These are the symptoms caused by the omicron variant of the new coronavirus
🔄 Click here to see the latest updates
4 posts
2 hours ago
The vaccine will be mandatory in Austria for everyone over 18 years of age
A man gets vaccinated against Covid-19 on the first day of a temporary vaccination center on the passenger ship MS Vindobona on the Donaukanal (Danube Canal) in Vienna, Austria.
(Photo by Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images)
Austria will apply from February 1 a broad covid-19 vaccination mandate, which includes fines for unvaccinated adults.
The government announced last November that the vaccination mandate was necessary to address the low vaccination rate in the country.
The first draft of the law was published in December, and a revised draft was published on Monday and is now going through Parliament.
All people over the age of 18 living in Austria must be vaccinated against covid-19, according to the latest project.
Some groups of people are exempt, such as pregnant women, people who have recovered from a covid-19 infection (who are exempt after 180 days of a positive PCR test), and people who cannot be vaccinated without jeopardizing their health. Health.
"Mandatory vaccination does not come suddenly, but rather in stages," Chancellor Karl Nehammer told the public broadcaster ORF on Sunday.
No fines will be imposed during the initial phase, which lasts until mid-March, Nehammer said.
Starting March 15, law enforcement will start checking whether people comply with the new law, for example by checking their vaccination status at traffic checkpoints.
People face fines of up to 600 euros ($685) if they don't have a vaccination certificate or an exemption.
So-called "reminder dates" can also be established, in which people are reminded by letter that they should be vaccinated.
In the third phase of the mandate, these reminder dates will be followed by "vaccination dates".
People who have not been vaccinated or do not have an exemption by then will be fined.
There will be two "shot dates" each year.
A person can receive a maximum of four fines a year, which would mean a total of 2,400 euros ($2,741).
The vaccination mandate is scheduled to last until January 31, 2024 and will be continuously evaluated until then, according to the Austrian Ministry of Health.
2 hours ago
Travelers to Hawaii may need a booster shot
The crisis has forced Hawaii, traditionally open to tourists, to be very strict with visitors.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Hawaii is likely to soon require visitors to get a Covid booster shot if they want to travel to the islands.
State Governor David Ige told reporters that his office is seriously considering changing its definition of "fully vaccinated" from two doses of an approved Covid vaccine to three.
That would mean travelers who haven't received booster shots will have to self-isolate for five days upon arrival in Hawaii, at their own expense.
Currently, only US travelers can visit Hawaii, with very few exceptions for international tourists.
Tourism is regulated through the state's Safe Travels program, in which people can upload their vaccination records to the online portal before their flight.
2 hours ago
More problems for Djokovic: France requires athletes to be vaccinated
A view of Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros in Paris, France, in this file photo dated September 21, 2020. (Photo: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty Images)
All professional athletes who wish to compete in France will have to be vaccinated against the covid-19 virus, the French Sports Ministry reported to CNN on Monday.
The vaccine approval law in France, sanctioned by parliament this Sunday, will require people to have a vaccination certificate to enter public places such as restaurants, cafes, cinemas and sports stadiums, among others.
"The rule is simple. The pass of the vaccine will be required once the law comes into force in establishments that were already subject to the sanitary pass (sports or cultural). It will apply to everyone (spectators, professional athletes)" a spokeswoman for the French sports ministry told CNN.
The new legislation jeopardizes Novak Djokovic's chances of competing at the French Open in May, the second tennis Grand Slam of the year.
Previously, the French Open allowed unvaccinated players to compete while operating in a bubble around the tournament.
Djokovic is the current men's singles champion on clay courts at Roland Garros.
"As for Roland Garros, it is in May. The situation may change by then and it is expected to be more favourable. So we will see, but now it is clear that it is not an exception [to the regulations]," the spokeswoman added.
The world number 1, who has not been vaccinated against covid-19, was deported from Australia on Sunday after losing his legal challenge against the decision to revoke his visa for a second time.
2 hours ago
China will not sell tickets for the Winter Olympics
Tickets for the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics will not be sold to the general public in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Beijing Winter Games Organizing Committee announced on Monday.
Instead, they will be distributed by the authorities.
"Considering the grim and complex situation of epidemic prevention and control [and] to protect the health and safety of Olympic staff and spectators, we have decided to change the original public ticket sales plan," it announced. the committee.
"Given the current situation of the covid-19 pandemic, in order to guarantee the safety of all participants and spectators, it has been decided that tickets will no longer be sold, but will be part of an adapted program that will invite groups of spectators to be present on site during the Games," the International Olympic Committee said in a statement released on Monday.
This announcement comes after the Chinese capital reported its first case of the highly transmissible omicron variant on Saturday.
The prevention control policy issued in September had already restricted ticket sales only to viewers residing in mainland China and meeting the requirements of covid-19 countermeasures.
The Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee added that the public must continue to "strictly comply with the prevention and control requirements of covid-19 before, during and after watching the Games."
The Games will begin on Friday, February 4.
coronavirusĂłmicron
