Surging Cases Dim Holidays; Russia Infections Ease: Virus Update

Coronavirus cases surged across the globe, darkening the holiday weekend. China reported the highest number of local infections since January, as an outbreak in Shaanxi province presents one of the government’s biggest challenges yet to its Zero Covid policy.

New daily omicron infections in the U.S. have surpassed those in the delta wave, CNN reported. U.S. airlines scrapped almost 1,900 flights for the holiday weekend because of personnel shortages linked to a spike in cases.

France reported a daily record of more than 100,000 new cases as the government considers stricter social measures, while Italy also saw its highest infections. But daily cases in Germany eased further, while Russia reported the lowest level of new infections since the end of September. 

The coronavirus can spread within days from the airways to the heart, brain and almost every organ system in the body, where it may persist for months, a study found.

Key Developments: 

• Virus Tracker: Cases pass 279 million; deaths top 5.39 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.9 billion shots given
• Coronavirus can persist for months after traversing entire body
• The quest for a disposable mask that won’t pollute
• All you need to know about rapid test kits
• What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake

Russia Sees Fewest Cases Since September (4:30 p.m. HK)

Russia registered 23,721 new cases in the past day, the lowest level since the end of September, according to data from the government’s National Virus Response Center. Daily deaths were at 968, the lowest since mid-October. 

Russia’s daily Covid cases and deaths reached a record early in November, but have declined since then. The country found cases of the new omicron strain in December, but all of them were reported on flights from abroad and people were isolated, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, according to Interfax.

Coronavirus Can Persist for Months: Study (4:27 p.m. HK)

The coronavirus can spread within days from the airways to the heart, brain and almost every organ system in the body, where it may persist for months, a study found.

In what they describe as the most comprehensive analysis to date of the virus’s distribution and persistence in the body and brain, scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health said they found the pathogen is capable of replicating in human cells well beyond the respiratory tract.

The results, released online Saturday in a manuscript under review for publication in the journal Nature, point to delayed viral clearance as a potential contributor to the persistent symptoms wracking so-called long Covid sufferers. 

Germany to Debate Obligatory Vaccination (3:39 p.m. HK)

Germany’s lower house of parliament will hold a first debate on introducing mandatory vaccination against Covid-19 at the start of next month, according to a senior lawmaker from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.

For a general vaccine mandate to be legally watertight, a number of complex issues need to be resolved, including the length of time before a booster shot is required, Dirk Wiese, a deputy SPD caucus leader, told Bild newspaper. Federal and regional officials agreed at the start of this month that the mandate should be approved by parliament in time for it to take effect from February.

China Sees Most Local Infections Since January (1:44 p.m. HK)

China reported 158 new local transmitted coronavirus cases, the highest daily number of infections since last January, as an outbreak in Shaanxi province presents one of the government’s biggest challenges yet to its Zero Covid policy.

Among the cases reported Sunday by the National Health Commission, 157 were found in the northwestern Shaanxi province, and one person without symptoms was found in Guangxi province. The latest number of new daily local infections is close to the peak level from the wave in late January.

Xi’an, the capital city of Shaanxi province known for its terracotta warriors, has become the latest hotspot in China, which has made eradicating the virus central to its Covid approach.

N.Z. Cases More Than Double Over Holiday (10:09 a.m. HK)

Covid cases in New Zealand have more than doubled in the two days since Christmas Eve, with 126 new infections in the community reported Sunday. Forty-five people are hospitalized with the virus, including eight in intensive care.

Cases in Australia also continue to trend upward. In New South Wales — the most populous state — new cases exceeded previous daily records with 6,394 new infections reported. Further south in Victoria, numbers declined 27% compared to a day prior with 1,608 new cases. Six more people in Victoria entered the intensive care unit, with 129 people in the ICU across both states.

Ireland Tells People to Avoid Shops, Crowds (8:11 a.m. HK)

Ireland’s chief medical officer warned people to avoid shops and not to mix with people from other households indoors, as coronavirus cases soar. People should “avoid crowded places including retail environments” and shop online “where possible,” chief medical officer Tony Holohan said in an emailed statement. 

The warning comes the day after Christmas, traditionally the biggest day of the year for household mixing in Ireland. The nation saw its highest number of daily confirmed cases on Dec. 24, with even higher case numbers expected. The government has already curbed opening hours for bars and restaurants and ordered nightclubs closed, but has not imposed official restrictions on shops beyond making masks mandatory.

Singapore Finds New Omicron Cluster (7:25 a.m.)

Singapore reported a new cluster linked to the omicron variant, warning that it expects to see further spread in the community.

The primary case in the cluster at The Vinyl Bar near the city’s downtown was a passenger who flew in from the U.S. using Singapore’s quarantine-free vaccinated travel lane on Dec. 14. He tested negative upon arrival but received a positive result in a further government-mandated test four days later.

The city-state has 448 Omicron cases so far, with 369 coming from those arriving from overseas. “Given its high transmissibility, it is a matter of time before the omicron variant spreads in our community,” the Health Ministry said.

Christmas Travel Chaos Deepens (3 p.m. NY)

Airlines’ U.S. flight cancellations approached 1,900 for the Christmas weekend, disrupting travel on one of the busiest periods of the year as the omicron-fueled wave of Covid cases triggered air-crew shortages. 

Saturday’s pullbacks erased at least 12% of the schedule at Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp., according to data tracker FlightAware.com. The U.S. cuts on Christmas Day alone totaled more than 900.

U.S. Omicron Daily Cases Surpassing Delta (1:55 p.m.)

New daily U.S. cases from the omicron variant have now surpassed delta’s peak, CNN reported.

Hospitalizations remain lower than the peaks earlier this year, it said. More than 69,000 people were hospitalized on Friday, CNN said, citing Department of Health and Human Services data. 

France Cases Top 100,000 (1:45 p.m.)

France reported a daily record of more than 100,000 new cases as President Emmanuel Macron weighs measures to contain the fast-spreading omicron variant.

New cases totaled 104,611 on Saturday, according to data from the public health office, topping the 94,124 infections recorded the previous day. The country reported 84 deaths.

Macron, who is widely expected to seek a second term in April’s presidential election, will convene his health defense council on Monday to discuss the coronavirus.

BTS Members Diagnosed With Covid (1:15 p.m.)

Three of the seven members of K-pop group BTS have been diagnosed with Covid-19 after returning from overseas, the Associated Press reported, citing the band’s management agency.

RM and Jin were diagnosed Saturday evening, the Big Hit Music agency said, a day after it said another member, Suga, tested positive. All three had their second vaccination dose in August and had mild or no symptoms, AP said, citing the agency.

Italy Posts Daily Case Record (1 p.m. NY)

Italy recorded its most daily cases for a third straight day, as the government tightens coronavirus measures to slow the spread of the omicron variant. 

The first country in Europe to move into lockdown last year reported 54,762 cases on Saturday, up from 50,599 a day earlier.

Queen Says U.K. Can Still Enjoy Festive Season (12:45 p.m. NY) 

Queen Elizabeth II gave a personal message in her first televised Christmas Day address since the death of her husband, Prince Philip, saying the U.K. can still enjoy the festive season even as a raging pandemic means not celebrating quite as freely.

An estimated one in 10 Londoners is currently infected with Covid. 

Turkey Says Omicron Makes Up 10% of Cases (12:15 p.m. NY)

The omicron variant accounts for 10% of all cases found in Turkey’s major cities, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Saturday. 

He announced no additional measures, citing the lack of a significant increase in hospitalizations. The minister also renewed calls to get booster shots as the country stepped up its vaccination efforts. Turkey started the mass production of its locally made Covid-19 jab Turkovac this week.

India to Start Vaccinating Teenagers (12 p.m. NY)

India will begin vaccinating teenagers aged from 15 to 18 starting Jan. 3 and will administer booster doses for health-care workers a week later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Citizens who are older than 60 and suffer from co-morbidities can also get booster shots in January, Modi said in a televised national address.

“India needs to be vigilant about the spread of the coronavirus,” Modi said, adding that people shouldn’t pay attention to rumors nor panic about rising infection numbers.