New Coronavirus News from 20 Dec 2021

Crack Down Hard, or Wait and See? Europe Splits on Omicron Response. [The New York Times, 20 Dec 2021]

By Norimitsu Onishi and Nicholas Casey

As some nations impose tough restrictions in the face of soaring cases, others, including France, are lying back for the moment.

PARIS — The Dutch can now invite only two guests to their homes as part of a new lockdown. In Denmark, where masks and other social restrictions had all but disappeared thanks to a successful vaccination campaign, cinemas, amusement parks, zoos and other establishments are closed once again.

By contrast, France has ruled out lockdowns, curfews or closures on a continent where new Covid-19 rules are being announced every day in the face of the Omicron variant’s rapid spread. “The French exception,” the front page of one newspaper, Le Parisien, said on Monday.

For now, France — as well as Spain and, to a lesser extent, Italy — is betting that high vaccine and booster coverage, along with earlier restrictions it put in place, will be enough to keep the coronavirus variant manageable, adopting a wait-and-see attitude as a sense of urgency grips the Netherlands, Denmark and Britain.

The numbers show why.

In London, the number of Covid cases rose by 30 percent last week, and the mayor declared a “major incident” — an emergency status that frees up resources. Denmark is now recording more than 9,000 new cases daily, one of the highest infection rates in the world. And the Netherlands became the first country in Europe to return to a full lockdown amid fears that its relatively low number of I.C.U. beds would be overwhelmed.

Spain, Italy and France all have lower Covid cases per 100,000 people than some of their northern neighbors, at least for now.

Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health in Geneva, said that countries in northern Europe had “tended to be more proactive, in moving quickly in not wanting their hospitals to be overwhelmed.” For countries in the south, he said, restrictions and lockdowns are “always an act of last resort.”

In all the countries, economic and political concerns — just days before Christmas — are also guiding governments, amid uncertainty about just how big a risk the variant poses.
Epidemiologists have warned that even if Omicron is eventually shown to cause less severe illness, its rapid spread could still send huge numbers of people to hospitals.

The warnings recall some of the most uncertain moments early in the pandemic, with surging case numbers leaving European nations with the prospect of a second consecutive Christmas clouded by lockdown-like measures, travel bans and fears of rationed health care.

Governments are accelerating booster shots as the scientific evidence accumulates that two vaccine doses are insufficient to stop infection, though the vaccines appear to reduce the risk of hospitalization and serious illness. The United States is carefully watching Britain and Denmark for clues of what might happen at home, since both countries are good at tracking variants.

In France, the government said that Omicron was now estimated to have caused hundreds of cases, and that it would be the dominant variant by early next month. An average of 52,471 coronavirus cases per day were reported in France in the last week, according to a New York Times database, up 23 percent from the average two weeks ago.

The government of President Emmanuel Macron has encouraged vaccinations by issuing health passes to people who receive shots, and has managed to keep schools and most establishments open. More than 70 percent of the French population has received two doses, though some six million have yet to receive a single shot.

Fresh restrictions would chip away at that success just four months before presidential elections.

The government is focused on tightening restrictions on unvaccinated people in the new year by making France’s health pass contingent on getting vaccinated. Currently, people can also obtain a pass with a recent negative Covid test.

The government has also shortened the wait before people can receive a booster shot to four months, from five. So far, about 17.5 million people have had boosters, or about 36 percent of the population that had received two doses.

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“It’s annoying, but this year there’s at least more of a Christmas spirit than last year, when we had a curfew,” said Sherryline Ramos, a student in communications who was strolling with a friend along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. “We couldn’t go out and enjoy Christmas decorations.’’

In Spain, there has also been little appetite to return to the restrictions that became common during previous waves of the virus. Such a move, ahead of the Christmas holiday, is considered both politically and economically treacherous.

Last week, officials raised the country’s alert level, and they now report 50 infections per 100,000 people, the steepest rate in months. But on Monday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signaled a wait-and-see approach, noting that hospitalizations remained lower than elsewhere in Europe and that the vaccines appeared to be doing their job.

“With notably higher contagion figures, we have lower hospitalization and intensive care occupation than a year ago,” he said. “The first conclusion is that vaccination works and that this health crisis can only be stopped by science.”

Medical experts agree that Spain’s high vaccination rates have set it apart from other European countries. More than 80 percent of the country is fully vaccinated.

But some in the public health community expressed reservations about the government’s current approach. Rafael Vilasanjuan, the policy director of ISGlobal, a public health think tank in Barcelona, said that as countries in northern Europe move urgently to try to slow the variant, Spain could be losing valuable time in getting ahead of it.

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The latest Covid data in the U.S. As the Omicron surge caused case counts to reach record highs and hospitalizations to surpass last winter’s peak, here’s what the data suggests about the variant’s potential toll. Reports of falling infection rates in parts of the U.S., meanwhile, hint that a national peak may be approaching.

The U.S. Covid response. President Biden announced that the U.S. government would deploy military personnel to help overwhelmed hospitals and buy 500 million more tests for distribution to Americans, doubling its previous purchase. Americans will be able to order free rapid tests online beginning Jan. 15.

Around the world. Some European countries have changed their approach to the virus to more closely align with how they handle the flu. Public health experts say the shift might be premature. Outbreaks in China weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics underscored the challenges of holding the Games while sticking to a “zero Covid” policy.

Staying safe. Worried about spreading Covid? Keep yourself and others safe by following some basic guidance on when to test and how to use at-home virus tests (if you can find them). Here is what to do if you test positive for the coronavirus.

“We’re not in the situation where we can think the vaccine is enough,” he said. “We can eventually be in the same situation as others with hospitalizations.”

Mr. Vilasanjuan said the country should be considering a number of measures that other nations have adopted, including instituting a national vaccine passport and more forcefully pushing citizens to avoid large meetings, even during the holidays. He noted that while Omicron numbers had not surged yet to the levels seen in some other countries, they had risen in cities like Barcelona, where they now account for nearly a third of P.C.R. tests in some hospitals.

José Martínez Olmos, a former Spanish health official who works now as a professor at the Andalusian School of Public Health in Granada, said that voluntary measures might not be enough in the long term. He said the government might soon need to impose new restrictions on public activities, like limiting capacity in restaurants, hotels and theaters, and reducing their hours of operation.

And, as hard as it might be to enforce in Spain, the government needs to encourage limits on Christmas activities, Mr. Olmos said. “They need to recommend that people going to Christmas dinners try to be inside as little as possible, because social interactions are the key risk,” he said.

In Italy, the government is considering imposing new measures amid concerns over Omicron, but Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Monday that a final decision had not been made.

The government has made the vaccination campaign a national priority.

In October, Italy became the first major European country to require a “Green Pass” for all workers. Since then it has continued to tighten restrictions for the unvaccinated. As of last week, people traveling to Italy from other European countries must show recent negative rapid tests and proof of vaccination or recovery, or else they may be quarantined.

Omicron’s rapid spread — especially in Britain and Denmark, two countries with high vaccination rates — has alarmed many experts.

Denmark lifted all social restrictions in early September after a successful vaccination campaign. But last week, in addition to closing a host of public venues, the government banned the serving of alcohol from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and required a valid vaccine passport for travel aboard intercity buses and trains.

In the Netherlands, concerns over Omicron’s effects on the health care system pushed the government over the weekend to order the closure of all but essential businesses until the second week of January. The number of guests allowed into people’s homes was limited to two, though four will be allowed on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Michel de Blaeij, 33, who lives in Terneuzen, a city in the south of the Netherlands, said he supported the measures, but he was critical of what he considers the government’s lack of clarity and consistency. The government’s decision to send schoolchildren home on Christmas vacation a week early had left many parents scrambling, he said.

“You just don’t know where you stand,” he said, adding, “The general mood is frustration right now.”

Norimitsu Onishi reported from Paris and Nick Casey from Madrid. Reporting was contributed by Claire Moses and Shashank Bengali from London, Jasmina Nielsen from Copenhagen, José Bautista from Madrid, Elisabetta Povoledo from Rome, and Léontine Gallois, Constant Méheut and Aurélien Breeden from Paris.

Cruise ship returns to Miami with 48 cases of COVID-19 [WION, 20 Dec 2021]

By Johnny Diaz

Dozens of passengers and crew members aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19 last week, according to the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean International said in a statement that the ship, the Symphony of the Seas, was carrying more than 6,000 guests and crew members when 48 people onboard tested positive.
The ship departed Dec. 11 for a seven-night Caribbean cruise and returned to port in Miami on Saturday, the company said.

The cases were identified because of contact tracing after a guest tested positive, the cruise line said.

“Each person quickly went into quarantine,” the statement said. “Everyone who tested positive was asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and we continuously monitored their health.”

The cruise line said that the ship sailed with 95% of its guests aboard fully vaccinated and that 98% of the people who tested positive were fully vaccinated. It was not immediately clear whether any of the people who tested positive had received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

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Royal Caribbean requires travelers 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and test negative before boarding the ship. Children who are not yet vaccinated must provide a negative PCR test result before sailing and test negative at the terminal before boarding.

The company said that all its crew members were full vaccinated against COVID-19 and were tested weekly.

During the early days of the pandemic in 2020, outbreaks on cruise ships sickened hundreds of people and upended the tourism industry, as officials and companies struggled to keep crews and passengers safe.

For months, cruise ships were barred from sailing to many ports. Even after vaccinations became more widely available in the United States in April, allowing much of the travel industry to ramp up again, cruise ships remained docked in ports, costing the industry billions of dollars each month.

The cruise industry rebounded in the summer, with many companies reporting an increase in bookings and a better handle on COVID-19 protocols.

But a recent spike in COVID cases in parts of the United States and Europe and growing concerns over the omicron variant may hinder that momentum.

This month, at least 17 coronavirus cases were identified on a Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship that docked in New Orleans, including a case of the new omicron variant.

EDITORIAL | How Biden needs to help fight omicron [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 20 Dec 2021]

He can start by easing access to high-quality masks, rapid tests, vaccines and COVID treatments.

Meteorologists don't wait until a tornado is on the ground to issue watches and warnings. Alarms sound when conditions are right for violent weather, giving those in its path time to seek shelter and secure their homes.

The same batten-down-the-hatches approach is required for COVID's new, highly infectious omicron variant. While there are mixed signals about whether it causes milder illness, the uncertainty and the hurricane-force ferocity with which it has spread merit urgent action from individuals and political leaders. Testing before holiday gatherings (and not going if positive) is especially prudent.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden is expected to address a pandemic-weary nation about omicron's threat. He needs to do far more than simply urge Americans to get vaccinated and boosted. What's needed are specifics about how the federal government will leverage its authority and vast resources to help Americans individually do their part.

Here are some key questions Biden should answer:
Booster availability. Only about 30% of the U.S. population has gotten a COVID booster. That's troubling when protection provided by having had COVID or the regular vaccine series is less robust against omicron infection. Boosters restore it, but they are needed swiftly before omicron's spread. Unfortunately, appointments can be hard to find. What is the plan to ease access?

Vaccine uptake. Slightly more than 65% of Americans eligible for the shot (essentially those 5 and up) are fully vaccinated. That leaves far too many at risk of hospitalization and death, especially with the delta strain still circulating. Additional action is needed to spur vaccinations and boosters. The Star Tribune Editorial Board has argued that requiring vaccinations for air travel would act as an incentive. Will the Biden administration take this sensible step?

Testing. If Americans could find out quickly that they have COVID, they could act to check viral spread. Minnesota's community testing program provides far more options (at no-cost) than most states. But the convenience of rapid, at-home tests is hard to beat. These are currently sold over the counter but can be hard to find. In addition, a two-test package of BinaxNOW or other brands often costs $20-$25. Authorities should mail free tests to households or make them available for free at post offices or drugstores.

COVID treatments. Monoclonal antibodies, a mainstay treatment once someone is infected, may not work as well against omicron. The welcome exception appears to be sotrovimab, but supplies could be challenging. Federal authorities should push to boost production. Antiviral pills in development, particularly Paxlovid from Pfizer, could help reduce severe illness in those infected. Now would be a good time to expedite approval and ensure adequate supplies.

Masking. Wider use of more effective high-filtration masks, such as N95s, could help halt viral spread. Provide them at no-cost to consumers by mail or other methods.

State and local governments shouldn't stand idly by. They could help with mask and at-home rapid test supplies, for example. A temporary mask requirement for indoor public and commercial spaces would also be timely and beneficial. Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature should put this in place. If not, cities and counties could act.

Policies easing access to high-quality masks, tests and vaccinations or boosters are essential as omicron makes landfall. Biden should clearly outline how his administration will help responsible Americans who want to protect themselves, their families and communities.

UK says COVID-19 surge 'extremely difficult' as Omicron grips Europe [CNA, 20 Dec 2021]

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday (Dec 20) he would tighten coronavirus curbs to slow the spread of the Omicron variant if needed, after the Netherlands began a fourth lockdown and as other European nations consider Christmas restrictions.

Speaking after UK media reported Britain might impose new curbs after Christmas, Johnson said the situation was "extremely difficult" and hospitalisations were rising steeply in London.

"I have to say to the British public, and I say to everybody, we will not exclude the possibility of going further if we have to do things to protect the public," Johnson said after a cabinet meeting.

Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe and the United States, doubling every two or three days in London and elsewhere and taking a heavy toll on financial markets, which fear the impact on the global economic recovery.

The variant was first detected last month in southern Africa and Hong Kong and so far been reported in at least 89 countries. The severity of illness it causes remains unclear.

Any limits on Christmas celebrations would come at a high political cost for Johnson, already under fire over reports he and his staff broke lockdown rules last year.

Asked about speculation the government would ban indoor socialising and limit tourism, Johnson said: "We're looking at all kinds of things ... we will rule nothing out."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a shutdown on Saturday, ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places until at least Jan 14.

Germany plans to limit private gatherings from Dec 28 to a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, according to a draft of proposed steps. The document also said access to restaurants would remain limited to people who could provide proof of vaccination or recovery.

Ireland on Friday ordered bars and restaurants to close at 8pm and reduced the capacity in all public events. Italy is also considering new measures, newspapers reported on Sunday.

'RAGING THROUGH THE WORLD'
Coronavirus cases surged in New York City and around the United States over the weekend, dashing hopes for a more normal holiday season and stretching the country's testing infrastructure just days before Christmas.

In Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city would reinstate an indoor mask mandate beginning on Tuesday and running until the morning of Jan 31. All employees, contractors and grantees of the District of Columbia government must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a booster shot, she said.

In Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Omicron is spreading faster than the Delta variant and causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19.

China, where the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, must be more forthcoming with information about its origin, Tedros said. "We need to continue until we know the origins. We need to push harder because we should learn from what happened this time in order to (do) better in the future."

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said it was too early to conclude Omicron is milder than prior versions of the virus, adding that it could still make enough people sick to "overburden" healthcare systems.

Many monoclonal drugs "will not work with Omicron," she said of the infused treatment used to lessen disease severity of COVID-19 patients.

Monoclonal antibody drugs deliver lab-made versions of the body's natural antibodies to fight infection, while vaccines spur the body to make its own antibodies and build its own immunity.

Wall Street's main indexes opened lower on Monday, dragged down by concerns about the impact of tighter COVID-19 curbs on the global economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 500 points, or nearly 1.5 per cent in afternoon trading.

European stocks were down 1.33 per cent. Shopper numbers across Britain's high streets fell 2.6 per cent over the Dec 18-19 weekend versus the previous weekend, researcher Springboard said.

Last week, the European Central Bank cut its euro zone growth forecast for next year to 4.2 per cent from 4.6 per cent previously, citing the pandemic among "headwinds".

ECB President Christine Lagarde said, even if economies were learning to adapt to living with COVID-19, tighter restrictions could delay the recovery.

Israel added the United States to its "no-fly" list, citing concerns over the Omicron variant. US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said Omicron was "raging through the world" as he urged Americans to get booster shots.

Booster shots, on top of two-shot vaccinations, appear critical to fighting the variant. Moderna said a booster dose of its vaccine seemed to be protective against Omicron in laboratory testing, and the current version of the shot would remain Moderna’s "first line of defence".

More than 274 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally since the pandemic began. More than 5.65 million people have died.

The World Economic Forum on Monday postponed its annual meeting in Davos due to the spread of Omicron, putting off the event scheduled for January until mid-2022.