The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world on Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
7:22 am: Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has been hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus for the second time in the pandemic.
The Finnish government did not say when or where 84-year-old Ahtisaari was thought to have been infected. Ahtisaari served as head of state of the Nordic country for a period between 1994-2000.
The former diplomat and peace negotiator for the Finnish government won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his work to resolve international conflicts.
“President Ahtisaari is fine under the circumstances, but remains in hospital for the time being. He tested positive for coronavirus also in March 2020, ”the office of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said in a statement Wednesday night.
In September, it was announced that Ahtisaari had Alzheimer’s disease and was withdrawing from all public activities.
6:20 am: If you are planning to host a New Years Eve party, health experts urge you to make it virtual or outdoor.
Omicron, which is extremely contagious and is estimated to have already infected hundreds of thousands of people in Ontario, has made indoor gatherings too risky, even for double-vaccinated groups with negative rapid test results.
Dr. Peter Jüni, Scientific Director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Scientific Table, said that around five percent of Ontarians currently have COVID and are infectious. That’s more than 725,000 people, or one in 20 people.
By the time the New Year rolls around, he said there will be a one in three chance that if you meet 10 people, one of them will become infected.
Read Ben Cohen’s full story from Star.
6:20 am: The province will begin distributing the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to long-term care residents who will be eligible three months after receiving a booster shot, Star learned.
The move, to be announced Thursday, comes as the province records record cases of COVID-19 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
“This is one of the many measures the government is implementing to protect residents and long-term care staff,” a government source told the Star.
Read the full story of Star’s Kris Rushowy.
6:15 am: England’s National Health Service is building temporary structures in hospitals across the country to prepare for a potential surge in COVID-19 patients as the highly communicable omicron variant fuels a new wave of infections.
The UK reported a record 183,037 new confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday, up 32% from the previous day. While early data suggests that omicron is less likely to cause serious illness than previous variants, public health officials believe the large number of infections could lead to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
In response, the NHS will begin setting up “augmentation centers” this week in eight hospitals in England, each with the capacity to treat about 100 patients. Staff are preparing plans to create up to 4,000 “superpower” beds should they be needed, the NHS said on Thursday.
“We still do not know exactly how many of those who contract the virus will need hospital treatment, but given the number of infections we cannot wait to find out before acting, so work is beginning today to ensure that these facilities are in place. their place, ”NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis said in a statement.
The number of people hospitalized in England with COVID-19 rose to 10,462 on Wednesday from 7,366 on December 24, government figures show. Wednesday’s number was the highest since March 1. The figure is still well below the 34,336 peak recorded on January 18.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted implementing new restrictions on business and social interactions during the Christmas season, instead emphasizing an expanded vaccine booster program to control the spread of Omicron.
6:15 am: Las Vegas does not cancel or reduce plans for New Years Eve gatherings.
More than 300,000 visitors are expected in the city for events including a New Year’s Eve fireworks display on the Las Vegas Strip that was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of ticket holders are also expected to attend a multi-stage outdoor music event under a canopy light show in the downtown casino pedestrian mall.
Announcing Wednesday that the program will continue, Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said: “If you are sick, stay home. If you’re indoors, wear a mask. “
Regional health officials in Las Vegas reported 2,201 new cases of coronavirus, the most in a day since Jan. 11. New cases and deaths in Las Vegas have increased.
6:15 am: Mexico’s health security council approved the use of the three-dose Cuban vaccine against the coronavirus Abdala.
The council said Wednesday it has sufficient evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective.
Approval for emergency use does not necessarily mean that the Mexican government will purchase or administer the Abdala vaccine in Mexico. Mexico has approved 10 vaccines for use, but has made little use of some, such as the Chinese Sinopharm.
Cuba approved the use of Abdala in the country and began commercial exports of the three-dose vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela.
6:15 am: Montenegro has tightened rules on viruses amid spike in infections and fears of a rapidly spreading omicron variant.
As of Thursday, all gatherings are prohibited indoors or outdoors in the European country, including weddings, parties and conferences. Bars and restaurants were ordered to close at 1 a.m. on New Years Eve and at 10 p.m. after the holidays.
Authorities also limited the number of people allowed in shopping malls and religious objects to one for every 10 square meters (108 square feet) and said COVID passes are required for cinemas, museums and theaters.
For sporting events, spectators are prohibited indoors and outdoor venues are limited to a quarter of capacity. Masks are a must everywhere.
Authorities have said the number of new infections has risen and stricter rules are needed to prevent them from spiraling out of control. About 1,500 new infections were reported Wednesday in the nation of 620,000 people.
Montenegro has also tightened entry rules for visitors and urged people to spend the next vacation only with their immediate family.
6:15 am: Chinese officials promised constant grocery deliveries to residents of Xi’an, a former capital of 13 million people that is under the tightest blockade of a major Chinese city since Wuhan was closed early last year at the beginning of the pandemic.
China’s Commerce Ministry has been in contact with nearby provinces to help ensure adequate supplies of daily necessities, a ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
State broadcaster CCTV aired a story on Thursday that showed building staff preparing free grocery deliveries for residents of an apartment complex in Xi’an.
Deliveries included a box of 15 eggs, a 2.5 kilogram (5.5 pound) bag of rice and some vegetables. Residents could also expect chicken or pork, he said.
Still, some people complained in comments below the shared segment on Weibo, a social media platform, that they haven’t received the same submissions in their communities. Many are concerned about whether they will be able to obtain fresh vegetables and meat.
6:15 am: Residents and tourists in Paris will be required to wear face masks outdoors starting Friday as France sees an increase in COVID-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant.
The Paris police prefecture said the mask rule will apply to people over the age of 12, though people will be exempt while riding bicycles or motorcycles, traveling in vehicles and exercising.
Those who fail to comply face fines of 135 euros ($ 153).
Masks are already mandatory in shops, public facilities and office buildings and on public transport in France.
The French government announced measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus this week, when France reported a daily record of 208,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
6:15 am: Provinces across the country are modifying or expanding health restrictions as the Omicron variant continues to cause record numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Quebec said yesterday that vaccinated health workers who test positive for COVID-19 could return to work after seven days if they have no symptoms, and that workers who are exposed to COVID outside their homes no longer need to self-isolate themselves.
Manitoba and Ontario have said they were considering similar measures to avoid overwhelming their own healthcare systems.
British Columbia says it will bring students back in January in a gradual approach, with staff and students whose parents are healthcare workers, as well as those who need additional support, returning to class on January 3-4. All other students will return to school on January 10th.
Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec established new case records on Wednesday, with the latter reporting more than 13,000 infections, 10 more deaths and a 102-person increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Ontario reported 10,436 new infections and three deaths.
Alberta more than doubled its active case count in one week, while recording its largest increase in new infections in a single day.
Reference-www.thestar.com