(Reuters) – China is on high alert against COVID-19 as the New Year holiday looms, with the city of Xian under lockdown while several New Year’s Eve events in other cities have been cancelled.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news
EUROPE
* Coronavirus deaths in Eastern Europe topped 1 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Omicron variant threatened to batter the region.
* Ireland became the latest country to cut the isolation period for some people who contract COVID-19 and relax requirements for tests as a record number of cases for the fourth time in a week overwhelmed testing facilities.
* France’s daily cases on Thursday rose above 200,000 for the second day running as the Omicron variant takes hold.
AMERICAS
* U.S. health experts urged Americans to prepare for severe disruptions in coming weeks as the rising wave of cases led by the Omicron variant threatened hospitals, schools and other sectors impacting their daily lives.
* Canada’s Ontario and Quebec announced fresh measures to combat COVID-19 as the country faces a rise in cases that has forced tens of thousands into isolation, made tests difficult to access and burdened its healthcare sector.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* South Korea will extend stricter social distancing rules for two weeks amid a persistent surge in serious infections and concerns over Omicron.
* Sydney, the Australian city worst-affected by the Omicron wave, will press ahead with New Year’s Eve celebrations, with authorities encouraging revellers to come out and enjoy the festivities despite a record number of cases.
AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST
* South Africa has lifted a midnight to 4 a.m. curfew on people’s movement with immediate effect, believing the country has passed the peak of its fourth COVID-19 wave driven by the Omicron variant.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Israel is to go ahead with second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people with weakened immune systems, the top government health official said on Thursday, but a final decision on wider usage is still pending.
* Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine caused mostly mild side effects in children aged 5 to 11 years, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Global stock markets reversed gains after a day-long rally on Thursday even as fresh U.S. economic data indicated that a recent uptick of Omicron-related infections has not yet led to a surge in layoffs, a positive sign for the economy. [MKTS/GLOB]
* China’s factory activity unexpectedly accelerated in December, but only by a slim margin, an official survey showed, with analysts foreseeing more economic headwinds in the near term and policymakers being pressured to offer support measures.
(Compiled by Devika Syamnath and Shinjini Ganguli; Edited by Maju Samuel and Shounak Dasgupta)
