By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands will extend COVID-19 restrictions through the Christmas holidays, including the early closure of schools, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is making up roughly 1% of new infections in the country, “is a …
Dutch COVID-19 restrictions extended through Christmas holidays Read More »
By Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has been less effective in South Africa at keeping people infected with the virus out of hospital since the Omicron variant emerged last month, a real-world study published on Tuesday showed. Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 7, people who had received two doses of …
Pfizer shot less effective in South Africa after Omicron emerges – study Read More »
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany will exempt people who have had a booster vaccination from having to take a coronavirus test before entering some leisure facilities, federal and regional health ministers agreed on Tuesday. The proposal, agreed by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and ministers from Germany’s 16 federal states, is aimed at encouraging people to get a …
Germany to ease testing for those with COVID-19 booster Read More »
By Ludwig Burger FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German researchers have found that COVID-19 therapies developed by Eli Lilly and Regeneron lose most of their effectiveness when exposed in laboratory tests to the Omicron variant of coronavirus, likely reducing treatment options if the new variant prevails. Two groups of Germany based scientists separately found that protection from …
Lab tests: Eli Lilly, Regeneron antibody therapies lose out against Omicron Read More »
KYIV (Reuters) – Karen Donfried, the United States assistant secretary of state, met top Ukrainian officials on Tuesday to offer support in the face of a build-up of Russian troops near the border. The U.S. Embassy said she had reinforced the U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and discussed a path toward diplomatic progress. The State …
U.S. diplomat offers support to Ukraine amid Russian military build-up Read More »
(Reuters) – COVID-19 infections are more likely to trigger rare cardiovascular complications such as heart inflammation and irregular heartbeat than vaccines, a British study showed on Tuesday, after scientists parsed data of about 38 million vaccinated people. The study, published in the Nature Medicine journal, compared the risks of myocarditis, pericarditis and cardiac arrhythmia following …
Higher risk of heart complications from COVID-19 than vaccines -study Read More »
By Antonio Denti RAVANUSA, Italy (Reuters) -Rescuers have pulled four more bodies out of the rubble of houses destroyed by a suspected gas explosion in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, bringing the total death toll to seven, the fire brigade said on Monday. Two people are still missing following Saturday’s blast, which demolished four houses …
Rescuers retrieve four bodies after Sicily blast; death toll rises to 7 Read More »
BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Seven people were killed and four injured when a car with a Serbian licence plate carrying migrants crashed into a house in Hungary late on Monday, after its driver refused to stop for a check, police said. The driver saw that police were checking cars in the village of Morahalom near the Serbian …
Seven killed as car carrying migrants crashes in Hungary Read More »
By Benoit Van Overstraeten PARIS (Reuters) – France is contemplating tightening controls for travellers coming from Britain, where the new, more contagious, Omicron coronavirus variant seems to be rapidly spreading, said French government spokesman Gabriel Attal. “Regarding Britain, the current rule is to show a negative test less than 48 hours old in order to …
France might tighten entries from Britain due to COVID Omicron surge Read More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday its Black Sea Fleet forces were tracking the French navy’s Auvergne frigate after the vessel entered the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported. East-West tensions are at a high with Ukraine, the United States and Western capitals voicing fears over a Russian troop buildup near …
Russia tracks French frigate in Black Sea – Interfax Read More »
