(Bloomberg) —
Hong Kong is poised to add the U.K. to its highest-risk Covid travel list, meaning returning residents will face a week of mandatory quarantine. The U.K. is facing an accelerating wave of omicron infections, prompting Health Secretary Sajid Javid to refuse to rule out closing schools in a bid to slow infections.
Australia recorded its first hospitalization from the omicron variant. New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, will ease Covid restrictions at the end of the month, reflecting a declining trend in case numbers and rising vaccination levels.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment for mild symptoms.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 270.1 million; deaths top 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.45 billion shots given
- Two weeks into the omicron outbreak: where to from here?
- Billionaire’s bet on Pfizer vaccine for China fails to pay off
- Pandemic intelligence chief brings data, AI to omicron fight
- Opinion: Don’t dismiss a fourth shot against omicron
Hong Kong to Quarantine U.K. Arrivals (6:07 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong residents returning from the U.K. will be required to spend their first week at a government quarantine facility due to omicron variant concern, the South China Morning Post reported.
The U.K. would be moved to Hong Kong’s enhanced-measures category, the SCMP reported, citing an unidentified person. An announcement is expected later Monday, the newspaper said.
On Sunday, Israel added the U.K. to its travel “red list,” banning Israelis from traveling to Britain and announcing mandatory quarantine for those who do return.
Italy to Increase Vaccine Mandates (5:34 p.m. HK)
Italy will make vaccination mandatory for all teachers, headmasters and school staff across the country as of Dec 15, according to new government measures approved last November. In order to access schools, workers will need to present a so-called super green pass, which proves vaccination or recovery from Covid infection.
Italy will also start vaccinating children from the ages of 5 to 11 years starting on Dec. 16, with priority given to the most vulnerable.
Nigeria Infections Jump With Omicron (5:10 p.m. HK)
Nigeria’s daily Covid infections have jumped more than fivefold over the past week following the discovery of the omicron variant in the country of 200 million people.
The average number of Nigerians who tested positive for the pathogen rose to 451 a day for the week ending Dec. 12, compared with 76 in the preceding week, according to data from the National Center for Disease Control.
U.K. Refuses to Rule Out School Closures (4:08 p.m. HK)
U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to keep schools in England open as the government battles to contain the spread of the omicron variant.
“When it comes to our fight against the pandemic there are no guarantees,” Javid said in an interview on LBC radio. On Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a significant acceleration of the U.K.’s vaccine booster program, with the aim of offering an extra shot to every adult before the end of December.
Talks on Reopening Thai-Malaysia Border (3:40 p.m. HK)
Thailand and Malaysia are preparing to enter formal discussions over the reopening of land borders to allow travelers from Malaysia to enter Thailand without quarantine requirements.
The opening of land border crossings in Thai provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat and Satun is expected from mid-January, Government Spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek says in a Twitter post Monday.
Western Australia to Reopen (2:50 p.m. HK)
One of the world’s final Covid-zero strongholds is set to reopen — almost two years after slamming its borders shut. Western Australia announced it will welcome fully-vaccinated international and domestic travelers from Feb. 5. Overseas arrivals without protection will still have to quarantine.
While other Australian states have gradually reopened as vaccination rates have risen, Western Australia held strong, and the state’s residents were able to live almost restriction-free lives within its borders. Western Australia only had 12 days of lockdown in total during the pandemic and recorded one death due to community transmission, according to Premier Mark McGowan.
Auckland Curbs to Ease at Year-End (12:45 p.m. HK)
Auckland will ease some coronavirus restrictions in time for New Year’s Eve. From 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 30 capacity limits on hospitality venues will be lifted and more close-contact activities such as dancing will be allowed. People still require vaccine passes to enter most venues and events and must wear masks in most public facilities and shops.
Auckland was plunged into a strict lockdown in mid-August to combat an outbreak of the delta variant. The 107-day lockdown ended Dec. 3, and a border around the city is due to lift on Dec. 15, allowing residents to visit other parts of the country as the summer vacation period approaches.
China Cases Tick Up (9:30 a.m. HK)
China reported 80 locally transmitted cases Monday as the latest outbreak continues to grow in the eastern coastal region. Zhejiang province, the new epicenter of the current wave, found 74 infections, according to the National Health Commission, with 55 detected in the city of Shaoxing.
More than 1.16 billion people in China, or 82.5% of the total population, have been fully vaccinated, a health commission spokesperson said at a press conference on Saturday.
Australia’s First Omicron Hospitalization (9:30 a.m. HK)
Australia recorded its first hospitalization from the omicron variant, according to New South Wales state health officials.
The state has found at least 64 cases of the omicron variant stemming from outbreaks in western Sydney, nightclubs and a party cruise on Sydney Harbor. It’s also facing rising overall case numbers, which hit 536 on Sunday, the highest since early October.
Nevertheless, Australia will reopen its borders to skilled migrant workers and foreign students from Wednesday, after initially delaying the move for two weeks as omicron started to spread.
U.K Airlines Ask for Help (8:50 a.m. HK)
The U.K.’s biggest airlines have asked the government for economic support as new travel restrictions threaten to upend the peak Christmas season for a second year.
The government’s latest moves, which include reintroducing expensive hotel quarantines and travel bans for passengers arriving from southern Africa, are putting more pressure on airlines that were counting on Christmas travel to start to offset huge losses accumulated during the pandemic.
“As leaders of U.K. airlines, we are deeply concerned about the haphazard and disproportionate approach by government to travel restrictions following the emergence of the omicron variant,” the chief executives of carriers including British Airways and Ryanair Holdings Plc wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Omicron Cases Remain Mild: ECDC (5:31 p.m. NY)
A total of 766 cases of the omicron variant had been confirmed in 23 European countries as of Sunday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement. Most of the cases are now local transmissions not related to travel to or from the original epicenter of the new strain in southern Africa, the ECDC said.
All cases for which there is available information on severity were either asymptomatic or mild and there have been no omicron-related deaths reported thus far, according to ECDC. “These figures should be assessed with caution, as the number of confirmed cases is too low to understand if the disease clinical spectrum of omicron differs from that of previously detected variants.”
Ramaphosa Tests Positive (3:26 p.m. NY)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment for mild symptoms.
“The president, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week,” the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.
Ramaphosa, 69, was vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot in February.
Johnson Warns of Omicron ‘Tidal Wave’ (3:10 p.m. NY)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the U.K. is facing a “tidal wave” of omicron infections and set an end-of-year deadline for the country’s booster vaccination program.
“Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year,”Johnson told the nation in a hastily-arranged address on Sunday night.
Johnson, who has been the subject of scathing headlines over his handling of the pandemic, tried to change the narrative in a somber address. While he is accelerating a plan to deliver booster jabs, in practice he’s bringing the deadline forward by a month.
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