Pandemic rages amid vaccination

In 2021 as the vaccines were rolled out across the world, the COVID-19 surge continued unabated as large portions of the world continued to remain unvaccinated. The Omicron variant detected in South Africa last month compounded matters bringing back memories of early 2020 when the world began the lockdown process. Germany witnessed a surge in cases for the past few months even as inoculation continued at rapid pace. Amid the surge, Germany’s leaders limited private New Year’s parties to 10 people and banned spectators from football games to stem Omicron’s spread stopping short of imposing new coronavirus curbs before Christmas.

From December 28, Germany has  closed nightclubs and dance venues.

Anti-lockdown protests

December this year brought a sense of deja vu across the world as a new, heavily mutated COVID-19 variant spread across the globe shutting borders, renewing curbs, and sparking fears for the fight against the nearly two-year-old coronavirus pandemic.

The Netherlands went into a new lockdown on Sunday for the Christmas holiday period in an attempt to stop the fifth wave of COVID-19 and the strong progress of the Omicron variant. The Netherlands was hit by the worst violence in decades as anti-lockdown protests erupted. Five people were shot when police opened fire in Rotterdam, and riots spread around the country for the next three days last month. In total, 173 people were arrested and at least 12 people injured nationwide.

Amid the virus surge with Omicron becoming the dominant strain, the World Health Organization warned Europe could witness 2.2 million deaths this winter if current trends continue.

China battles virus 2 years after

first reported case

Nearly two years after China reported the first coronavirus case back in December 31 2019, residents in Xi’an are enduring a near-total city closure to curb a tiny outbreak as China presses on with its zero-Covid strategy ahead of the Winter Olympics.

The city transformed as all 13 million residents were ordered to stay home: streets emptied, people formed long lines at COVID-19 testing stations, and officials cordoned-off apartment compounds as the historic former capital — a popular destination for international tourists prior to the pandemic was swiftly sealed off after more than 200 COVID-19 cases were detected this month.

In China, even a single COVID-19 case can prompt stay-at-home orders and strict travel bans.

Virus in Asia

Indonesia in Asia was hit with a new wave of the virus as Japan witnessed a surge over the summer even amid the Olympic Games. India was also hit by a devastating second wave in April and May as several cities imposed lockdowns.

The Japanese government imposed a state of emergency in capital Tokyo and other areas to combat the virus even as athletes across the world competed. The coronavirus pandemic shuttered almost all the resorts and restaurants across Indonesia hitting the country’s economy as hospitals gripped with surging cases.

According to the UN, the coronavirus pandemic will cost the global tourism sector $2.0 trillion in lost revenue in 2021 with countries like Indonesia which depend heavily on tourism facing the brunt of the pandemic.

Russia hit with new wave, struggles to vaccinate citizens

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage around the world including Africa. Russia experienced a surge in cases despite the Sputnik V vaccine which was approved by Russian authorities in August last year. Russian authorities have faced a vaccine-sceptic population that has seen just 42 per cent of Russians fully inoculated. Sputnik V has still not been approved by the WHO.

This month Russia registered its first two cases of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in its nationals returning from South Africa. The country has reported more than 9.8 million infections and 282,462 deaths from the virus — the highest toll in Europe.

Russia’s statistics agency, which counts COVID-19 deaths based on a broader definition, says fatalities passed 520,000 by the end of October.

Second virus-hit Christmas in Europe

Europe experienced its second virus-hit Christmas for the second successive year as Europeans grappled with the fifth wave of the virus.

According to reports, the US remained by far the country with the biggest number of new cases with 184,834 per day on average, an increase of 51 percent.

Next in line came the United Kingdom with 96,010 cases, an increase of 54 percent and France with 61,274 cases, an increase of 21 percent.

In regional terms, Europe is currently recording the most cases, with more than three million over the past week, accounting for 58 percent of the world total. On a per capita basis, Denmark remains the country with the biggest number of new cases with 1,472 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by the UK (990).

Omicron variant shuts borders globe

A new, heavily mutated Covid-19 variant spread across the globe on Sunday, shutting borders, renewing curbs, and sparking fears for the fight against the nearly two-year-old coronavirus pandemic.

Dubbed Omicron, the strain has cast doubt on global efforts to battle the pandemic because of fears that it is highly infectious, forcing countries to reimpose measures many had hoped were a thing of the past.

Dutch health authorities said they had identified at least 13 cases of Omicron among 61 quarantined passengers who tested positive for coronavirus after arriving from South Africa.

“The investigation has not yet been completed. The new variant may be found in more test samples,” the National Institute for Public Health warned.

Despite the alarm, in Austria tens of thousands rallied to protest against the government’s introduction of compulsory vaccination — the first EU country to do so.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said it was “a minor interference” compared to the alternative for a country with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe.

With many European nations, including Germany and France, already bringing back curbs to counter surges in infections, Swiss voters broadly backed a proposed Covid pass law in a referendum on Sunday.

In Britain, Health Secretary Avid Javid said new Covid rules will be enforced from Tuesday.

Mask-wearing will again be mandatory in shops and on public transport in England. All passengers arriving in Britain will have to take a PCR test and self-isolate until negative.

Scientists are racing to determine the threat posed by the heavily mutated strain — particularly whether it can evade existing vaccines. But a long list of countries have already imposed travel restrictions on southern Africa, where it was first detected, including key travel hub Qatar, the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Netherlands.

Angola became the first southern African country to suspend all flights from its regional neighbours Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.