The World Health Organization says it could still take some time to get a full picture of the threat posed by omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus as scientists worldwide scramble to assess its multiple mutations. Stock markets swooned, some public gatherings got canceled, and countries across the globe suspended incoming flights after scientists in South Africa last week identified the new version that appears to have been behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in the country’s most populous province. Over the weekend, the list of countries that have spotted the new variant in travelers grew. Portugal detected 13 cases linked to the new variant among members of a single soccer club — only one of whom had recently traveled to South Africa. On Friday, WHO designated it as a "variant of concern," its most serious designation of a COVID-19 variant, and called it "omicron" as the latest entry into its Greek alphabet classification system designed to avoid stigmatizing countries of origin and simplify understanding. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON? By Sunday, U.N. health agency issued a statement on omicron that boiled down to: We don't know much yet. It said it wasn't clear whether omicron is more transmissible — more easily spread between people — compared to other variants like the highly transmissible delta variant. It said it wasn't clear if infection with omicron causes more severe disease, even as it cited data from South Africa showing rising rates of hospitalization there — but that could just be because more people are getting infected with COVID-19, not specifically omicron. From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 on Saturday, most in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. Now, up to 90% of the new cases in Gauteng are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. "There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with omicron are different from those from other variants," WHO said. It said there's no evidence — yet — that COVID vaccines, tests and treatments are any less effective against the new version. WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT? So far, the main difference with other variants appears to be that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with omicron — in other words, that people who’ve already had COVID-19 could get reinfected more easily. The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus’ spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people. Some experts say that could mean that vaccine makers may have to adapt their products at some point. Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations "consistent with enhanced transmissibility," but said that "the significance of many of the mutations is still not known." Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as "the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen," including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus. WHAT SETS OMICRON APART?Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but don't know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease. It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it. Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was "extremely unlikely" that current vaccines wouldn’t work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants. Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, it’s still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didn’t end up spreading very far. "We don’t know if this new variant could get a toehold in regions where delta is," said Peacock of the University of Cambridge. "The jury is out on how well this variant will do where there are other variants circulating." To date, delta is by far the most predominant form of COVID-19, accounting for more than 99% of sequences submitted to the world’s biggest public database. Students from the Tshwane University of Technology make their way back to their residence in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. The world is racing to contain a new COVID-19 variant, which appears to be driving a surge in South Africa and is casting a pall there. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File) HOW DID THIS NEW VARIANT ARISE? The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out. Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they can't determine that simply by looking at the virus. Peacock said the variant "may have evolved in someone who was infected but could then not clear the virus, giving the virus the chance to genetically evolve," in a scenario similar to how experts think the alpha variant — which was first identified in England — also emerged, by mutating in an immune-compromised person. ARE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS JUSTIFIED?Depends on who you ask.
Israel is banning foreigners from entering the country and Morocco stopped all incoming international air travel. Scores of countries in Europe, North America, Africa and beyond restricted flights from southern Africa. Given the recent rapid rise in COVID-19 in South Africa, restricting travel from the region is "prudent" and would buy authorities more time, said Neil Ferguson, an infectious diseases expert at Imperial College London But WHO noted that such restrictions are often limited in their effect and urged countries to keep borders open. South Africa’s government said the country was being treated unfairly because it has advanced genomic sequencing and could detect the variant quicker and asked other countries to reconsider the travel bans. - Fox News
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Dozens of animals taken from the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter were quarantined and treated as Humane Society officials take over shelter operations. JENNIFER KING [email protected] Read more at: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article256063757.html#storylink=cpy PASCO, WA Pasco officials are asking the public’s help in getting animal control services for the Tri-Cities back in better order after ousting its contractor. Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation was forced out two weeks ago as the operator of the animal shelter for lost and abandoned pets, as well as the contractor responding to animal complaints in Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. The nonprofit is facing a host of legal troubles and allegations of financial mismanagement and animal mistreatment, according to court records and police reports. Top leaders of Neo’s Nation paid themselves bonuses and bought a home for their now-married adult children after a more than half-million-dollar donation earlier this year. A surprise tour by city officials led to a search by police and veterinary staff to remove animals that needed medical treatment, though the nature of their illnesses was not made public. About 30 cats and four dogs needed immediate treatment after being taken from the crowded Pasco shelter on Nov. 11. The city elicited the help of the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, which has taken over animal services in the cities for the time being. “The care of these animals and the cleanliness of the facility is our top priority,” the Humane Society posted on its Facebook page. “Please be patient with us as we continue to move through this process. We are navigating through it as quickly as possible to ensure the animals and the public feel as little turbulence as possible.” The nonprofit arranged for care and treatment for the animals that were removed and is caring for the more than 200 cats and dogs still at the shelter. But some of its employees have been facing harassment as they take over animal control. City officials have heard that employees have been cussed at and insulted when they respond to animal complaints in the community, said Zach Ratkai, Pasco’s administrator and community services director. “We are asking people to give them a little bit of grace and a little bit of patience,” he said. “The Animal Control Authority has confidence in the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, so we have confidence that the staff ... are here for the community good.” While the city of Pasco handles the contracts with the shelter, it is run by the authority, which is made up of representatives from each of the three cities. They normally meet quarterly, but have increased the frequency of their meetings after the problems with the shelter came to light earlier this month. Neo’s Nation had the contract for less than a year when the city received tips alleging poor conditions at the shelter. No charges have been filed related to the condition of the animals. SHELTER TAKEOVERHumane Society officials could not be reached by the Herald but an update posted on Facebook says the aging Pasco facility has been deep cleaned and all of the animals were examined by a vet. The sick animals were isolated, taken in by other pet rescues or are were treated at VCA Animal Hospital facilities in Tri-Cities. Incoming animals were separated from those that were already at the facilities, either by being kept away physically, or being sent to rescues.
“Ensuring the health, safety and mental well-being of all animals is why we are here,” the organization posted. One animal rescue they are working with is Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue. Andrea Moreno, Mikey’s Chance executive director, told the Herald they took medically needy dogs to begin with, but are still looking for some foster homes. If anyone is concerned about a pet they received recently from the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter, they should watch for signs of circular patterns of missing hair, runny nose or eye discharge, and take the animal to their veterinarian. Animal control calls and other questions related to the shelter can still be directed to the usual shelter number. Ratkai said all of the people working at the shelter now were brought there by the Humane Society. A number of employees who had worked for Neo’s Nation have quit. Many volunteers continue to be needed too. “There is a great community of animal lovers out there,” Ratkai said. “I want to make it worth their while to (continue to help.)“ The Animal Control Authority is considering what its next steps will be, but it hasn’t stopped plans for a new animal shelter that is to be built at the site of the current one. Donations can be made to the Humane Society to help with efforts at the Tri-Cities shelter and the Humane Society’s shelter on Seventh Avenue in Kennewick can go to www.bfhs.com. You also can contact these pet rescues to offer help: Tumbleweed Cat Rescue at [email protected], Silver Cloud Cat Sanctuary at [email protected], or Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue at [email protected]. - Tri-City Herald Austria has returned to a full national lockdown as protests against new restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections spread across Europe. From midnight, Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed. New restrictions have sparked protests throughout Europe. People clashed with police in the Netherlands and Belgium. Infection rates have risen sharply on the continent, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). On Saturday WHO regional director Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that unless measures were tightened across Europe - such as on vaccines, wearing masks and with Covid passes for venues - half a million more deaths could be recorded by next spring. Last week Austria became the first European country to make Covid vaccination a legal requirement, with the law due to take effect in February. Politicians in neighbouring Germany are debating similar measures as intensive care units there fill up and case numbers hit fresh records. 'A sledgehammer' to cut casesThis is Austria's fourth national lockdown since the pandemic began. Authorities have ordered residents to stay home for all but essential reasons, including work, exercise and shopping for food. Restaurants, bars, hairdressers, theatres and non-essential shops must all close their doors. These measures will continue until 12 December, although officials said they will be reassessed after 10 days. Speaking on ORF TV on Sunday night, health minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said the government had to "react now". "A lockdown, a relatively tough method, a sledgehammer, is the only option to reduce the numbers [of infections] here," he told the broadcaster. Tens of thousands of people protested in the capital Vienna ahead of the lockdown. Brandishing national flags and banners reading "Freedom", protesters shouted "Resistance!" and booed the police. Resinger Harald, a 62-year-old from the southern Carinthia region, is fully vaccinated and feels the lockdown is not necessary.
"It will hurt some of the smaller businesses severely and they might run into financial difficulties," she told the BBC. Jennifer Wall, a British woman who moved to Vienna about two years ago, has also been double-jabbed. She described the protests over the weekend as "disruptive" and "scary". "The situation here is really tense," she said. "There is a clear divide between vaccinated and not vaccinated." About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated - one of the lowest rates in Western Europe. The country's daily vaccination rate has risen sharply in November, but some people are still hesitant. In Vienna, one unvaccinated woman told the BBC that Austria's plan to make vaccinations compulsory amounted to a "restriction of human rights". "It's always a person's choice," she said. - BBC News South Korean schools made a full return to in-person classes from Monday, as part of the government's "living with Covid-19" policy.
The measures aim to "bring back normal educational activities and to help students struggling with the psychological or emotional impact of the prolonged Covid-19 situation," according to an Education Ministry statement explaining the decision. Living with the virus: South Korea began easing its Covid-19 restrictions on November 1 as the first step in the "living with Covid-19" policy, which also included the lifting of curfews for all businesses except for night clubs and karaoke bars. The restrictions are to be eased in three six-week phases. At the end of each phase, the government will evaluate the Covid-19 situation. In the second phase, all business curfews will be lifted; in the third phase, restrictions on private gatherings will be removed, according to the Health Ministry. Cases increase: Since South Korea began its "living with Covid-19" plan, the country's daily Covid-19 caseload has been on the rise. Confirmed daily cases were above 3,000 for six consecutive days last week, peaking at 3,292. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 patients in serious condition, requiring intensive care or help with breathing, hovered around 500. On Monday, the total number of patients in serious condition stood at 515, according to a Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) release. South Korea reported 2,827 daily new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 418,252, and total deaths to 3,298, since the start of the pandemic. According to the KDCA, 82.3% of the population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and 78.9% of the population has received a second shot. - CNN Chick-fil-A customers looking for their fix over Christmas weekend this year will be disappointed.
The chicken chain will be closed on Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday, in addition to the Sunday after. Traditionally, Chick-fil-A is closed on Christmas. But because of when the holiday falls this year, that means the restaurant's roughly 2,600 US locations will be closed for two days in a row. It will reopen Monday, December 27. Chick-fil-A closes its restaurants on Sundays because of its devout Christian ownership. Its owner's beliefs has drawn controversy in the past. For example, CEO Dan Cathy said in 2012 that the company supports "the biblical definition of the family unit."In a 2018 interview with a local Atlanta TV station, Cathy reiterated his position on same-sex marriage but said he's not anti-gay. The company has since tried to distance itself from its less-than-supportive stance toward the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, Chick-fil-A made major changes to its charitable foundation, ending donations to two organizations that have been criticized for being anti-LGBTQ+ — the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Both organizations have taken controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.In a blog post from last year, Chick-fil-A said the chain's restaurants will be open on New Year's Eve and Day — including this year because they're on Friday and Saturday, respectively. - CNN The killing of a pet dog in China while the owner was in Covid-19 quarantine has led to social media outrage and the sacking of a health worker.Video footage of the incident, in Shangrao in Jiangxi province, appeared to show one of the Covid health workers who were disinfecting the woman's flat beating the dog with a crowbar.
It was recorded by her security camera. The owner, who posted the footage online, said she was quarantining in a hotel that did not allow pets. Local authorities issued a statement apologising for the incident and saying that one of the health workers had been dismissed, but claimed the dog had been the subject of a "harmless disposal". The Shangrao neighbourhood, where the dog's owner lived, had been labelled a Covid-19 controlled area, meaning residents were forced to quarantine while health workers disinfected their homes. The incident has added to criticism of China's "zero-Covid" strategy, under which local authorities have reacted quickly to individual cases with massive programmes of testing, tracing and localised lockdowns, including forced quarantine for residents. The attack on the dog sparked outrage among social media users on China's Weibo platform, which is similar to Twitter. The video has been viewed millions of times, despite the dog owner's original post apparently having been taken down, and the incident was among the top trending items on Weibo on Sunday. Among the most liked posts were one that read: "Who gave them the right to break into her home and kill her dog?" Another said: "This is a violation of a citizen's privacy and the security of her property!" And one Weibo user wrote: "Pets are an owner's private property and they cannot be culled without permission! Even if culling is necessary, there needs to be a solid, scientific basis for it!" The Shangrao dog is reportedly not the first animal killed in China after its owner was sent to quarantine. Earlier this month, cats belonging to a resident of Chengdu were said to have been killed after testing positive for Covid-19. And there were reports in September that three cats in Harbin in the province of Heilongjiang were euthanised while their owner was in quarantine, despite not having been tested for the disease. - BBC News “It really comes down to countries — the big emitters — that need to act on this,” Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said.A South Pacific island nation at risk from rising sea levels has expressed disappointment with the international climate pact struck last week after it was watered down at the last minute.
Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe on Monday said the deal signed over the weekend should have pledged to the “phasing out” instead of the “phasing down” of carbon emissions. The agreement’s wording was changed just before the conclusion of the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit after interventions by India and China, two of the world’s largest producers of greenhouse gases. “We were disappointed with the last minute change to the language around coal from ‘phasing out’ to ‘phasing down.’ I think we were quite disappointed, as well as other Pacific island countries, with that last minute change,” he told Reuters following the pact that was sealed Saturday. Tuvalu, a nation of 12,000 people and nine small low-lying islands, may soon become uninhabitable as sea levels rise 0.2 inches a year, a rate higher than the global average. Its highest point stands at 15 feet, meaning any rise in sea levels will wash away parts of the islands and make surrounding areas unfit for living. Other island nations in the Pacific Ocean face the same existential threat. The outcome of the summit, which concluded two weeks of negotiations and saw almost 200 countries sign an agreement on how to battle climate change, has been criticized by activists and politicians as being insufficient to avert an impending climate-led catastrophe. The summit’s president, United Kingdom lawmaker Alok Sharma, has told the BBC both India and China will have to “explain themselves” to countries most vulnerable to the effects of rising temperatures after the last minute wording change. Meanwhile, in his closing remarks at the climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres commended delegates from around the world on reaching a deal but acknowledged that there is more work to be done. “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” he said in a video address. “We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.” The deal includes several key pledges, including an agreement to reduce coal power and fossil fuel subsidies. However, critics say, the commitments are not aggressive enough to avert the worst impacts of climate change and that they do not provide enough support to developing nations disproportionately affected by global warming. Kofe added that stronger action against climate action was crucial to the survival of Tuvalu and other small island nations, saying larger countries, such as neighboring Australia, should have vowed to take more substantial cuts to their carbon emissions. “It really comes down to countries — the big emitters — that need to act on this. But we will continue to push on, we will continue to advocate to, you know, reduce emissions moving forward,” the minister continued. “What is important now is the implementation plan and moving forward. Making pledges is one thing, but it’s something else to actually see countries act on those,” Kofe said. Kofe had urged world leaders to take action against climate change during a speech to the summit Nov. 9. He delivered his appeal submerged up to his knees in water in an area in Tuvalu where there once was dry land. “We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is rising around us all the time … We must take bold alternative action today to secure tomorrow,” he said in his address. Footage of his speech went viral on social media, drawing international attention to the island nation’s plight. Studies show global carbon emissions must be slashed by 45 percent by 2030 to avoid a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the threshold scientists say is necessary to avoid the most devastating results of climate change. - NBC News A teenage boy who killed his 12-year-old friend in a frenzied attack after luring him to a woodland has been sentenced for murder Roberts Buncis was stabbed more than 70 times in the "brutal and prolonged" assault in Boston, Lincolnshire, just days before his 13th birthday. Jurors at Lincoln Crown Court heard Roberts' wounds were "consistent with an attempt to remove the head". Marcel Grzeszcz, 15, was ordered to serve a minimum term of 17 years. Jurors took less than two hours to convict Grzeszcz, who was 14 at the time of the attack in the Fishtoft area on 12 December 2020. Greszcz, who can be named in reports for the first time after anonymity restrictions were lifted, persuaded Roberts to meet by offering him £50 to sell cannabis. During the trial he insisted he had acted in self-defence and had "lost control" when Roberts, whom he accused of bringing a knife to the scene, tried to stab him. Prosecutor Mary Loram QC told the court there was no evidence Roberts had been armed, and the attack showed a "significant degree of pre-meditation and planning". The number of injuries and significant suffering suggested Robert's death was "more a than a simple stabbing," she said. Mr Justice Baker, sentencing, rejected Grzeszcz's claim about the knife and said he had not yet shown "any true remorse". During the "savage and brutal attack" on Roberts, he said, the defendant had made "a determined effort to remove his head before leaving his body for others to find". After the killing, the judge said, Grzeszcz made attempts to conceal the crime and dispose of evidence by burning his clothing and sending messages claiming he never met Roberts on the night he was killed. The judge warned Grzeszcz he may never be released. In a statement read to the court, Roberts' father Edgars Buncis said he felt "empty" after his son's murder.
"This is all wrong. No father should have to bury his son," he said. "Nothing is a reason for this. I have lost my destination, and my purpose. My life is in a cemetery." Speaking after the sentencing, Det Ch Insp Richard Myszczyszyn said the "utterly senseless" killing would be "remembered by officers and staff as one of the worst and saddest cases we have ever dealt with". "The level of violence, and that it involved children, makes it almost incomprehensible," he said. - BBC News China has punished an unnamed non-governmental organization for collecting “sensitive” maritime data and sharing it abroad, highlighting Beijing’s control of information that undercuts the official narrative on environmental issues.
The NGO set up coastal monitoring stations near military sites to track offshore debris, threatening China’s national security, the Communist Party’s highest law enforcement body, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said on its website Monday. The NGO’s activities came to light after being discussed at a conference in 2019, the body said, without naming the group or explaining why the incident was only now being reported. - Bloomberg At least 12 people were killed and 52 injured in Halloween weekend mass shootings in the US11/1/2021 Two people were killed and at least another dozen were injured as shots rang out at a house party in Illinois where people were gathering for Halloween.
It was one of at least 11 mass shootings in the US over the holiday weekend, including several at places where crowds had assembled. The violence left at least 12 people dead and another 52 injured, according to CNN reporting and an analysis of data from Gun Violence Archive and local news and police reports. CNN defines a mass shooting as an incident with four or more people killed or wounded by gunfire, excluding the shooter.The number of mass shootings in the US increased during the coronavirus pandemic. There have been 599 mass shootings so far this year, according to the archive. There were 611 in 2020 and 417 in 2019, the group said. The increase in mass shootings during the pandemic is consistent with the notion that the violence may be influenced by social and economic factors, researchers have said.Over the weekend, gunfire erupted at house parties, a boxing event and on the streets. These are the mass shootings that took place across seven states. - CNN |