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Corona test in Bavaria
Photo: Daniel Vogl / dpa
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Australia relaxes quarantine rules due to delivery bottlenecks
3.40 a.m.:
Australia has a peak in new infections.
The current wave, driven by the Omikron variant, is driving up hospital deliveries and putting pressure on supply chains.
The authorities are forced to relax the quarantine rules for other employees.
As of Thursday, 147,000 new infections were reported, including 92,000 in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW) - but today's numbers from NSW also include positive results from rapid tests citizens have performed at home since January 1, and which have now been registered.
The number of hospital admissions is rising faster than ever before.
According to the authorities, however, the capacities are sufficient.
Because of the increased pressure on the supply chains, the state of Victoria has announced that it will relax the quarantine rules for certain occupations: Employees in the emergency services, education and transport sectors are allowed to work again if they are symptom-free.
"There is no quick fix," Victoria's Prime Minister Daniel Andrew said during a press conference.
"These changes are sensible, they will help, but they won't change everything, there is no easy solution."
Québec Court Temporarily Removes Custody of Unvaccinated Father
3:05 a.m.:
In the Canadian province of Québec, a court has temporarily withdrawn custody of his child from a father who is skeptical of vaccinations.
The decision of December 23, which the AFP news agency has received, states that it is not in the child's “best interests” to “have contact with his father if he is not vaccinated and opposes himself in the current epidemiological situation Pronounces health measures «.
The newspaper Le Devoir had previously reported on the case.
The father had originally requested that his custody of the 12-year-old be extended over the Christmas holidays and the New Year.
However, the judge waived all of his rights until February unless he still decides to get a vaccination.
The judge found that statements by the father on Internet platforms showed "that he apparently speaks out against vaccinations and health measures".
The protection of the child against the coronavirus is therefore not guaranteed, even in view of the highly contagious Omikron variant.
In addition, the mother lives with her spouse and her two other children, aged seven months and four years, who are not vaccinated, as vaccination in Canada is only possible from the age of five.
"Under these circumstances, it is not in the interests of one of the three children" that the father can see the 12-year-old child "at this point in time," the judge said.
The US health authority expects 62,000 corona deaths in the next four weeks
2:49 a.m.:
The US health department CDC predicts that more than 62,000 US citizens could die as a result of corona infection in the next four weeks, as reported by CNN.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), more than 842,000 people in the United States have died as a result of the virus.
According to the new forecast, experts estimate that the current average 1715 deaths per day will rise to 2624.
The US health authority pointed out that "current predictions may not reflect the rapid spread of the omicron variant or could change during holiday periods and should therefore be interpreted with caution."
Situation in critical infrastructure still relaxed
02.34 a.m.:
According to the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW), there are no staff shortages due to the increased number of quarantine cases in power plants and other so-called critical infrastructure operations.
»As of today, the situation in companies is still relaxed.
The companies have a close eye on the current situation and regularly reevaluate it, ”says BDEW boss Kerstin Andreae of the“ Rheinische Post ”.
»It is important that the companies can act quickly and flexibly in the event of personnel bottlenecks in order to ensure the deployment of the operational staff.
The existing pandemic plans provide for various measures for this. "
France: Stricter
corona
rules and school strikes
02:05
a.m.: The French Senate has approved the planned tightening of the corona rules for unvaccinated people on Thursday night with restrictions. In order to contain the fifth wave, unvaccinated people will soon no longer have access to facilities such as gastronomy and culture and will no longer be able to use long-distance trains and flights. So far, this was still possible with a current negative test. However, the Senate determined that the tightening only applies as long as there are more than 10,000 corona patients in French clinics. There are currently around 24,000 patients.
At the same time, teachers want to protest en masse against corona management in schools with strikes on Thursday.
"Exhaustion and despair of the entire educational community has reached unprecedented levels," said a joint statement by eleven trade unions.
The number of cases in France has skyrocketed in the past few weeks.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is now predominant in the country.
On Wednesday, almost 362,000 new infections were registered within one day.
Moderna expects vaccination data for children over two years of age in March
1:27 a.m.:
The US manufacturer Moderna expects the results of its clinical study on the corona vaccine for children aged two to five years in March.
If the data and discussions with the supervisory authority were positive, Moderna could then seek emergency approval for the vaccination, the company said on Wednesday.
The other manufacturers of an mRNA vaccine, Biontech and Pfizer, announced in mid-December that they expected to be able to apply for emergency approval for the age group from six months to five years "in the first half of 2022".
Many US experts expect an emergency approval for a vaccine for infants aged two and over in the course of the first half of the year.
Violence at Corona protest in
Salzgitter
- also children at the demo
12:32 a.m.:
During an unregistered protest against the state's corona policy in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, demonstrators tried to violently break a police chain.
At the gathering of around 50 people, including children, there was a "heated and aggressive" mood on Wednesday evening, as the police reported.
Several proceedings were initiated because of administrative offenses - among other things, because many participants ignored the mask requirement.
According to the police, initial investigations revealed that members of the right-wing scene were also there.
WHO decides on extension of the corona health emergency
00:05:
At the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, an independent committee of experts is discussing this Thursday whether the corona situation will continue to be classified as an international health emergency.
This state of emergency - known as a "health emergency of international scope" - has been in place for almost two years.
It is the highest level of alert that the WHO can issue.
The committee wants to make a recommendation that evening.
The World Health Organization usually follows such a recommendation.
Denmark
starts with fourth vaccination
00:01 a.m.:
Denmark starts giving a fourth dose of vaccine against the coronavirus.
The repeated refreshment will be offered to the "citizens most at risk," especially those diagnosed with serious illnesses, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Wednesday.
The health authorities would contact the patients in the next few days.
The government also announced a shortening of the validity of the health passport: The passport expires five months after the second vaccination for people who have been vaccinated twice.
It was seven months previously.
After a third dose, which so far 54.6 percent of the population has received, the card is valid indefinitely.
Heunicke also announced the reopening of cultural institutions that had been closed since December 19.
A maximum of 500 participants are now allowed for events in closed rooms.
However, bars and restaurants must close at 11 p.m. and alcohol sales are prohibited after 10 p.m.
cop / AFP / dpa / Reuters
