Covid world: Israel weighs up fourth dose, China bans driving
Israel has launched trials of the fourth Covid vaccine, as China laid down the weirdest rule yet as part of its zero-Covid strategy.
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An Israeli hospital launched a clinical trial on Monday on the impact of a fourth shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, as the health ministry weighs a national fourth jab rollout.
The study being conducted by Sheba Medical Centre involves 150 volunteers from the hospital’s staff, who are at least four months removed from their third vaccine shot and have signs of waning antibodies.
Director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit at Sheba, Gili Regev-Yochay, said the study would assess the potential antibody boost from a fourth shot, the existence of adverse effects and whether an additional booster reduces the risk of infection.
Participants will be monitored for six months, she added.
Israeli health ministry spokeswoman Gal Rotem Golan told AFP that the ministry had approved the trial to “check the efficacy” of the fourth shot.
The study’s launch comes as Ministry of Health Director General Nachman Ash weighs the recommendation of an Israeli expert panel to begin administering a fourth vaccine shot to medical staff and everyone above 60 years old.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett hailed the recommendation, which came earlier this month, citing the risk of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant.
He said that Israel, which was among the first countries in the world to offer a third shot to the general public, would be a trailblazer for the fourth jab.
But the rollout is on hold, pending the health ministry’s approval. Ash reportedly wants more time to assess the recommendation, as he awaits further data on the severity of infections caused by Omicron.
Ran Balicer, chairman of Israel’s national expert panel on Covid-19, supported the trial as Israel is “the first (country) to have a large national cohort of third dose vaccinated people with substantial waning immunity”.
Heart transplant surgeon Jacob Levee, who is participating in the trial for the fourth shot, told reporters: “I did not want to expose the heart transplant patients I am taking care of to the potential of getting the Omicron variant.” Some 4.2 million of Israel’s estimated 9.3 million citizens have received three doses of coronavirus vaccine.
CHINA ENTERS ‘STRICTEST’ PHASE OF LOCKDOWN YET
The locked-down Chinese city of Xi’an on Monday tightened Covid-19 controls to the “strictest” level, banning residents from driving cars around town in an effort to control the country’s worst outbreak in 21 months.
China has stuck to a “zero-Covid” strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns as Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of overseas visitors for February’s Winter Olympics.
Xi’an – where 13 million residents are facing their fifth day of home confinement – is at the centre of a flare-up that has pushed nationwide daily infections to their highest numbers since March last year.
Restrictions tightened further on Monday as Xi’an announced it would impose the “strictest social control measures”, according to a city government social media account.
The northern city – home to the world famous Terracotta Warriors – recorded 150 new cases on Monday, bringing the total locally transmitted cases to 635 since December 9.
No vehicles are allowed on the roads unless they are assisting with disease control work, the latest announcement said.
Police and health officials will “strictly inspect” cars, and those who break the rules could face 10 days’ detention and a fine of 500 yuan ($A109).
Two other cities in Shaanxi province also reported a case linked to Xi’an, as authorities urged migrant workers from the city not to travel home for the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.
Since locking down the city last week, authorities have launched several rounds of mass testing and placed nearly 30,000 people in hotel quarantine.
On Monday, Xi’an launched a fresh round of mass testing, state media reported. All non-essential businesses have been shuttered, while each household can only send out one person to buy necessities every three days.
The Xi’an government has come under fire for its perceived poor handling of the outbreak, with China’s disciplinary body saying last week that 26 local officials had been punished for lapses in virus prevention.
Authorities have strictly limited movement into and out of the city, with footage from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday showing trucks waiting in line at road checkpoints as workers in hazmat suits checked health codes on drivers’ mobile phones.
FRANCE BATTLES ‘SIXTH WAVE’
Doctors in France have blasted the unvaxxed as the nation recorded more than 100,000 Covid cases in a day.
Most of the cases are linked to the new, more transmissible Omicron variant.
French health authorities said in Paris alone, more than one person in 100 has tested positive in the past week.
Dr. Julien Carvelli, the boss of the head ICU at La Timone hospital in Marseilles, France, said most Covid patients over Christmas had not received any vaccine.
“We’re sick of this,” he fumed. “We’re afraid we won’t have enough space.”
France recorded in excess of 1000 deaths over the last seven days, bringing the total death toll to more than 122,000.
Martin Hirsch, head of Paris’s AP-HP hospitals group, Europe’s largest hospital system, told RTL radio on December 15 the “sixth wave” of Covid was expected to hit France in January.
“The needs are great and the arms are lacking,” he told FranceInfo.
“In the hospital, it has not stopped for two years.
“What emerges is extreme fatigue, mixed with exasperation, mixed with worry.
“This year, the staff, nurses and orderlies worked 2.7 million hours of overtime … it is as if they had replaced 1,200 people.
“They are their own reinforcement, it is a gigantic effort.”
President Emmanuel Macron and key members of his government are due to discuss new Covid safety measures.
On Friday, the health authority recommended adults receive a booster jab three months after their initial vaccination, down from six.
Now the government is moving to make the health pass, issued to the vaccinated, valid only if people accept the booster jab.
The pass is required for access to cafes, restaurants and public spaces, as well as for international travel.
UK’S PREMIER LEAGUE HIT BY RECORD CASES
Britain’s Premier League has revealed a record 103 players and staff tested positive for coronavirus in the period from December 20 to 26.
Just a week ago, the English top-flight set a new high since testing began in 2020 with 90 positive cases.
That mark has now been beaten as the Omicron variant takes its toll.
“The League can today confirm between Monday 20 December and Sunday 26 December, 15,186 COVID-19 tests were administered on players and club staff. Of these, there were 103 new positive cases,” a Premier League statement said.
NYC KIDS IN HOSPITAL AMID TEST SHORTAGES
With Omicron cases on the rise, New York health officials have reported an increase in hospitalised children, as the White House promised Sunday to quickly resolve the United States’ Covid-19 test shortage.
The New York State Department of Health warned “of an upward trend in paediatric hospitalisations associated with Covid-19,” in a statement Friday.
In New York City, it “identified fourfold increases in Covid-19 hospital admissions for children 18 and under beginning the week of December 5 through the current week,” it said.
Approximately half of the admissions are younger than five, an age group that is vaccine ineligible, the department added.
The number of Covid-19 cases in the United States is on the rise, with an average of nearly 190,000 new infections daily over the past seven days, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The arrival of the new Omicron variant, compounded by holiday celebrations that typically include travel and family reunions, have caused a rush on tests in the United States, where it is difficult to get one in many locations.
Top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci on Sunday acknowledged a Covid “testing problem” and vowed to make more tests available to Americans next month.
“One of the problems is that that’s not going to be totally available to everyone until we get to January and there are still some issues now of people having trouble getting tested,” Fauci told ABC News.
“But we’re addressing the testing problem,” he added, saying it should be corrected “very soon.” On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced a raft of new measures as the United States battles its latest Covid surge, including shipping half a billion free home tests in the wake of the Christmastide testing crunch.
However, the White House, whose strategy has for weeks been mainly focused on vaccinations, has faced strong criticism over the fact that many tests won’t be available until January.
IL DIVO STAR DIES OF DELTA VARIANT
Il Divo star Carlos Marin died from the Covid Delta variant, it’s been revealed.
The 53-year-old passed away at the Manchester Royal Hospital in England last week after contracting Covid for a second time.
His sister Rosa confirmed Marin, who was fully vaccinated, caught the Delta variant.
The infection attacked his lungs, leaving him in an induced coma in intensive care.
Marin, one of four singers from the Simon Cowell-created group Il Divo, will be laid to rest on Tuesday after a public wake in Madrid at the Saint Isidore Funeral Home in the heart of Madrid on Monday.
His bandmates are expected to join family at an earlier private wake.
His sister said he will be buried in his favourite Armani suit used for his stage performances.
He is expected to be cremated and his ashes deposited on Tuesday at Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery alongside those of his father.
TOUGH NEW RULES IN THE UK
The British have been hit with tough new rules starting from Boxing Day local time.
In Wales, only six people are allowed to meet in pubs, cinemas and restaurants.
Two metre social distancing is also required in public premises and offices.
Nightclubs have been forced to shut down.
In Scotland, a one metre distance rule applies to large events.
Indoor events are limited to 100 people standing, 200 people sitting.
Outdoor events are restricted to 500 people only.
From the next day, only three households will be able to socialise at indoor and outdoor venues and one metre distance rules will apply.
Table service will return where alcohol is served.
In Northern Ireland, nightclubs and indoor standing events are off limits.
Only three separate households are allowed to get together, groups of up to six people can go to pubs, bars and restaurants.
Ten people from the same household can meet in public places but only table service is allowed.
In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reviewing the rules on Monday local time.
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