Covid news live: France and Italy record daily record cases; Australia’s Omicron outbreak spreads | World news | Local News

Serbian media report tennis star Novak Djokovic will not participate in the ATP Cup which will be held in Sydney in January. He will make a decision on the Australian Open before the new year.

Djokovic has refused to disclose his vaccination status, which is mandatory to play at the Australian Open unless he receives a medical exemption.

In Australia, the treasurer of Queensland Cameron Dick lashed out at NSW’s health response to the virus. The state reported a record number of Covid-19 cases on a daily basis. The NSW health minister admitted earlier today that hospital staff were “derailed”.

Tail:

It’s a condition that let the virus get out of hand and cause untold damage to lives, livelihoods and businesses … and we look at the hundreds of lives that have been lost. The people of NSW are understandably very concerned.

It comes as three-quarters of Covid patients in Queensland over the past two weeks have been found to be under 35.

Israel has ordered 100,000 units of the Covid-19 antiviral pill from Pfizer Inc Paxlovid for people aged 12 and older at risk of serious illness, Reuters reports. It is the first pill developed specifically to treat Covid-19.

An Israeli official confirmed the announcement on Saturday, after Channel 12 TV said the Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett made the deal in a phone conversation with the CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla. There was no immediate confirmation from the company.

Paxlovid, the first oral and home treatment for Covid, is nearly 90% effective in preventing hospitalizations and death in patients at high risk of serious illness, according to the Pfizer clinical trial.

Pfizer said recent lab data suggested it retained its effectiveness against the Omicron variant of the virus. The FDA approved the antiviral pill three days ago.

In South Korea, three members of K-pop sensation BTS tested positive for Covid-19 upon their return from the United States, AFP reports.

The South Korean group gave their first live concerts since the pandemic began in Los Angeles, which took place from late November to early this month.

They have been on vacation since then and each of the three infected members returned to South Korea on different dates. They are all fully vaccinated and none have had contact with other members of the group after their return.

Rapper RM and singer Jin tested positive for the virus on Saturday night, according to Big Hit Music. The announcement came a day after the agency confirmed that Suga, another member of the septet, was “self-treating at home” after testing positive.

While RM and Suga are asymptomatic, Jin has a mild fever, the agency said. Of the three, RM and Suga received their positive tests while still in self-quarantine after returning home, while Jin was released from quarantine after testing negative and received his plus result. late.

Big Hit Music said in a statement that the company will put its “top priority on the health and safety of our artists.”

As Christmas rolls around the world, a wave of Covid infections is dividing many families, overwhelming hospitals and curtailing religious ceremonies as the Omicron variant continues to spread.

I am Caitlin cassidy here to bring you the main developments of Covid around the world.

Pope Francis used his Christmas address to pray for more vaccines to reach the developing world, while in England, Queen Elizabeth II noted another year of pain after losing her husband, Prince Philip, in April, acknowledging that Christmas can be difficult for “those who have lost loved ones.”

Cases continue to increase in Australia, where New South Wales had previously recorded a record 6,394 cases. The NSW health minister urged residents to reconsider whether they should call an ambulance or go to hospital due to staff leave, warning everyone in the state is susceptible to be infected with Omicron.

France recorded a record 104,611 Covid-19 infections on Saturday, surpassing the 100,000 threshold for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and Italy reported a third consecutive record number of Covid-19 cases on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, some 5,400 flight cancellations have plunged the Christmas travel schedule into chaos. Omicron has meant that airlines cannot handle flights, with a quarter of flights canceled in the United States. Let’s dive into it.