Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday – CBC.ca

The latest:

New measures to combat the new omicron variant of coronavirus took effect in England on Tuesday, with face coverings again compulsory in shops and on public transportation, as the government said it would offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity.

From Tuesday morning, all travellers returning to the U.K. must also take a PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. Previously they had been able to take a lateral flow test and no quarantine was required.

The reintroduction of mandatory face masks brings England closer in line with the rest of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — which had kept some restrictions in place after England lifted all mandatory measures in the summer.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new measures will “buy us time” in the face of the new variant. He said that while many people felt an understandable “sense of exhaustion” at the prospect of renewed restrictions, the U.K.’s position is “immeasurably better than it was a year ago.”

The government said Tuesday that 22 cases of the omicron variant have been identified across the U.K., a number that is expected to rise.

Much remains unknown about the new variant that was first identified in southern Africa, including how contagious it might be. It contains a large number of mutations that scientists say may make it more resistant to current vaccines than the currently dominant delta variant.

U.K. booster program expanding

Johnson’s government is expanding its booster vaccine program, with a booster dose to be offered to everyone 18 and up, three months after the second shot — halving the current gap. Until now, only people 40 and over and those deemed clinically vulnerable were eligible for the booster shot.

Britain has already delivered more than 18 million booster shots, and the change in advice makes another 14 million people eligible.

Johnson said at a news conference that the goal was to offer everyone a booster shot by the end of January. He said the shots would be given at hospitals, doctors’ offices, pop-up vaccination centres and more than 1,500 community pharmacies, with 400 troops called in to help medics and a “jabs army” of volunteer vaccinators.

“We’re going to be throwing everything at it in order to ensure that everyone eligible is offered that booster in just over two months,” Johnson said.

Jenny Harries, who heads the U.K. Health Security Agency, said that while there was still uncertainty in understanding the omicron variant, officials hope that the expansion of the booster shot rollout will “to some extent counter the potential drop in vaccine effectiveness we might find with this variant.”

She also urged people to be cautious and reduce socializing over the festive season if possible.

When asked if he agreed with Harries’ advice for the public to change their behaviour, Johnson told reporters “it’s always sensible to be careful,” but his government had no plans to change the “overall guidance about how people should be living their lives.”

WATCH | The omicron variant and what scientists will be looking for in weeks ahead: 

Expert explains what we need to know about the new variant

4 hours ago

Researchers are expecting to get information this week on how effective current coronavirus vaccines are against omicron, says infectious diseases researcher Craig Jenne. Vaccine efficacy is one of four key areas that are being studied, he says. 8:54

It remains unclear where or when the variant first emerged — but that hasn’t stopped wary nations from rushing to impose travel restrictions, especially on people coming from southern Africa. Those moves have been criticized by South Africa and the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged against them, noting their limited effect.

Much is still unknown about the variant — though WHO warned that the global risk from the variant is “very high” and early evidence suggests it could be more contagious.

While it has urged against border closures, WHO has stressed that while scientists are hunting evidence to better understand this variant, countries should accelerate vaccinations as quickly as possible.

-From The Associated Press, last updated at 12:15 p.m. ET

What’s happening across Canada

WATCH | Omicron variant puts hundreds in isolation awaiting test result: 

Omicron variant puts hundreds in isolation awaiting test results

16 hours ago

Hundreds of Canadians are in isolation after recently returning from one of the southern African countries on the no-travel list as officials determine what public health measures might be needed to prevent a spike in cases. 2:09

What’s happening around the world

As of early Tuesday afternoon more than 262.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to the case-tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.2 million.

In Africa, South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, is speaking out against travel bans, saying they punish his country for transparently disclosing information about a new variant.

“We are also insisting that these bans must be removed, they must be lifted,” the president said of bans on travellers from several southern African nations. “Because you do not try and contain a virus through imposing bans unscientifically and indiscriminately.”

In Europe, the omicron variant was already in the Netherlands when South Africa alerted WHO about it last week, Dutch health authorities said Tuesday, adding to fear and confusion over the new version of the coronavirus in a weary world hoping it had left the worst of the pandemic behind. The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute found omicron in samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23. WHO said South Africa first reported the variant to the UN health agency on Nov. 24.

The Dutch announcement Tuesday further muddies the timeline on when the new variant actually emerged. Previously, the Dutch had said they found the variant among passengers who came from South Africa on Friday — but these new cases predate that.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 incidence rate has dropped slightly in Germany and Austria and stabilized in the Netherlands since the three countries introduced new measures to curb the spread of the virus, new data showed. After becoming hot spots in a new wave of infections in western Europe, Austria went into a fourth full lockdown last week and the Netherlands and Germany imposed new restrictions.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong expanded a ban on entry for non-residents from several countries as global health authorities raced to curb a potential outbreak of the omicron virus, while Australia is set to review containment steps after five people tested positive.

Cambodia barred entry to travellers from 10 African countries, citing the threat from the variant. The move came just two weeks after Cambodia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers.

In the Americas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said everyone aged 18 years and older should get a booster shot either six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses or two months after their Johnson & Johnson shot.

Ecuador will impose entry curbs on travellers flying from or via a number of African countries and will request vaccine certificates from those arriving from other countries due to the new omicron variant, President Guillermo Lasso said on Monday.

In the Middle East, Iran on Monday reported 4,310 new cases of COVID-19 and 82 additional deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s case tracker.

-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 12:05 p.m. ET

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