Omicron reached the strength of a tsunami in the United States and Europe. The new wave of Covid can be summarized in this way, if we look at the 200 thousand new cases in Great Britain, the almost 300 thousand in France and the million on the other side of the Atlantic. Flare fueled by the variant discovered in South Africa, which is confirmed to be faster in spreading than the previous ones, but fortunately also less violent in symptoms, also thanks to vaccinations, reinforced by boosters.
Rio cancels carnival celebrations on the street
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have announced the cancellation of street carnival celebrations next month due to an increase in Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. It is the second consecutive year that the pandemic has blocked the carnival celebrations, which this year had to take place from 25 February to 1 March.
The street parade of marching bands called “blocos” is different from the more famous samba school procession that takes place in Rio’s Sambadromo. The Sambadromo can hold 70,000 people in a stadium that allows the authorities to control those who enter. “The street carnival, given its nature and its democratic aspect, makes any kind of control impossible,” said Mayor Eduardo Paes.
In 2020, there were an estimated seven million people cheering for day-long street parades. The arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant, along with an increase in gatherings for Christmas and New Year, has seen Covid cases skyrocket in Rio. The new cases went from 21 on December 14 to 458 just two weeks later. So far, however, the increase in cases has not led to a significant increase in hospital admissions or deaths.
Four-fifths of Rio’s population have had at least two doses of the vaccine, while nearly a quarter have also received a booster. About 67% of the 213 million inhabitants of the South American country are vaccinated with two doses, while 12% have had the third. Nearly 620,000 people in Brazil have died from the coronavirus, second in the world only to the United States.
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France, Macron: «I want to blow No Vax’s nerves
Controversy in Parliament, with a session interrupted during the discussion of new anticovid measures, after the words of President Macron in an interview with The Parisian: “I want to blow No Vax’s nerves,” he said. “This is my goal, until the end.”
Great Britain: over 200 thousand infections in 24 hours
In Great Britain for the first time the threshold of over 200 thousand daily infections (almost 219 thousand) has been exceeded, with a jump in hospitalizations to over 14 thousand. Boris Johnson, while warning that the pandemic is not over, has estimated that a return to the lockdown is unnecessary.
In the USA, 95.4 percent of infections are due to Omicron
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is responsible for 95.4 percent of infections from Covid-19 in the United States, where the daily threshold of one million people who contracted the virus has been exceeded. Ѐ what emerges from the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Omicron, that’s why the third dose of vaccine is essential
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Yesterday, President Joe Biden reiterated the call to US citizens to get vaccinated, but he also addressed an invitation to the country for calm: “The next few weeks will be difficult,” he said, recalling that more than 35 million are still missing from the vaccination call. adult people in the country. Biden said he was confident about the tools available to the country to deal with serious cases of Covid-19, which fortunately seem to be less frequent with the new variant of the virus. “I know we are all tired and frustrated by the pandemic,” said the US president. “Be concerned about the Omicron variant, but don’t be alarmed. If you are not vaccinated, however, you are right to be alarmed, ”Biden said. Yesterday, January 4, the Republican governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, proclaimed a state of emergency, after the admissions for Covid-19 in the state exceeded the threshold of 5 thousand.
India, curfew in Delhi
India is bracing for a third wave of coronavirus as its largest cities, capital Delhi and financial center Mumbai, experience a surge in cases. India reported 58,197 cases on Wednesday, a sixfold increase in a week that experts say is fueled by the Omicron variant. Nearly a third of these infections came from Delhi and Mumbai. Both cities have restored curfews and other restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.
China, one million people lockdown in Henan
The reaction in China has been drastic, which has put one million people in lockdown in Henan after the discovery of just three infections. Beijing wants to avoid surprises, one month before the Winter Olympics.
Australia: peak of 50 thousand infections
Australia reached a peak of 50 thousand, despite the blanket traces and the closure of the borders thanks to which it had just emerged from a Delta wave.