E-Paper
Europe fights Omicron BA.2 variant-led surge, China witnesses slight dip: 10 points
Daily Covid cases in India stayed below 2,000-mark through the entire week and France, Italy and other European countries fight surge.
The BA.2 variant of Covid-19, or 'stealth' omicron, is now responsible for 33 per cent of cases in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday.
The sub-variant is also thought to be driving surges in Europe. France reported a weekly increase in hospitalisations and Germany recorded 300,000 cases in 24 hours, while cases in the United Kingdom have increased by a million for week ending March 19.
In Asia, the situation may be stabilising. Hong Kong saw a small decrease in daily cases and China's numbers hover around the 1,200-mark. India reported 1,421 new cases - down from around 1,600 on Friday.
Global coronavirus update in 10 points:
1. The US reported around 48,000 new cases Friday - a steep increase from 26,781 reported 24 hours prior - the World Health Organization said. Weekly numbers fallen to around 139,000 reported for the week ending March 21 from around 219,000 for the week ending March 14.
2. In the UK the trend seems reversed, with cases climbing from around 3.3 million for week ending March 12 to over 4.3 million for the week ending March 19. Cases in England, Scotland, and Wales are nearing record levels, data from the UK's Office of National Statistics showed.
3. Health authorities in France have said hospitalisations due to Covid have dropped marginally but week-on-week figures increased for a second consecutive day. New cases are increasing as well, with the seven-day moving average at a six-week high of 110,874 on Friday.
4. Figures shared by Reuters show Italy recording over 150,000 between Friday and Saturday, with another 81,811 on Thursday. The country has reported 14.23 million cases to date.
5. Germany reported nearly 300,000 cases on Friday, leading health minister Karl Lauterbach to issue a dire warning to all residents. "The pandemic isn't over by a long shot," he told reporters in Berlin, "There can be no talk of a 'freedom day'. Quite the contrary." Lauterbach also suggested the real number of daily infections could be twice that being reported.
6. Germany has had fewer deaths per capita than comparable European countries since the start of the outbreak, but officials are concerned that the low vaccination rate of under 76 per cent could result in many more severe cases in future, particularly among the older population.
7. Hong Kong reported 8,841 new cases Saturday, down from 10,405 on Friday. From April 1, Hong Kong will reduce the ban on individual airline routes from 14 days to seven as part of its 'flight suspension mechanism'. It will also gradually resume public services from April 1.
8. China reported 1,217 locally transmitted cases in the preceding 24 hours, news agency ANI reported Sunday citing the National Health Commission. China reported 1,335 cases on Friday and 1,366 cases on Thursday. Health officials remain cautious and have said the situation is 'severe and complex' as the Chinese government persists with its 'zero Covid' policy.
9. In India - where daily cases have stayed below 2,000 since March 20 - the government will end all Covid containment measures from March 31. However, face masks and social distancing in public will remain mandatory, the health ministry said.
10. After producing vaccines and treatments for acute Covid-19 in record time, drug makers are turning to finding a cure for long Covid, a more elusive target marked by hundreds of different symptoms afflicting over 100 million people.
