Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Christmas Party In Norway May Have Been Omicron Superspreader
Fox News: Norway Christmas Party May Have Sparked Largest Omicron Variant Outbreak Outside Of South Africa
A recent Norwegian omicron outbreak at a Christmas party provides early anecdotal evidence on how the variants spreads between vaccinated people and the severity of its symptoms, according to a recent report. A renewable energy company in Norway made sure all necessary safety precautions were implemented before hosting their annual holiday party, including only inviting vaccinated employees and requiring rapid testing the day prior the party, according to Stian Tvede Karlsen, a company spokesman. (Sudhakar, 12/5)
AP: UK Tightens Travel Testing Rules Amid Omicron Concerns
Britain’s government tightened travel restrictions Saturday amid concerns about the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, saying all travelers arriving in England will need to take a COVID-19 test before they board their flight. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the new rules will apply from 4 a.m. London time Tuesday. “In light of the most recent data, we are taking further action to slow the incursion of the omicron variant,” he said in a tweet. (12/4)
The New York Times: Britain And Denmark Report A Rise In Known Omicron Cases
Britain and Denmark each reported a rise in confirmed coronavirus cases of the new Omicron variant on Sunday as countries with robust testing uncover more known instances of the variant in their backyards. There were 86 new cases of the Omicron variant, Britain’s health security agency said on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 246 — nearly double the total number of cases reported on Friday. In Denmark, local health authorities confirmed there were 183 known cases of the variant, more than triple the total number of suspected cases reported on Friday, and called them “worrying.” (Kwai and Erdbrink, 12/5)
Bloomberg: Australia Confirms Community Transmission Of Omicron Variant
Five people in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, have contracted the omicron variant of the coronavirus locally, New South Wales health authorities confirmed. The cases are linked to two schools and a climbing gym in Sydney’s western suburbs, which may also be the source of a confirmed omicron infection in the Australian Capital Territory, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said Sunday. Urgent genome testing is underway for a number of other cases linked to the venues and should be available in coming days, she said in a video update. (Burgess, 12/5)
Reuters: Omicron Spreads In India, Full Vaccination In Focus
Cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have risen to 21 in India over the weekend and people must step up for vaccination, officials said on Monday. The western state of Rajasthan reported the most number of Omicron cases with nine, followed by eight in Maharashtra, two in Karnataka and one each in Gujarat and the capital New Delhi. (Das, 12/6)
In more global covid news —
The Washington Post: Antwerp Zoo Hippos Test Positive For Covid-19 In First Known Cases
Two hippos in Belgium that vets noticed were “expelling snot” have been placed in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus, the Antwerp zoo said, in what appears to be the first known case of covid-19 among the species. It remains unclear how hippopotamuses Imani, 14, and Hermien, 41, contracted the virus, but the pair appear to be doing well and have no symptoms other than their runny, sticky noses. (Hassan, 12/5)
NPR: Philippines Vaccinates 7.6 Million In 3 Days — With More To Come
The Philippine government, beset by charges of incompetence and corruption in its handling of the pandemic, has mounted a vaccination campaign that any of its Southeast Asian neighbors might envy. Over the course of just three days this week the country vaccinated 7.6 million people ages 12 and above. 34.53% of the country is now fully vaccinated. Conky Quizon, field epidemiologist and member of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, called it "a big, big deal" and put the unprecedented numbers down to easy access to the vaccines — there were 8,000 centers set up across the Philippines — and several different vaccines on offer, including Pfizer, Moderna and China's Sinovax. (McCarthy, 12/3)
Bloomberg: Scholz Names Harvard Medical Expert To Oversee Pandemic Policy
Germany’s incoming chancellor, Olaf Scholz, named a high-profile health expert who has taught at the Harvard School of Public Health to tackle a brutal surge in Covid-19 infections. The Social Democrats’ Karl Lauterbach, a trained epidemiologist who has become a public figure during the pandemic, will be health minister. Scholz on Monday named the seven ministers from the SPD who will be in the new government, including Christine Lambrecht as Germany’s third-consecutive female defense minister and one of four women in the cabinet. Hubertus Heil will retain his post as labor minister. (Donahue, 12/6)
In news from Africa —
Reuters: COVID Shots Are Finally Arriving, But Africa Can't Get Them All Into Arms
When a group arrived at the Sekenani health clinic in rural Kenya for their COVID-19 vaccines recently, staff told them there were no doses left and that they should come back soon. For some, it meant a long wasted journey on foot and a day away from their cattle herds. Yet Narok county, where the clinic is located, was not short of vaccines; nearly 14,000 doses were sitting in a fridge in the nearest town, 115 km away. A mix-up with county officials meant Sekenani did not get enough, two health workers said. (Fick and Mcallister, 12/6)
Reuters: 'Extreme' Vaccine Discrimination Risks Leaving Africa Behind - Report
Africa has little chance of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic unless 70% of its population is vaccinated by end-2022, yet "extreme vaccine discrimination" is leaving the continent behind, a report published on Monday said. The discovery of the Omicron variant in southern Africa has heightened claims that low inoculation rates can encourage viral mutations, which can then spread to countries where rates are much higher. (Wilkes, 12/5)
And file this one under "What were they thinking?" —
AP: Italian Dentist Presents Fake Arm For Vaccine To Get Pass
A dentist in Italy faces possible criminal charges after trying to receive a coronavirus vaccine in a fake arm made of silicone. A nurse in the northern city of Biella, Filippa Bua, said she could tell right away that something was off when a man presented the phony limb for a shot on Thursday. “When I uncovered the arm, I felt skin that was cold and gummy, and the color was too light,’’ Bua told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. She said she initially thought the 57-year-old man was an amputee and had mistakenly offered the wrong arm. She lifted his shirt and saw a silicone arm. (12/4)
