuzhou say strict lockdowns are taking a toll on the population and healthcare systems with complaints of food shortages and delays in accessing medical care, reported The Guardian.
Xi’an has been under a strict lockdown for about two weeks, while Yuzhou has been under lockdown since Monday evening. In these cities, public transport, the use of private vehicles as well as shops supplying essential goods have all been suspended.
On social media platforms, a number of residents have aired concerns and anxieties about the restrictions, with some saying they were turned away from hospitals for hailing from high-risk areas.
A screenshot of a now-deleted post which went viral claimed a man and his sick father were turned away from a Xi’an hospital because they were from an area designated as higher risk. The man’s father was having a heart attack, but died by the time he was admitted for treatment, claimed the post.
Another post claimed a woman in labour lost her baby after she was prevented from entering a Xi’an hospital.
China has registered 102,932 cases and 4,636 deaths so far.
What else are we reading:
In Omicron Hot Spots, Hospitals Fill Up, but I.C.U.s May Not: The New York Times
COVID-19 policies need to be inclusive of undocumented people: Al Jazeera