Tag: Omicron

Germany to Lift UK Travel Ban

UK citizens will be allowed to travel to Germany on Tuesday after 16 days of travel ban due to concerns over the Omicron CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus variant. Germany added the UK onto its list of areas with variants of concern on Dec. 20 after the latter reported a surge of Omicron cases, banning travelers from…


Omicron May Not Be the Final Variant, but It May Be the Final Variant of Concern

It is controversial whether viruses are alive, but – like all living things – they do evolve. This fact has become abundantly clear during the pandemic, as new variants of concern have emerged every few months. Some of these variants have been better at spreading from person to person, eventually becoming dominant as they out-compete…


Global Equity Funds Lure Big Inflows as Omicron Fears Ease: Lipper

Global equity funds drew massive inflows for a second week in the seven days to Dec. 29 as investors welcomed signs that the economic impact from the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant would not be as significant as feared. The funds pulled in $30.08 billion in net buying, compared with purchases of $35.83 billion…


Omicron Makes COVID-19 Endemic?

Commentary COVID-19 is only one form of coronavirus. Other common human coronaviruses include types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. These usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Note that the vast majority of persons who contract COVID-19 experience only mild or no symptoms. This points to an interesting question. When…


WestJet to Cancel 15% of Flights Due to COVID 19 Related Staff Shortages

CALGARY—WestJet Airlines Ltd. is dealing with so many employees out sick with the Omicron variant that it is being forced to cut 15 percent of its scheduled flights through to the end of January. WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell confirmed via email that the airline has seen a 35 percent rise in active COVID-19 cases among…


As COVID 19 Cases Rise, Ontario Study Suggests Omicron Is Less Severe

The Omicron variant continued to cause record-breaking COVID-19 case numbers in several provinces Thursday, but a new study from Ontario suggested those infected with the variant are significantly less likely to face hospitalization or death compared to those with Delta. In the study, Public Health Ontario compared Omicron cases with symptoms that emerged between Nov….


Children Should Be Back in Classrooms ‘Full-Time, Every Day’: Education Secretary

As public school officials across the country weigh options amid the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Thursday said students should be in classrooms learning in-person every day when possible. Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Cardona was asked what schools should do in response to the increasing…


Starvation, Lockdown in China

Commentary Beijing’s COVID-19 strategy–known as “COVID Zero”—is getting increasingly draconian and arbitrary as the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates to become exponentially more transmissible. The measures include mass testing, surveillance, quarantines, driving, flight, and border controls, disinfectant trucks, and aggressive contact tracing. Reports of starving residents in lockdown are coming from Xi’an city, while “buffer zones” with…


Government Abandoned COVID Alert App Months Ago Due to ‘Low Uptake’

The federal government “gave up” on the COVID Alert app months ago, terminating support for the contact tracing report system due to its “low uptake,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister said. “The federal government gave up on COVID Alerts app some time ago, several months before Christmas,” Dr. John Haggie said in a press conference…


Federal Government Abandoned COVID Alert App Months Ago Due to ‘Low Uptake’

The federal government “gave up” on the COVID Alert app months ago, terminating support for the contact tracing report system due to its “low uptake,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister said. “The federal government gave up on COVID Alerts app some time ago, several months before Christmas,” Dr. John Haggie said in a press conference…