The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant

A woman undergoes a PCR test at a Covid-19 testing center in Seoul, South Korea on December 8.

South Korea has reported a new record of seriously ill Covid-19 patients, according to Korea Disease Control Agency (KDCA) data from Tuesday.

As of 12 a.m. local time Wednesday, 1,063 Covid-19 patients are in critical condition, with 84% of them age 60 and above, KDCA said.

Health Minister Kwon Deok-chul said the government will add 6,944 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients in moderate and critical condition by the end of January 2022.

Other measures to ease the burden on the country’s struggling health facilities, according to Kwon, include:

The announcement is in line with President Moon Jae-in’s orders Monday to expand medical response capability by securing more hospital beds and medical workers.

South Korea reported 7,456 new Covid-19 cases from Tuesday, increasing the country’s total to 583,065, according to KDCA. The death toll rose to 4,906 after 78 fatalities were added from Tuesday.

A medical worker takes a sample from a resident to be tested for Covid-19 in Xi'an, in China's northern Shaanxi province on December 21.

China reported 57 locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases across five cities on Tuesday as the country continues to try and stifle coronavirus outbreaks under its zero-Covid policy.

Most of the cases — 52 — were recorded in the historic city of Xi’an in northwestern Shaanxi province, the National Health Commission said.

That brings the Xi’an cluster to 143 infections since the outbreak began on December 9, when a quarantine hotel staffer tested positive, according to the municipal government.

Xi’an on Wednesday closed all cross-city bus stations and more than 1,300 public facilities, and advised nearly 13 million residents not to leave their homes unless necessary.

Overall, 53 cases were reported in Shaanxi province, two in southern Guangdong province, one in the northern city of Tianjin, and one in the southern Guangxi autonomous region.

While China’s caseload pales in comparison with that of many countries, the unceasing flareups underscore the growing challenge Beijing faces to keep infections at zero.

One case sparks mass restrictions: Guangxi’s border city of Dongxing, which neighbors Vietnam, reported one case on Tuesday, the local government said — without saying whether the case was linked to travel.

On Wednesday, the city announced compulsory home quarantine for its 300,000 residents except for those going out to participate in a city-wide mass testing drive.

Schools, transport and public facilities were closed, except for essential service providers such as supermarkets, fresh markets, hospitals and pharmacies, the local government said.

A medical worker takes a swab from a woman at a drive-through Covid-19 test center in western Sydney on December 21.

Australia’s most populous state reported a record 3,763 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, a day after surpassing 3,000 daily infections for the first time.

New South Wales also reported two Covid-related deaths: a woman in her 80s who had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions, and a woman in her 70s who was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.

According to NSW Health, there are currently 302 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 40 people in intensive care, 12 of whom require ventilation.

The total number of cases in the state since the beginning of the pandemic is 106,621, NSW Health said. 

As of 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday, 94.9% of people age 16 and older in NSW have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine; 93.4% have taken two shots.

A medical worker prepares a Covid-19 PCR test at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts on December 20.

Everyone will need to assess their own personal risk when it comes to holiday activities, but surrounding unvaccinated children with vaccinated people is the best way to keep them safe, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday.

Walensky echoed other public health experts by promoting vaccines, boosters, and masks as tools we have right now to protect ourselves.

A commuter rides a bike outside a CVS store on November 18, in Los Angeles.

Major US pharmacy chains will limit the number of at-home Covid-19 tests customers can buy as demand for the products surges.

CVS Health on Tuesday said it will limit test kits to six per purchase “to ensure equitable access to tests both in store and digitally,” according to a company statement.

Walgreens also said Tuesday it will limit the number of at-home Covid-19 tests that customers can buy in-store and online to four at a time, according to a tweet from the company. 

Walgreens has recently “seen an increase in demand for rapid OTC Covid-19 tests and are working with our suppliers to ensure customers have access to self-test kits through the holidays,” a company news release said.

California will require all health care workers to receive a Covid-19 booster shot, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced in a tweet.

More details are expected tomorrow, according to the governor’s office.

A police officer directs the traffic outside a Covid-19 test site in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Dec. 18.

British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province, announced a series of restrictions to address the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

A news release from the Province said it would ban organized indoor social events and close gyms, bars, and nightclubs starting Wednesday.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health said it’s postponing non-urgent scheduled surgeries starting Jan. 4. 

“The provincial health officer is implementing additional measures to address rising COVID-19 case counts that could result in increased hospitalizations and critical care admissions and the potential to overstress the health-care system,” the release said. 

The Capital One Beach Bash, set to feature Harry Styles and DJ Khalid, in Miami Beach on Dec. 30, has been canceled, organizers announced on the concert’s webpage.  

The free concert was scheduled a day before the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, according to  an Orange Bowl press release. 

Organizers initially announced they would require attendees to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccine or of a negative test within seventy-two hours of the event, prior to its cancellation, said a press release. 

The Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to play the Michigan Wolverines in front of a sold-out crowd at Hard Rock Stadium for the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

A paramedic prepares to administer the third shot of the a Covid-19 vaccine on August 24, in Holon, Israel.

Israel will begin rolling out a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine with immediate effect. The additional dose will be given to people over 60 years-old, medical workers, and people with a suppressed immune system, the prime minister’s office announced, following a recommendation from the country’s panel of coronavirus experts.   

“Wonderful news, do not waste time – go get vaccinated,” Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.  

Those eligible for the fourth dose will be given it provided at least four months have passed since their third dose. 

In a related announcement, the recommended gap between a second and third dose is also being shortened from five months to three months. 

One of the members of the expert panel told Israeli radio Tuesday evening that the decision to go for a fourth dose had not been an easy one. 

“We don’t really have data yet on the level of immunity, like we did when we decided on the third dose, but on the other hand, there is really scary data out there in the rest of the world, Professor Galia Rahav said. 

“In a situation like this, if you don’t act immediately, you miss the train,” she added. 

New measures: The government’s ministerial committee tasked with driving policy on the pandemic also met Tuesday, deciding on a number of new measures in the wake of the new wave of infections brought on by the Omicron variant. 

In particular, schoolchildren living in areas of low vaccine up-take among under-18s could find themselves back in online schooling as early as this week. 

In areas with high Covid-19 case numbers, known as red or orange communities, only classes in which at least 70% of children have received at least one dose of the vaccine will be taught at school. Classes with lower vaccination rates will be taught online. The new policy goes into immediate effect for children age 13 and above; for younger children, it will take effect in three weeks’ time. 

There will also be an increased requirement on Israelis to produce a “Green Pass” when out shopping. For instance, it will now be mandatory to show the pass to enter or work at a store larger than 100 square meters. 

Earlier in the evening it was announced that public sector workplaces would reduce the number of staff working onsite by half. The measure will go into effect on Sunday and be in place for at least a month.  

A few days ago, Prime Minister Bennett asked private sector businesses to encourage staff to work from home as much as possible.  

Some context: Latest Omicron data in Israel shows 341 confirmed cases, of which more than two thirds were in people either fully vaccinated or recently recovered from the disease. In addition, there are more than 800 cases in which there is a high suspicion of the Omicron variant. 

The total number of new Covid-19 cases in Israel topped 1,300 on Monday, a figure not reached since the middle of October. 

The R co-efficient – the number of people infected by each Covid-19 positive person – is at 1.28, its highest figure since the height of the fourth wave at the beginning of August. 

Delta Air Lines is urging the CDC to shorten the isolation period for vaccinated people who become infected with coronavirus.

The letter notes that “over 90 percent” of Delta’s workforce is vaccinated.

Delta suggests shortening the isolation period to five days “from symptom onset for those who experience a breakthrough infection,” the letter said. “Individuals would be able to end isolation with an appropriate testing protocol.”

“Our employees represent an essential workforce to enable Americans who need to travel domestically and internationally,” the letter said.