A Boat Traveled 168 Miles Downstream and Back the Trip Downstream Took 12 Hours
12:12
Portugal to lengthen border controls beyond 9 January
Border controls in Portugal will be extended beyond their planned end on 9 January to limit spread of the Omicron variant, prime minister António Costa told reporters on Thursday.
Portugal requires a negative test for all passengers on arriving flights. (Previously this was not required for double-vaccinated people.) Flights for citizens from some southern African countries have been banned.
The country recorded 5,800 new Covid cases on Wednesday, jumping 54% from 3,773 on the same day three weeks ago.
A further 11 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, taking the country's total death toll to 18,698.
11:44
Poland reports first Omicron case
Poland has reported its first case of the highly mutated Omicron strain, according to the state-run Polish Press Agency.
The infected person, a 30-year-old woman from Lesotho, is said to feel well but is currently in hospital isolation in the Polish city of Katowice.
The case was found in a sample examined in Katowice. The ministry tweeted Thursday that the 30-year Lesotho citizen feels well but has been put in hospital isolation.
The country reported 22,097 new Covid in the past 24 hours, according to the health ministry, down 20% from 27,459 a week ago.
Cases have begun to gradually decline after the country's daily case rate jumped above 25,000 a day in late-November and early-December, but deaths remain high.
A further 592 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, up 6% from 561 on the same day last week.
Updated
11:30
In the UK Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled plans for a pre-Christmas family lunch.
It's a sign of how fast the epidemic is escalating in the UK, after sources inside Buckingham Palace assured The Sun on late Tueday night "there is no way the Queen wants to let anything get in the way of a family event like this."
The UK on Wednesday recorded its highest rate of confirmed positive infections since the pandemic began, with 78,610 new positive results.
11:21
Hello from London. This is Jem Bartholomew taking over The Guardian's international Covid blog for the next eight hours. Feel free to get in touch with tips or to share your story! Your thoughts are always welcome.
- Email me here.
- Get in touch on Twitter here.
11:11
There are 15 confirmed people in UK hospitals with the Omicron variant, but the actual number is likely to be "much bigger."
Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser of the UK Health Security Agency, told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee:
The released numbers that we released yesterday are 15. However we are constantly working on data linkage to improve that, and we will release new numbers this afternoon
But England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said: "The real number will be much bigger than that. That is simply the number who are proven, just to be clear."
Hopkins added that the UK is only likely to see reliable data on the spread of Omicron in late december or early January.
Updated
11:08
Here's a summary of the latest developments...
- The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people - including government officials - not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case. The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete's Village emergency hospital, where they work.
- Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today. From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country.
- Poland has recorded its first Omicron case. The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.
- France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to "postpone their travel". British tourists are to be banned from France from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK. France is banning travel to and from the UK without "compelling reasons" – which does not include travel or business – from Saturday morning.
- A UK government scientific adviser has said that only around half of people who have Covid ever get tested and predicted that Omicron would lead to "a huge wave of infection". Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Breakfast: "Only about half or maybe even fewer of people who do have Covid ever get tested."
- Labour has called on the government to work out a deal to help the struggling hospitality industry amid soaring cancellations as UK covid infections hit a new record high. Shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, told ITV's Good Morning Britain that chancellor Rishi Sunak and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng should meet with businesses and trade unions to offer them more assistance.
- Care minister, Gillian Keegan, has said Britain's new year booster target is "very ambitious" but that they plan to "throw everything at it". She told Sky News that the situation is "hard right now", but added that with the booster programme: "Hopefully we'll be through the other side of this quite quickly."
That's it from me for today. Thanks for reading. Handing over now to my colleague Jem Bartholomew.
Updated
11:03
Indonesian president urges people not to travel following country's first Omicron case
The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people – including government officials – not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case.
The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete's Village emergency hospital, where they work.
Widodo said: "I ask people and state officials to refrain from traveling abroad until the situation subsides."
As of yesterday, Indonesia had recorded over 4.2m Covid cases and more than 143,000 deaths.
Updated
10:53
Following the announcement of travel restrictions from the UK by the French government, the ferry operator DFDS said:
Passengers are able to transit through France to other countries without having to quarantine as long as the transit is less than 24 hours.
We are continuing to run our ferry services as usual, with up to 55 sailings per day running between Dover, Calais, and Dunkirk.
We expect our services to be busy on Friday as people prepare to get away for Christmas to see family and friends before the restrictions come into effect.
We have plenty of capacity for those who wish to travel with us.
It added:
We hope that these short-term measures in response to the spread of the Omicron variant will be lifted in the New Year.
Updated
10:42
Sweden to end vaccine pass exemption for Nordic neighbours
Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today.
From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country, reports the Associated Press.
Sweden's social affairs minister, Lena Hallengren, also encouraged all travellers to be tested for the coronavirus upon entry due to a "deteriorating" public health situation.
"The spread of infection is increasing sharply. The new virus variant Omicron makes it difficult to predict the spread of infection in the future," she said.
So far, the Swedish government has not resorted to lockdowns or business closures during the pandemic, with authorities instead emphasising individual responsibility.
Hallengren said that it was acceptable for people who are fully vaccinated and healthy to celebrate Christmas with friends and relatives, but told them to "be prepared to cancel if you get symptoms."
She urged Swedes to "choose a smaller party" for celebrating New Year.
Updated
10:28
Germany administered 1.5 million vaccine doses yesterday, bringing the total number of people who are vaccinated to 58.2 million, or 70% of the population, reports the country's health ministry.
However, of those who have been vaccinated, only 22.9 million – 27.6% – have also had a booster.
Updated
10:25
Poland has recorded its first Omicron case, reports Reuters.
The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.
Updated
10:07
France calls on people to 'postpone' travel to the UK
France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to "postpone their travel".
In a statement, released today, the French government said:
In the face of the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, the government has chosen to reinstate compelling reasons for travel to and from the United Kingdom, and to strengthen the requirement for testing on departure and arrival.
In the UK government's own words, the UK will face a 'tidal wave' linked to the Omicron variant in the coming days. Thus, from midnight into Saturday, the following rules will apply for travel between the United Kingdom and France:
- A requirement to have a compelling reason to travel to or from the United Kingdom, for unvaccinated and vaccinated people. These reasons are indicated [here].
They will not allow travel for tourism or business reasons. However, these compelling reasons will not apply to French nationals and their spouses and children who are still able to come to France.
It added:
Vaccinated people must present a negative test (PCR or TAG) of less than 24 hours, which is in line with the rules already in place for unvaccinated people.
An obligation for all travellers from the United Kingdom to register, prior to their trip, on a digital platform and provide the address of their stay in France. This platform will generate prefectural orders for all travellers, whether unvaccinated as vaccinated, to isolate in a place of their choosing. This isolation requirement may be lifted after 48 hours, subject to proof of a negative test (PCR or TAG).
Controls will be organised to ensure the proper implementation of these measures.
The government also calls on travellers who had planned to visit the United Kingdom to postpone their travel.
Updated
09:52
Here's more from AFP on the French travel ban on UK visitors, which will come into force from midnight on Saturday (or 11pm GMT on Friday).
It comes after the UK yesterday reported a record 78,610 Covid cases as Omicron spreads rapidly.
France will ban non-essential travel to and from Britain from the weekend to slow the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the government said Thursday.
From midnight Saturday (2300 GMT Friday) there will be a "requirement to have an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated ... People cannot travel for touristic or professional reasons," the government said in a statement.
"Faced with the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, the government has chosen to reinstate the need for an essential reason for travel from and to the UK," the statement said.
It added that French citizens and EU nationals could still return to France from the UK.
"We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already," the government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, told BFMTV channel.
Attal said the policy was aimed at "tightening the net" to slow down the arrival of Omicron cases in France and give time for the French vaccination booster campaign to make more ground.
"Our strategy is to delay as much as we can the development of Omicron in our country and take advantage to push ahead with the booster drive," he said.
In addition, returning travellers will need a negative test less than 24 hours old, and a blanket quarantine would be enforced on return to France.
"People [coming back] will have to register on an app and will have to self-isolate in a place of their choosing for seven days – controlled by the security forces – but this can be shortened to 48 hours if a negative test is carried out in France," he said.
Updated
09:46
Lisa O'Carroll
The closure of the French border to tourists is "devastating" for UK citizens who work in the French ski and seasonal businesses sector.
Charlie Owen, director of the Season Business in Travel, said:
The news coming from France around further travel restriction for UK-France is devastating for the UK Ski Industry. After 21 months of being closed due to the Covid pandemic, this is yet another hammer blow to the industry.
The UK government urgently needs to engage with industry leaders and introduce support measures immediately.
Updated
09:44
Ferry operator Brittany Ferries has said the new ban on British citizens travelling to France is a "hammer blow" to its Christmas season.
A spokesperson added:
In the context of an Omicron variant that is passing through the French population as it is in the UK, further border controls seem as unnecessary as they are unwelcome.
Updated
09:39
The president of Indonesia has addressed the country after it identified its first Omicron case (see also 03:57).
In a public address, Joko Widodo said the government was working hard to stem the spread of the new variant and urged people to follow health protocols and for local governments to speed up testing and contact tracing, reports Reuters.
Updated
09:27
The new restrictions on travel between the UK and France will allow British citizens to go to the country only for "compelling reasons" and travellers will be required to present a negative PCR test from within 24 hours before they leave.
Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, said hauliers would be exempt.
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps)To confirm I have liaised with my French counterpart @Djebbari_JB and hauliers will remain exempt.https://t.co/7kKsusKlwW
December 16, 2021
Despite this, Reuters reports "several miles of trucks" queued up on a main road towards Dover.
Updated
09:14
Sky is reporting that hauliers would be exempt from French controls on travel from the UK (see also 08:40), but that lorries are forming queues in Dover.
The French government has released a press release on the new restrictions:
Guillaume Bazard (@GuillaumeBazard)Nouvelles conditions de déplacement France-Royaume-Uni, à partir du 18/12/2021 (à 0h). Les ressortissants français, leurs conjoints et leurs enfants peuvent toujours rentrer en France sans motif impérieux. pic.twitter.com/O73U0F2MN0
December 16, 2021
Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)These measures come into effect at midnight Fri/Sat.
December 16, 2021
Here is the press release. Unfortunately, the link in it doesn't appear to be working.
Non French will need a "compelling" reason to travel to France. This does not include "tourism" or "professional" reasons. pic.twitter.com/9pFdn1pykV
Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)French nationals/residents don't need a "compelling" reason to travel, but must fill in a registration form before leaving the UK and isolate at an address of their choice.
December 16, 2021
This address will be communicated to the prefecture in the area they are isolating.
Trying to find form!
Updated
A Boat Traveled 168 Miles Downstream and Back the Trip Downstream Took 12 Hours
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/dec/16/covid-news-live-south-korea-reimpose-dining-curfews-south-africa-daily-cases-record-omicron
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