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New Year's Eve muted by Omicron, many hoping for better 2022

Good riddance to 2021. Let 2022 bring fresh hope.

That was a common sentiment on Friday as people around the world got ready to welcome in the new year.

In many places, plans for New Year's Eve celebrations were muted or cancelled for the second straight year due to a surge of coronavirus infections, this time driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

READ MORE: How Aussies are spending New Year's Eve around the country

Even before Omicron hit, many people were happy to say goodbye to a second grinding year of the pandemic.

But so far, at least, the Omicron surge hasn't resulted in the same levels of hospitalisations and deaths as previous outbreaks — especially among vaccinated people — offering a glimmer of hope for 2022.

In Japan, writer Naoki Matsuzawa said he would spend the next few days cooking and delivering food to the elderly because some stores would be closed. He said vaccinations had made people less anxious about the pandemic, despite the new variant.

"A numbness has set in, and we are no longer overly afraid," said Matsuzawa, who lives in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo. "Some of us are starting to take for granted that it won't happen to me."

Like many other people, Matsuzawa hopes that life will improve in 2022.

"I hope the restrictions can disappear," he said.

READ MORE: Vantage points near empty ahead of Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks

Bondi Beach on New Years eve. December 31, 2021. Photo: Rhett Wyman/SMH

Across Japan, many people planned to take new year trips to spend time with their families. On New Year's Eve, people thronged temples and shrines, most of them wearing masks.

Some appeared to be shrugging off virus fears, however, by dining and drinking raucously in downtown Tokyo and flocking to shops, celebrating not only the holidays but a sense of exhilaration over being freed from recent virus restrictions.

Because of where the international date line sits, countries in Asia and the Pacific region are among the first to usher in each new year.

Australia was planning to go ahead with its celebrations despite an explosion in virus cases. The centrepiece of festivities is the renowned fireworks display from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Hours before the celebrations were due to begin, Australian health authorities reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney. Because of the surge, authorities were expecting far smaller crowds than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as 1 million revellers would crowd inner Sydney.

In neighbouring New Zealand, where there hasn't yet been any community spread of Omicron, authorities took a precautionary approach by canceling several fireworks displays, including a popular one from atop Auckland's Sky Tower. Auckland instead will mark the new year with a light display projected onto the tower and other city landmarks.

In South Korea's capital Seoul, the annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony was cancelled for the second straight year due to a surge in cases.

Officials said a pre-recorded video of this year's bell-ringing ceremony would instead be broadcast online and on television. The ceremony had previously drawn tens of thousands of people. Last year's cancellation was the first since the ceremony began in 1953.

South Korean authorities also planned to close many beaches and other tourist attractions along the east coast, which usually swarm with people hoping to catch the year's first sunrise on New Year's Day. On Friday, South Korea said it will extend tough distancing rules for another two weeks.

In India, millions of people were planning to ring in the new year from their homes, with nighttime curfews and other restrictions taking the fizz out of celebrations in large cities including New Delhi and Mumbai.

Authorities have imposed restrictions to keep revellers away from restaurants, hotels, beaches and bars amid a surge in cases fuelled by Omicron.

But some places, including Goa, a tourist paradise, and Hyderabad, an information technology hub, have been spared from night curfews thanks to smaller numbers of infections, although other restrictions still apply.

Many Indonesians were also forgoing their usual festivities for a quieter evening at home, after the government banned many New Year's Eve celebrations. In Jakarta, fireworks displays, parades and other large gatherings were prohibited, while restaurants and malls were allowed to remain open but with curfews imposed.

In Hong Kong, about 3000 people planned to attend a New Year's Eve concert featuring local celebrities including boy band Mirror. The concert will be the first big New Year's Eve event held since 2018, after events were cancelled in 2019 due to political strife and last year because of the pandemic.

In China, the Shanghai government canceled events including an annual light show along the Huangpu River in the city centre that usually draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.

There were no plans for public festivities in Beijing, where popular temples have been closed or had limited access since mid-December. The government has called on people to avoid leaving the Chinese capital if possible and requires tests for travellers arriving from areas with infections.

Popular temples in the eastern Chinese cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou and other major cities canceled traditional New Year's Eve "lucky bell-ringing" ceremonies and asked the public to stay away.

But in Thailand, authorities were allowing New Year's Eve parties and firework displays to continue, albeit with strict safety measures imposed. They were hoping to slow the spread of the Omicron variant while also softening the blow to the country's battered tourism sector. New Year's Eve prayers, which are usually held in Buddhist temples around Thailand, will be held online instead.

In the Philippines, a powerful typhoon two weeks ago wiped out basic necessities for tens of thousands of people ahead of New Year's Eve. More than 400 were killed by Typhoon Rai and at least 82 remain missing. Half a million homes were damaged or destroyed.

Leahmer Singson, a 17-year-old mother of one, lost her home to a fire last month, and then the typhoon blew away her temporary wooden shack in Cebu city. She will welcome the new year with her husband, who works in a glass and aluminium factory, and her 1-year-old baby in a ramshackle tent in a coastal clearing where hundreds of other families erected small tents from debris, rice sacks and tarpaulin to shield themselves from the rain and sun.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 31: A small group of people are seen at Mrs Macquaries Point with limited numbers during New Year's Eve celebrations on December 31, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. New Year's Eve celebrations continue to be somewhat different as some COVID-19 restrictions remain in place due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Asked what she wants for the new year, Singson had a simple wish: "I hope we won't get sick."

headline

Mexico Disbands Makeshift Camp with Thousands of Migrants

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Central American migrants form a line while they wait for a QR code to register their migrant situation in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Dec 29, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Torres/File Photo

TAPACHULA, Mexico Dec 30 (Reuters) – Mexican officials dismantled a makeshift migrant camp in the country’s south near the Guatemalan border on Thursday, government officials and Reuters witnesses said.

Many of the migrants, some families with children, had been waiting in Tapachula camp for months, which some described asa “prison” due to the squalid or cramped conditions. Mexican authorities have used the camp to contain migrants and restrict their movement.

Before officials disbanded the camp in Tapachula, about 3,000 migrants were granted permission by Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) to process their travel documents, which would allow them to leave the camp.

Migrants, mostly from Central America and the Caribbean, left the camp after INM officals gave them a QR code, registering them to complete their “regularization” process.

They will now have a month to complete their visa process, which could include applying for asylum, in one of 14 states, according to a government official and migrants who showed Reuters their documents. Migrants will need to find their own housing.

“I am going to Sinaloa to get the humanitarian visa with my own resources,” said a woman from Cuba who declined to give her name. She said she stayed at the camp for more than two weeks waiting on her QR code so she could continue on her way to the United States.

Mexico accelerated the transfer of tens of thousands of migrants to various regions this month, promising to regularize their stay amid a record number of people arriving in the country in 2021 with the aim of crossing the border into the United States.

There were, however, dozens of migrants who said they had not received a QR code on Thursday, but were still forced to leave the camp. It is unclear if housing assistance will be provided.

Lester Centeno, 25, a migrant from Nicaragua, said he arrived in Tapachula seeking asylum but didn’t get a QR code or a transfer to another region.

“They told me they were going to deport me if I didn’t leave here (from the camp),” Centeno said, referring to immigration agents.

(This story was refiled to add editing credit)

Reporting by Jose Torres, additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Aurora Ellis

The post Mexico Disbands Makeshift Camp with Thousands of Migrants appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Barbados 1st Omicron Case, Hong Kong Spread, S.A. May Have Peaked, Fauci Defends New Rules, World Stats

Barbados First Omicron Case

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George Thursday evening disclosed that Barbados has recorded its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.ci o(CARPHA) Laboratory, he said.

“To date, that is the only confirmed case we have. However, I must couch that by saying that we have been doing testing, preliminary sequencing at the [local] Best-Dos Santos Laboratory and there is also preliminary evidence is Omicron is established in Barbados,” Dr George said, although declining to disclose where the person who tested positive for the variant was from.

“We do not need to panic. We have come to this road before,” he added.

The Chief Medical Officer suggested it was no surprise that Barbados had now joined the list of countries recording the presence of Omicron.

“We have been consistently saying to the public within the last two to three weeks that the likelihood of Omicron being within our borders was high. We had a reason for saying this because the experience in several other countries across the globe indicated that the virus spreads extremely rapidly within communities and therefore Barbados was not going to be spared,” he pointed out.

Dr George added that the Ministry of Health has sent “carefully selected” samples to CARPHA lab and the results are expected in seven to ten days.

“Once we have this information we will share it with the public,” he said.

Meantime, the CMO expressed concern that cases of COVID-19 in Barbados are trending upwards.

He, therefore, urged residents to continue to protect themselves by wearing masks at all times in public spaces and when in close quarters with others; observe physical distancing; sanitize frequently, and get vaccinated and/or booster shots.

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Hong Kong says Omicron has spread despite COVID restrictions

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A staff member holds a QR code for the “LeaveHomeSafe” COVID-19 contact-tracing app to people lining up outside a community vaccination centre providing Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine in Hong Kong, China December 2, 2021. REUTERS/Lam Yik

A staff member holds a QR code for the “LeaveHomeSafe” COVID-19 contact-tracing app to people lining up outside a community vaccination centre providing Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine in Hong Kong, China December 2, 2021. REUTERS/Lam Yik

HONG KONG, Dec 31 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s health officials said on Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has made its way past some of the world’s toughest COVID 19 restrictions, with the city reporting its first cases outside its strict quarantine system.

The findings raise risks that the global financial hub might keep its borders shut well into 2022. It has largely isolated itself from the world hoping in turn to open the border with mainland China for a limited number of business travellers.

Hong Kong’s last COVID-19 case tracked outside its quarantine facilities and hotels was discovered in October. Previous infections with the Omicron variant were discovered during quarantines of people returning to Hong Kong.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan told reporters one of four air crew members who tested positive after their return to Hong Kong had breached home quarantine rules by going to a restaurant, where he passed the virus to his father and a client sitting at another table.

“Omicron is raging around the world … and it has now found its way into the community,” Chan said.

She added that China border reopening preparations continued, but “the priority was handling the pandemic.”

Health official Chuang Shuk-kwan told reporters a different airline worker, who tested positive but was previously thought to have stayed at home, had visited a bar in a crowded nightlife district shortly after their latest flight back.

The government this week tightened quarantine rules for air crew, who had been allowed to quarantine at home, unlike most people returning to the city who have to quarantine in hotels for up to 21 days at their own cost. read more

Pilots had expressed worries about their mental health amid prolonged periods of isolation even before the tightening. read more

Cathay Pacific Airways said on Thursday the latest tightening had forced it to cancel a significant number of passenger and cargo flights to and from Hong Kong.

Hong Kong which has been coronavirus-free for extended periods since the pandemic began.

But less than 70% of its eligible population, far lower than in other developed cities, have taken two shots of either China’s Sinovac (SVA.O) or Germany’s BioNTech vaccines (22UAy.DE).

Only about 5% of people have received a third booster shot.

Even three doses of Sinovac’s vaccine do not produce adequate levels of antibodies to fight the Omicron variant, researchers from Hong Kong found. read more

Reporting by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Kim Coghill
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South Africa says Omicron wave may have peaked

South Africa has lifted overnight curfew rules, with officials saying the country may have passed the peak of its fourth wave of Covid infections sparked by the Omicron variant. A statement released after a special cabinet meeting said cases and hospital admission rates had dropped in almost all provinces across the country. Omicron – first reported by the country last month – is spreading fast elsewhere, leading to widespread curbs.

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Fauci defends new CDC isolation guidelines
Anthony Fauci on Thursday defended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) decision to cut its recommended isolation time to five days for people infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic.

Fauci said there was a need to cut the isolation period for asymptomatic people to keep society running as the nation is hit with the highly contagious omicron variant.

“The reason is that now that we have such an overwhelming volume of cases coming in, many of which are without symptoms, there’s the danger that this is going to have a really negative impact on our ability to really get society to function properly,” Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said in an interview on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.”

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

286,909,243

Deaths:

5,446,797

Recovered:

253,256,354

 

Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

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Latest News

December 31 (GMT)

Updates

  • 8,024 new cases and 153 new

 

 

The post Barbados 1st Omicron Case, Hong Kong Spread, S.A. May Have Peaked, Fauci Defends New Rules, World Stats appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Man dies after cliff face collapses at Bells Beach

A man has died after a cliff collapsed at a beach on Victoria's Surf Coast.

Paramedics were called to Bells Beach, 100km southwest of Melbourne, just before 2.20 this afternoon.

Three people, all in their 20s, were injured in the collapse.

READ MORE: National Cabinet scraps day six rapid test for COVID-19 cases

One person has been seriously injured after a cliff collapsed at a Melbourne beach.

Ambulance Victoria said a 28-year-old man suffered serious upper-body injuries.

Victoria Police said the man died as he was being airlifted to a Melbourne hospital.

A man and a woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospital.

READ MORE: 'A third' of Victoria's 5919 new cases Omicron variant as ICU wards full of unvaccinated patients

Three people injured after cliff face collapses at Bells Beach.

Victoria Police believe a cliff face upwards of 30 metres high gave way and collapsed on the group.

Six people were sitting under the cliff face when rocks fell and struck three of them.

No one else was injured.

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Capital cities swelter through scorching weather on New Year's Eve

Some of Australia's capital cities have seen plenty of sun and warm weather today, as the country prepares to bid farewell to 2021.

The hottest temperatures are being felt in Melbourne and Adelaide, which are currently sitting at 37C.

Highs of 38C and 39C were reached in the two cities.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned much of Victoria will experience a heatwave for the three days from today until January 2, and that vulnerable residents should make preparations.

Weatherzone's Yoska Hernández said a "severe heatwave" was also currently affecting Tasmania and southern Victoria.

"Heat will continue in these regions until Sunday the second. Then, heat should build in western WA (including Perth) and eastern QLD from Sunday the second and Monday the third, respectively," she said.

Here's what's the weather was like for each state and territory around the country:

READ MORE: Thousands wait for COVID-19 tests as NSW finishes 2021 in Omicron surge

Much of the country will experience a warm and sunny end to 2021.

Sydney

Sydney is ringing in the new year in style, with highs of 29C throughout the city and lows of 18C.

Busy Bondi beach on Christmas morningREFILE HIGH RES. The New Years Eve Fireworks in Sydney Harbour as seen from Mrs Macquaries Point in Sydney on January 1, 2021. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

Melbourne

It's been a scorching clear and sunny day in Melbourne on Friday, with tops of 38C during the day and lows of 18C.

It will be a warm night with Weatherzone forecasting "temperatures near 20C by midnight".

Brisbane

Brisbane is one of two major Aussie cities experiencing rain on New Year's Eve.

It's warm though, with highs of 27C throughout the day and lows of 20C.

There's the possibility of a thunderstorm in the west during the afternoon and evening.

The city is experiencing 69 per cent humidity.

Adelaide

By midday, the Adelaide had already reached temperatures in the high 30s, expected to continue into nightfall.

Afternoon winds may provide some relief, with gusts expected at around 25km/h. Lows of 21C are also predicted.

Darwin

It's been warm and windy in Darwin all day, with a high of 33C during the day. The low is predicted to be a sweaty 28C in the evening.

There will be a possible thunderstorm as showers hit the city this afternoon.

Winds of 15 to 25 km/h will tend westerly before becoming light in the evening.

A 21-year old woman who flew from Cairns to Darwin tested positive to COVID yesterday, originally telling authorities she hadn't been to a hotspot.

Hobart

It's been a fine day in Hobart, with pleasant temperatures of 27C in the day. Conditions will drop 10 degrees overnight however, with lows of just 13C predicted.

Strong wind warnings have been issued for the north-east coast.

scenery of hobart harbor in tasmania, australia

Perth

It's a mostly sunny and windy day in Perth, with temperatures reaching 32C. South to south-westerly winds of up 40 km/h are forecast in the day, followed by south-easterly gusts of up 30 km/h in the evening.

Canberra

Conditions in Canberra this New Year's are currently set to top 31C during the day, however, they will drop almost 20C to just 13C overnight. As it stands, there is currently a zero per cent chance of rain, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.