We are so sorry! We bumped into a system failure and couldnt take your email this time.
Thank you for signing up!
Former White House advisor Stephen Miller claimed that there would already be updated COVID-19 vaccines to deal with the Omicron variant if Donald Trump were still president today.
"If President Trump was still in office, by the way, we'd already have modified vaccines to deal with the new variant," Miller said, speaking to Sean Hannity on Friday night.
Scientists first detected the new Omicron variant in South Africa. It has since spread to several other countries, including Israel and Belgium, prompting a spate of travel restrictionsacross Europe, Asia, andNorth America, Insider's Aria Bendixreported. A health official said on Saturday that two cases of the variant have beendetected in the UK.
The variant itself has multiple mutations that might make it easier for it to evade antibodies that developed in the body after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The mutations might also cause the variant to spread easily even among vaccinated people. Because of the numerous mutations, the World Health Organization has labeled Omicron a "variant of concern," a distinction given to the most threatening coronavirus variants. Delta, the variant that surged all throughout the summer in the US, was the last one to receive the label.
It's not clear yet whether existing COVID-19 vaccines will protect against the variant. But vaccine manufacturers in the US already considering their options.
Pfizer, for example, said it will be able to manufacture and distribute an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days if Omicron is found to be resistant to its current vaccine.The company expects to know within two weeks whether the variant is resistant to its current vaccine, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
In his interview, Miller did not specify how Trump would have sped up the timelines proposed by Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers like Moderna.
The vaccines against COVID-19 were developed under the Trump administration. It took 11 months to get themout to the public after the first confirmed coronavirus case in January 2020.
It's also unclear what effect Trump specifically would have on the updated vaccine progress that President Joe Biden wouldn't have. Both Pfizer and Moderna indicated they would know whether the Omicron variant is resistant to their current vaccines within the next couple weeks. Johnson & Johnson is also conducting testing.
Australia'sexpert immunisation panel willreview the time framefor COVID-19 booster shots,as the nation's leaders come to terms with thethe detection of the Omicron "variant of concern".
TheAustralian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation's (ATAGI) current advice for the booster shotis that it be administered six months after a person has received their second dose.
Health Minister Greg Hunt today called for calm and insistedAustralia waswell placed to deal with the new variant should it spread in the community.
He said he hadasked ATAGI to review the time frame for booster shots and said Australia's vaccine stocks could accommodate fast-tracking them if it was recommended.
"We will, as ever, allow them (ATAGI) to act independently and continue to follow their advice," Mr Hunt said.
"But we're prepared with supplies. We are already one of the earliest nations in the world, after Israel, to havea whole-of-nation booster program.
"If they recommend changes, we will follow those changes."
The Australian Medical Association said in a statement the emergence of the Omicron variant underlined the need for a more aggressive rollout of booster shots, and a network of dedicated quarantine facilities.
Early evidence suggests symptoms caused by the Omicron variant appeared to be mild.
Mr Hunt said 415,000 people had so far received booster shots, out of an eligible cohort of about 500,000.
Four cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in NSW, following confirmation from genomic testing of two travellers who arrived from southern Africa yesterday.
The Northern Territory has also recorded the strain in a man in quarantine who recentlyreturned from South Africa.
The federal government on Saturday announced that non-Australian citizens who hadbeen in nine countries in southern Africa where Omicron hadbeen detected were barred from entering Australia.
Mr Hunt said the government would not hesitate to take additional measures if required, but the government's aim was to "remain safely open".
Aftera new COVID-19 variant emerged in southern Africa, scientists, health officials and the public areconcerned, and the World Health Organization is monitoring the situation closely. Here is what we know.
"We're in a vastly different positionfrom where we were on February 1, 2020," Mr Hunt said.
"We are one of the most highlyvaccinated, one of the most recentlyvaccinated, and one of the first tocommence a whole-of-nation boosterprogram from around the world."
Chief Medical OfficerPaul Kelly said vaccine manufacturersPfizer and Moderna were already preparing for the event that the Omicron variant proved more resistant to current vaccines.
But Professor Kelly said there was no evidence yet that vaccines were less effective against the strain.
He said it would take time to understand its severity.
"We know that there areseveral hundred either confirmed orsuspected cases that have gonethrough that genomic analysis inSouth Africa," he said.
"We know that there areone or two confirmed cases fromsurrounding countries.
"There arehandfuls of cases from parts ofEurope, and so forth, very smallnumbers at the moment.
"What we know so far isthe mildness of those that havetravelled to other countries itwill only be when we have largernumbers that we can make thatassessment."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is convening the government's National Security Committee this evening to discuss the Omicron variant, with a meeting of state and territory leaders also expected in the next 48 hours.
Loading form...
From cities to rural towns, stay informed on where COVID-19 is spreading to understand how it could affect families, commerce, and travel. Follow new cases found each day and the number of cases and deaths in Alabama.The county-level tracker makes it easy to follow COVID-19 cases on a granular level, as does the ability to break down infections per 100,000 people.
BIBB MEDICAL CENTERShort Term208 PIERSON AVE, CENTREVILLE, AL 34.0 31.3%9.4 of 30.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 53 343 UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA HOSPITALShort Term619 SOUTH 19TH STREET, BIRMINGHAM, AL 1,487.4 88.5%1,226.4 of 1,385.4 beds used 91.6%273.1 of 298.1 beds used 57.1 N/A 18 N/A 927 2,372 ST VINCENT'S BIRMINGHAMShort Term810 ST VINCENT'S DRIVE, BIRMINGHAM, AL 478.9 70.5%317.3 of 449.9 beds used 65.1%54.6 of 83.9 beds used 5.0 N/A 7 N/A 124 707 PRINCETON BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTERShort Term701 PRINCETON AVENUE SOUTHWEST, BIRMINGHAM, AL 303.0 64.9%177.3 of 273.0 beds used 75.6%43.1 of 57.0 beds used 12.9 N/A 5 N/A 151 580 CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF ALABAMAChildrens Hospitals1600 SEVENTH AVENUE SOUTH, BIRMINGHAM, AL 418.0 91.6%360.9 of 394.0 beds used 93.1%44.7 of 48.0 beds used N/A 4.3 N/A 5 321 1,477 WALKER BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTERShort Term3400 HIGHWAY 78 EAST, JASPER, AL 187.0 66.5%104.4 of 157.0 beds used 83.3%10.0 of 12.0 beds used 4.1 N/A 5 N/A 93 558 ST VINCENT'S EASTShort Term50 MEDICAL PARK EAST DRIVE, BIRMINGHAM, AL 339.0 87.3%269.9 of 309.0 beds used 91.7%48.6 of 53.0 beds used 8.1 N/A 7 N/A 235 776 FAYETTE MEDICAL CENTERShort Term1653 TEMPLE AVENUE NORTH, FAYETTE, AL 33.0 34.2%8.9 of 26.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 67 200 HALE COUNTY HOSPITALShort Term508 GREEN STREET, GREENSBORO, AL 26.0 46.2%9.7 of 21.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6 205 GRANDVIEW MEDICAL CENTERShort Term3690 GRANDVIEW PARKWAY, BIRMINGHAM, AL 413.4 91.4%357.7 of 391.4 beds used 88.8%82.0 of 92.3 beds used 6.6 N/A 6 N/A 163 739 MEDICAL WEST, AN AFFILIATE OF UAB HEALTH SYSTEMShort Term995 9TH AVENUE SOUTHWEST, BESSEMER, AL 165.9 66.3%110.0 of 165.9 beds used 97.1%20.4 of 21.0 beds used 7.4 N/A N/A N/A 164 1,341 BROOKWOOD BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTERShort Term2010 BROOKWOOD MEDICAL CENTER DRIVE, BIRMINGHAM, AL 372.4 82.0%272.7 of 332.4 beds used 63.4%46.9 of 74.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A 60 653 SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL - BIRMINGHAMLong Term2010 BROOKWOOD MEDICAL CENTER DRIVE, 3RD FLOOR, BIRMINGHAM, AL 38.0 81.3%30.9 of 38.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A NOLAND HOSPITAL BIRMINGHAM II, LLCLong Term50 MEDICAL PARK EAST DRIVE 8TH FLOOR, BIRMINGHAM, AL 24.0 72.1%17.3 of 24.0 beds used N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A GREENE COUNTY HOSPITALShort Term509 WILSON AVENUE, EUTAW, AL 16.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 8 47 UAB CALLAHAN EYE HOSPITAL AUTHORITYShort Term1720 UNIVERSITY BLVD, SUITE 500, BIRMINGHAM, AL 9.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 139
'Omicron' variant of COVID-19 called a 'variant of concern'
Scientists don't know how contagious the new COVID-19 variant is yet.
Staff Video, USA TODAY
The omicron variant first discovered in South Africa last week is likely to quickly spread around the globe, possibly with "severe consequences," the World Health Organization warned Monday.
"There could be future surges of COVID-19, which could have severe consequences depending on a number of factors including where surges may take place," the WHO said in a technical brief. "The overall global risk related to the (omicron variant)is assessed as very high."
The WHO said there iscurrently no information to suggest symptoms associated with omicron differ from those associated withother variants.No deaths linked to the omicron variant have been reported, WHO added.
The U.S. will need about two more weeks to learn more definitive information about the omicron variant'stransmissibility and severity, Dr. Anthony Fauci told President Joe Biden on Sunday, the White House said in a statement.The variant already hasbeen identified incountries across the world, including France, Canada, Australiaand Hong Kong.
Despite the unknowns of omicron, Fauci told Biden that he believes "existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of COVID," reiterating that booster shots on top of full vaccination will provide stronger protection.About36% of Americans have gotten their booster shots, White House COVID-19 Response CoordinatorJeff Zients said last week.
Also in the news:
"Vaccine" is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2021: "The biggest science story of our time quickly became the biggest debate in our country, and the word at the center of both stories isvaccine."
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said it's "unacceptable" for some countries to vaccinate groups at very low risk of severe disease and giveboosters to healthy adultswhile just 1 in 4 African health workers has been vaccinated.
The Virginia Department of Health will be monitoring sewagein an effort to predict future outbreaks of COVID-19. Infected people shed the virus in bodily waste, even if theyre not showing symptoms. The goal is to provide warnings before a surge begins.
Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said Monday that six cases of the omicron variant have been detected there. "Enhanced" contact tracing was underway.
The U.S. on Monday beganrestricting travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi. Meanwhile, the WHO urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations: "South Africa should be thanked for detecting, sequencing and reporting this variant, not penalized."
Today's numbers:The U.S. has recorded more than 48 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 776,000deaths,accordingtoJohns Hopkins Universitydata. Global totals: More than 261million cases and nearly 5.1million deaths. More than 196 million Americansroughly 59.1% of the populationare fully vaccinated,according to theCDC.
What we're reading:After nearly two years of combating COVID-19, health experts thought the U.S. would have been in a better position to control the pandemic. Instead, many people remain unvaccinated and ignore mitigation measures, slowing the pace of progress and burning out health care professionals.
Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more?Sign up forUSA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch free newsletterto receive updates directly to your inboxandjoin ourFacebook group.
The World Health Organization's World Health Assemblybegan a special session Monday to discuss anew global treaty for responding to future pandemics.The special session, just the second in the history of the WHO, will last until Wednesday.
The session is geared toward establishing a process to draft agreements "on pandemic preparedness and response," according toa newsrelease from the organization.Tedros told the gatheringthe international response to thepandemic has been slow and uncoordinated.
"Omicrons very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with COVID-19, it is not done with us," Tedros said. "We are living through a cycle of panic and neglect. Hard-won gains could vanish in an instant."
Cases of the omicron variant ofthe coronaviruspopped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday as many governments rushed to close their borders.
Japan announced it would suspend entry of all foreign visitors hours afterIsrael decided to bar entry to foreigners.Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday amonga growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scrambled to slowthe variant's spread.
Scientists in several places, from Hong Kong to Europe, have confirmed its presence since South Africa announced its presence last week.
This time the world showed it is learning, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise. South Africas analytic work and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable in allowing a swift global response. It no doubt saved many lives.
Canadas health minister says the country's first two cases of omicron were found in Ontario after two individuals who had recently traveled from Nigeria tested positive.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 261.5 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.19 million. More than 7.9 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
Singapore and Malaysia have reopened one of the world's busiest land borders, allowing vaccinated travellers to cross. It's been closed for nearly two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country will move to a system of living with COVID-19 this week despite the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Member states of the World Health Organization have reached a tentative consensus to negotiate a future agreement on preventing pandemics, diplomats said on Sunday.
New COVID-19 cases in northern China have seen two cities suspend public transport and tighten control over residents' movements.
The World Trade Organization became the first major diplomatic casualty of the Omicron variant on Friday when it postponed its first ministerial meeting in four years due to the deteriorating health situation.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
The World Health Organization is working to understand more about the Omicron COVID-19 variant, it announced on Sunday.
The WHO said it's not yet clear if the new variant is more transmissible compared to other variants, or if it caused more severe disease. However, the organization did reiterate initial evidence that suggests there might be a higher risk of reinfection from Omicron.
The WHO also said it was working with experts to understand the potential impact of the new Omicron variant on existing countermeasures against COVID-19, including vaccines. However, it said there's currently no evidence the variant causes different symptoms.
The US's top infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told President Joe Biden on Sunday that it will take around two weeks to have definitive information on the new variant.
Around the world countries, including the United States, have also tightened travel restrictions in response to Omicron, with Japan and Israel both banning entry for all foreign nationals. Australia is also reviewing plans to reopen its borders to skilled migrants and students from 1 December.
The Omicron variant has been confirmed in numerous countries around the world, with Switzerland detecting its first suspected case late on Sunday, adding to a list that includes the UK, Australia, Canada, France and Germany. The Netherlands announced yesterday that 13 cases on the Omicron variant had been found among passengers on two flights from South Africa on Friday, while Botswana has announced 15 more cases, in addition to the four confirmed cases it reported on Friday.
The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is a coalition of 85 global leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Its mission: Join hands in support of social entrepreneurs everywhere as vital first responders to the pandemic and as pioneers of a green, inclusive economic reality.
Its COVID Social Enterprise Action Agenda, outlines 25 concrete recommendations for key stakeholder groups, including funders and philanthropists, investors, government institutions, support organizations, and corporations. In January of 2021, its members launched its 2021 Roadmap through which its members will roll out an ambitious set of 21 action projects in 10 areas of work. Including corporate access and policy change in support of a social economy.
For more information see the Alliance website or its impact story here.
The Philippines has launched an ambitious drive to vaccinate nine million people against COVID-19 over three days, deploying security forces and using tens of thousands of volunteers to help administer the programme.
Three million vaccinations per day is nearly four times the average of 829,000 daily shots in November. An official said news of the Omicron variant made the campaign even more vital.
"It is better to be prepared for the effects of Omicron," Carlito Galvez, the country's vaccination chief, told CNN Philippines on Monday.
About 35.6 million people have been fully vaccinated, or a third of its 110 million population. The country aims to immunise 54 million people by the end of 2021 and 77 million by next March.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, Nov. 29. Im Justin Ray.
This past weekend brought troubling headlines about yet another coronavirus variant. It has sparked global restrictions and increased already high concerns about staying safe this holiday season.
Before I continue, I want to say that it is not clear how dangerous the new Omicron variant is. But the World Health Organization on Friday quickly classified it as a variant of concern.
This has prompted multiple countries, including the U.S., to restrict travel from South Africa and other African nations. The U.S. travel restrictions take effect Monday. Meanwhile, the Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus and Australia found two on Sunday.
Heres more information on the variant, and a look at the current state of Californias handling of COVID-19:
What do we know about the Omicron variant?
The variant, first identified in South Africa amid a spike in infections there, has more mutations than any variant that scientists have seen. Some have the potential to make the virus more resistant to immunity generated from previous infections or vaccines.
But much about it remains unknown, including whether the variant is more transmissible, results in more severe illness or reduces the efficacy of vaccines. No cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in the United States, but many experts say it may already be here.
The concern is, will this variant have some ability to work around, if you will, our vaccines and some of our therapies? Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told The Times.
Early observations suggest that could be the case, with breakthrough infections reported in vaccinated people, said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla. We know breakthroughs are occurring, and they have so far occurred with multiple vaccines, he said. That is, in and of itself, concerning. And looking at the structure of the virus, it could have the potential to basically override our immune response.
When it comes to the pandemic, how does California look like right now?
When it comes to handling coronavirus, California has a lot to celebrate. So far, 71.8% of residents have received at least one dose, according to The Times vaccine tracker. Among all Californians, 63.9% are fully vaccinated.
However, the pandemic continues to be a major problem for residents in rural California counties with low vaccination rates. A recent Times analysis found that people in these regions died from COVID-19 at significantly higher rates during the summer Delta variant surge than those in better-vaccinated regions. This, once again, underscores the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing COVID.
Overall, the state appears to be better positioned to handle Omicron than much of the country, because California elected officials have largely been in agreement with public health experts on imposing control methods such as vaccination and masking requirements, according to Kim-Farley.
However, millions of Californians have yet to gain immunity, Topol said. He urged people to take extra precautions during holiday gatherings, including testing attendees and hosting events outdoors or, if indoors, with open windows and air filtration devices.
When it comes to vaccinations, how is your county doing? Find out with our interactive map.
Further reading:
Protection offered by booster shot beats natural immunity, study suggests. A small study thats among the first to track peoples protective antibodies over time found that those who were immunized against COVID-19 with two doses of an mRNA vaccine and received a booster shot about eight months later saw their levels of neutralizing antibodies skyrocket. Their median post-booster antibody level was also 53 times higher than that of a group of 76 unvaccinated people who had recovered from COVID-19 just two to six weeks earlier.
And now, heres whats happening across California:
Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.
L.A.-based podcast company Neon Hum collaborated with L.A. TACO to make a nine-episode series about Jose Huizar. The former Los Angeles City councilman is accused of taking cash and other benefits from developers who sought favorable treatment on pending real estate development projects. If convicted, Huizar faces up to 20 years in prison. His trial is set for May. The podcast series discusses Huizars rise in politics and how his tenure forever changed downtown L.A. and Boyle Heights. But it also discusses the strength of the Latinx community in the city. L.A. Taco also published an interesting guide detailing the restaurants Huizar dined at while allegedly collecting bribes. Neon Hum
Our daily news podcast
If youre a fan of this newsletter, youll love our daily podcast The Times, hosted every weekday by columnist Gustavo Arellano, along with reporters from across our newsroom. Go beyond the headlines. Download and listen on our App, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and follow on Spotify.
San Francisco Dist. Atty. Chesa Boudin charged nine people with felonies in a series of shoplifting incidents that included a mass smash-and-grab at Union Square luxury stores. At least 40 thieves allegedly broke into a Louis Vuitton store on Nov. 19, grabbing whatever they could before loading it into a series of cars parked out front. The shoplifting caravan created a scene of chaos while stealing more than $1 million in merchandise. Boudin said two of the nine people were charged with possession of firearms during the incident. The organized robberies have shocked residents and sparked new crackdowns from authorities. Los Angeles Times
Even the most liberal folks, like me, have begun to lose patience with the homelessness situation: That quote, from Scott Culbertson, executive director of the Friends of Ballona Wetlands, expresses a pervasive sense of frustration shared by many Californians. Up and down the state, elected officials are trying to figure out what to do with encampments, writes Times columnist Erika D. Smith. The degrees of aggressiveness vary. But they all want to be able to move lots of unhoused people from where they are to other mostly temporary locations, and then clean the streets. What has remained unsaid is the fact that despite the valiant politicking and taxpayer dollars being spent, the permanent and affordable housing that Californias elected officials keep promising as a solution will probably take years, not months, to build. Los Angeles Times
A homeless encampment outside the West L.A. Veterans Affairs facilities on Aug. 30. The encampment is on San Vicente Boulevard in an unincorporated area near Brentwood in West Los Angeles.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The father of a woman accidentally killed by a Caltrans worker at a Modesto homeless encampment wont receive any money for his loss. It took a jury 20 minutes to decide not to award money to Maurice Bigley, whose daughter, Shannon, died in the accident. He had sought $15 million. Its just really a shame that someone died and someone admitted legal responsibility for that death and the jury decided that she wasnt worth anything, Bigleys attorney said after the verdict. Shannon Bigley, 33, was sleeping in a cardboard box in the homeless camp in 2018 when a Caltrans crew began clearing the area with a bulldozer. A man who said he witnessed the incident told a reporter at the encampment that her body was smashed. Modesto Bee
Termination proceedings have started for five LAPD officers and a civilian employee who have not complied with the citys vaccination mandate. Unvaccinated employees were required to sign a notice, indicating they would be vaccinated, or file an exemption request and submit to mandated testing in the interim. Exemptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and if approved, testing will be conducted weekly at the citys expense. Employees may also decide to resign or retire in good standing in lieu of discipline and still be eligible for rehire if they are vaccinated or if the vaccination order is lifted. CBS Los Angeles
Lessons in life and sobriety for a father and son on the Appalachian Trail. Since 1998, reporter Ben Poston and his father have ventured to the Appalachian Trail almost every year in their quest to walk all 2,200 miles. The trail always offered us familiar peace from the outside world a walking meditation through the quiet forest shared with each other and the countless hikers we met, Poston writes. Ours was a journey only made possible by sobriety, as both Dad and I struggled with alcohol dependence for many years. Then there was his cancer. Los Angeles Times
Sam and Ben Poston hike the Appalachian Trail.
Theyre actually a gang with badges: Three Mendocino County marijuana farmers and a former police officer from Texas have filed a federal lawsuit alleging widespread corruption among law enforcement officials. The lawsuit alleges hundreds of acts of extortion, theft, and robbery of marijuana, guns and cash by law enforcement officials from at least four agencies. NBC Bay Area investigation includes video and an interactive graphic of the players involved. NBC Bay Area
An organization that helped the unhoused enjoy Thanksgiving. Union Station Homeless Services is the lead agency that coordinates homeless services in the San Gabriel Valley. The organization provided more than 4,500 meals, a 125% increase over last year, a spokesperson for Union Station told LAist. Ive had somebody come up to me before and said, for even just a half an hour while they were sitting down eating that meal, it brought them back to when they had a family and a home. And for half an hour they forgot they were homeless, said one chef. LAist
Free online games
Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at latimes.com/games.
Los Angeles: 77 San Diego: This cat has a job. 73 San Francisco: 64 San Jose: So does this one. 70 Fresno: Related: Ive watched this video a million times. 66 Sacramento: 63
Famous birthdays:
Chadwick Boseman was born Nov. 29, 1976. Vice President Kamala Harris, Viola Davis, Mark Ruffalo, and many others mourned his death in August 2020.
Chrissy Teigen was born Nov. 30, 1985. She returned to Twitter this year after a bullying scandal.
If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
People wear face masks as they walk, in Regent Street, in London, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was necessary to take "targeted and precautionary measures" after two people tested positive for the new variant in England. He also said mask-wearing in shops and on public transport will be required. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
LONDON (AP) South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in the countrys most populous province.
Its unclear where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa alerted the World Health Organization in recent days, and it has now been seen in travelers arriving in several countries, from Australia to Israel to the Netherlands.
On Friday, the WHO designated it as a variant of concern, naming it omicron after a letter in the Greek alphabet.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON?
Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an exponential rise of cases in the last few days.
From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 Saturday.
Struggling to explain the sudden rise in cases, scientists studied virus samples and discovered the new variant. Now, as many as 90% of the new cases in Gauteng the countrys most-populous province are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform.
WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT?
After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the WHO said that preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other variants.
That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again.
The variant appears to have a high number of mutations about 30 in the coronavirus spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people.
Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations consistent with enhanced transmissibility, but said that the significance of many of the mutations is still not known.
Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen, including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus.
WHATS KNOWN AND NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE VARIANT?
Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but do not know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.
It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it.
Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was extremely unlikely that current vaccines wouldnt work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants.
Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, its still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didnt end up spreading very far.
We dont know if this new variant could get a toehold in regions where delta is, said Peacock of the University of Cambridge. The jury is out on how well this variant will do where there are other variants circulating.
To date, delta is by far the most predominant form of COVID-19, accounting for more than 99% of sequences submitted to the worlds biggest public database.
HOW DID THIS NEW VARIANT ARISE?
The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out. Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they cannot determine that simply by looking at the virus.
Peacock said the variant may have evolved in someone who was infected but could then not clear the virus, giving the virus the chance to genetically evolve, in a scenario similar to how experts think the alpha variant which was first identified in England also emerged, by mutating in an immune-compromised person.
ARE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS BEING IMPOSED BY SOME COUNTRIES JUSTIFIED?
Maybe.
Israel is banning foreigners from entering the country and Morocco has stopped all incoming international air travel.
A number of other countries are restricting flights in from southern Africa.
Given the recent rapid rise in COVID-19 in South Africa, restricting travel from the region is prudent and would buy authorities more time, said Neil Ferguson, an infectious diseases expert at Imperial College London.
But the WHO noted that such restrictions are often limited in their effect and urged countries to keep borders open.
Jeffrey Barrett, director of COVID-19 Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, thought that the early detection of the new variant could mean restrictions taken now would have a bigger impact than when the delta variant first emerged.
With delta, it took many, many weeks into Indias terrible wave before it became clear what was going on and delta had already seeded itself in many places in the world and it was too late to do anything about it, he said. We may be at an earlier point with this new variant so there may still be time to do something about it.
South Africas government said the country was being treated unfairly because it has advanced genomic sequencing and could detect the variant quicker and asked other countries to reconsider the travel bans.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHOs regional director for Africa, commended South Africa and Botswana for quickly informing the world about the new variant.
With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity, Moeti said. COVID-19 constantly exploits our divisions. We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions.
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
What to know about COVID-19 boosters: Pfizer, Moderna, J&J
FDA approved COVID-19 boosters for adults who had Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and J&J at least 2 months ago.
USA TODAY
The state Department of Public Health's COVID-19Interactive Data Dashboard was not posted on Thanksgiving Day, Nov.25. Data from Wednesday, Nov.24 to Thursday, Nov.25 is included in the dashboard posted on Friday, Nov.26.
There were 5,058 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total case count in the state to 847,030.
There were 240 new probable cases of the disease, bringing the total number of probable cases to 62,675.
According to the state, 771 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19, including 156 in the intensive care unit. Of those, 84 patients were intubated.
International COVID updates: Omicron cases found in Canada, UK; experts warn new variant could be in US undetected
There were 24 newly confirmed deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths due to the disease to 18,939.State officials reported no probable deaths due to COVID-19. The number of probable fatalities stands at 412.
Theseven-dayaverage of percent positivity is 3.37%.The Dashboard reported171,111 new molecular teststaken, bringing thecumulativetotal to33,275,363.
Prepare to wait: Shortage of Cape primary care doctors causes long delays for first visits
New 14-dayand total cases and testing positivity rates for the other Cape towns are:
Barnstable (233/5,416/6.35%);Bourne (109/1,848/5.63%); Brewster (45/692/6%); Chatham (19/434/5.37%); Dennis (69/1,160/7.11%); Eastham (10/278/3.57%); Falmouth (79/2,186/3.35%); Harwich (66/1,040/6.6%); Mashpee (36/1,172/3.29%); Orleans (28/399/7.02%); Provincetown (less than five/348/.99%); Sandwich (109/1,767/6.17%); Truro (0/127/2.94%); Wellfleet (8/158/3.62%); and Yarmouth (109/2,248/5.96%).
COVID vaccination rate confusion: Fed, state numbers vary wildly for Cape, Islands. Why?
Barnstable Countyreported187 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 19,460 to date. The total of probable and confirmeddeaths due to the disease is 528.
Dukes County reported fournewly confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 1,910 to date. There were no newly reported cases in Nantucket County. The total case count to dateis1,980.Dukes and Nantucket counties combined report a total of seven deaths due to the disease.
As of Nov. 25, Cape Cod Hospital reported 18 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with two patients in the ICU.Falmouth Hospital had three confirmed COVID-19 patients with one in the ICU. Neither Marthas Vineyard norNantucket Cottage hospitals had any COVID-19 patients.
'This is stressful': More than 100 Arizona classrooms quarantine over COVID-19 in 12 districts AZCentral.com
