Coronavirus

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Three US Army personnel test positive for Covid at Marshall Islands border

The three army personnel tested positive for Covid soon after arrival at the US Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll (USAG-KA) Tuesday while starting a two-week quarantine period for entry into the country.

US reports record 1m Covid cases with peak still to come

A record 1,080,211 cases were reported on Monday - the highest one-day tally of new cases anywhere in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The Omicron variant accounts for the majority of cases in the US.

The top US pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci has said the country is facing "almost a vertical increase" in cases.

He said the peak may be weeks away.

While rates of death and hospital admissions in the US have been far lower in recent weeks than in previous infection spikes, the number of hospital admissions has been steadily rising.

Tens of thousands of new daily Covid cases in Australia

The Victoria figures mark another record-breaking jump in infections, surpassing Tuesday's tally of 14,020.

The new cases were detected from 59,682 test results, taking the test positivity rate to nearly 30 percent.

But the true figure is likely much higher, as the PCR testing network is overwhelmed by the rapid rise in cases.

There are now 51,317 active cases of the virus, and 731 people have died in the current outbreak.

Australians desperate for tests amid Omicron surge

Last month Australia lifted most of its strict domestic restrictions after reaching a 90% vaccination target.

But the Omicron variant has fuelled a surge in cases - now totalling over 25,000 a day.

That's put intense pressure on testing and hospital systems, causing anxiety around the country.

PCR tests have always been widely available in Australia, but last week the government began limiting who is eligible to receive them for free.

NCC Release COVID-19 Update

The NCC also highlighted in their latest statistics that Delta cases have not increased since the last count of 627.

From latest COVID-19 update from the NCC, Papua New Guinea recorded 11 COVID-19 infections on Friday 31 December 2021, increasing the total confirmed cases to 36,190.

The NCC confirmed that the new cases were recorded in Northern with seven, East New Britain two, while Central and Western Highlands recorded one each.

As of December 31st 2021, 35,515 persons have recovered from the virus, while the dead toll remains at 590.

Fiji confirms community transmission of Omicron variant

Samples sequenced by the Ministry of Healtth and the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, were determined to be Omicron , the latest COVID-19 variant in circulation around the world.

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said Fiji has community transmission of both Omicron and Delta variants throughout the country.

He added that it explains the high number of cases recorded recently given the high transmissibility of the variant.

Health experts are warning it will become the dominant variant.

Concern over Xi'an residents' midnight quarantine

Xi'an is at the epicentre of China's current Covid outbreak, and authorities have enacted drastic measures.

All 13 million residents are confined to their homes and cannot leave to buy food or supplies.

Authorities are hoping to eliminate the outbreak before Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month.

The situation in Xi'an has led to heightened tensions, with many taking to social media in recent days to complain.

NSW records 18,278 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths

Hospitalisations have risen to 1066, up from 901 in the previous reporting period, with 83 patients in intensive care.

There are five times as many people being treated for Covid-19 in the state's hospitals as there were in mid-December, although the number of people in intensive care has increased at a slower rate.

Premier Dominic Perrottet last week said the health system "remains strong" and the state was in a "very strong position" despite the fast-growing case numbers and increase in hospitalisations because of the Omicron variant outbreak.

Surge in Covid-19 cases in Fiji

The Ministry of Health has reported two deaths taking the death toll to 700 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Both cases had pre-existing medical conditions according to Health Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong.

He said while both these deaths occurred in individuals who have been immunised with 2 doses of the vaccine, they both had significant underlying medical conditions and were over the age of 50.

He adds it is known that these factors place a person at higher risk of severe disease, even if fully vaccinated.

Antarctic outpost hit by Covid-19 outbreak

Since 14 December, at least 16 of the 25 workers at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station have caught the virus.

Officials say cases remain mild so far.

"The situation isn't dramatic," Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC.

"While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn't significantly affected our work at the station overall," Cheek said.