Coronavirus

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Victoria reports rise in hospitalisations, teen among deaths in Queensland

Of the patients in hospital, there are 122 in intensive care, 40 of whom are receiving ventilation.

The state has officially recorded 21,966 new Covid-19 infections, but the true number of new cases in the community could be much higher.

About half of the state's cases have been diagnosed using RATs, with yesterday's tally reported from 11,693 PCR results and 10,273 rapid testing kits.

Considering these figures, Premier Daniel Andrews said it was clear Covid-19 was prevalent in Victoria.

Solomons report first Covid-19 community case in Honiara

Solomons Business Magazine reports after two years of keeping the virus from entering the community, Sogavare pronounced in his much awaited special address after 10am today that the virus has finally entered the community.

Yesterday Sogavare announced that there was a community transmission in Pelau in Malaita Outer Island after a PNG medical illegally crossed the border from Mortlock Island to attend a wedding on “our side of border.”

Six people in the remote atoll of Malaita Outer Island were tested positive for the virus according to the report by SBM.

Covid-19: NSW patients in intensive care passes 200

A total of 203 people are in intensive care units (ICU) around the state, up from 191 the previous day.

It is the first time more than 200 people with Covid have been admitted to intensive care in NSW.

Meanwhile, the number of people in hospital with the virus rose to 2776 in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.

There were 17 deaths and 29,504 new infections in the reporting period.

The new positive cases comprised 11,858 rapid antigent tests and 17,646 PCR tests.

Covid-19: Fiji health system overwhelmed by third wave

Health staff who test positive for Covid-19 are being isolated which the government says has contributed to depleted staff numbers in the front-line.

Fiji's Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, containing any transmission is priority.

"What we've done is to make sure, we've used the available young doctors at CWM. They have been mobilized to support them in the health centres. So now they have a full cohort back on the ground," he said.

 

Photo file  Caption:  CWM Hospital in Suva Fiji  

American Samoa confirms six Covid-19 cases at the border

179 travellers arrived on the January 6 Hawaiian Airlines flight.

Health officials suspect that some of the travellers may have contracted the omicron variant.

Deputy Director of Health Vesi Fautanu said all were removed from the quarantine sites and taken to the alternate care facility in Tafuna., where they are to be quarantined for an extra 14 days.

He said all are fully vaccinated and are doing well.

     

Half of Europe to be infected with Omicron within weeks - World Health Organisation

Dr Hans Kluge said a "west-to-east tidal wave" of Omicron was sweeping across the region, on top of the surge of the Delta variant already present.

The projection was based on the seven million new cases reported across Europe in the first week of 2022.

The number of infections has more than doubled in a two-week period.

"Today the Omicron variant represents a new west-to-east tidal wave, sweeping across the region on top of the Delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021," Dr Kluge told a news conference.

Chinese woman stuck in lockdown with blind date

A woman, only identified as Ms Wang, posted on Chinese social media platform WeChat last week that she had got locked down with her date after visiting his house for a meal.

In the post, she said that she had recently returned to the city of Zhengzhou from Guangzhou ahead of the Lunar New Year.

"I'm getting quite old, so my parents arranged more than 10 blind dates for me," she said in this post. She wrote that her fifth date had said "he was good at cooking, and invited me to his house so he could cook a meal".

Sports For Vaccination Awareness

The EHPHA Chairman, Fego Kiniafa and team recently visited the Ketaboro hauslain in Unggai/Bena District to launch the community games.

The sports activity covers young people from all eight districts of Eastern Highlands for community sports, during which awareness and advocacy for COVID-19 vaccination will take place.

This sports activities, which started in December 2021 and is currently in progress. The community is involved in volleyball, basketball and touch footy with official support from the EHPH.

GeneXpert Test Kits for Hela

Exxon Mobil PNG (EMPNG) recently donated GeneXpert testing kits to help boost local COVID-19 testing capabilities across Hela Province.

The kits will help medical staff at Tari Hospital and the Hela Provincial Health Authority to test and diagnose COVID-19 cases to reduce the spread of the virus.

Last year Tari Hospital received medical oxygen cylinders, and hospital beds. Later this year it stands to receive laboratory equipment and vehicles.

Fiji records over 400 new Covid-19 cases

The Ministry of Health confirmed that 368 cases of the total were recorded on Sunday and 93 in the

24 hours ending at 8 am on Monday.

MOH is still yet to release their latest update from yesterday.

Fiji has also recorded five deaths from Covid-19 in its latest update.

The first Covid-19 death is of a 63-year-old female from Tavua, who died on the 6th of this month.

She had significant pre-existing medical conditions and was fully vaccinated.

The second is of a 75-year-old unvaccinated man from Nausori.