Covid news live: England expected to ease Omicron restrictions; WHO chief says pandemic is ‘nowhere near over’

As many countries report rapid rises in cases fuelled by Omicron, some have managed to escape the destruction caused by the new variant altogether.

The small island nation of Papua New Guinea has just announced its first case of the Omicron variant as local authorities call for calm.

Authorities announced on Tuesday the case was a man who came to Papua New Guinea in December from South Africa, after travelling through London and Hong Kong. He initially tested negative with no symptoms upon arrival in the country.

“Given the period for the man’s travel, it is unclear when or where he contracted the Omicron strain, however given its incubation period of three days– it is likely he acquired it after departing South Africa,” said David Manning, national pandemic response controller.

Read the full story by Guardian reporter Lyanne Togiba in Port Moresby here.

Japan is poised to widen Covid-19 controls to cover half its population as the Omicron variant drives new infections to record levels, Reuters reports.

Prime minister Fumio Kishida is expected to officially approve the plan after it was cleared by an expert panel on Wednesday.

The so-called quasi-emergency measures permit governors to impose curbs on mobility and business, including shorter opening hours for bars and restaurants, as well as prohibitions on alcohol sales.

The measures, already in place in three regions, will widen to cover Tokyo and 12 other prefectures, lasting from Friday until 13 February.

Japan recorded 20,835 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, according to ministry of health data. The figure jumped more than 32,000 on Tuesday, according to a tally by national broadcaster NHK, exceeding the previous high seen in August shortly after Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics.

The western prefecture of Osaka posted a record 5,396 new cases, while Tokyo had 5,185, the highest since 21 August.

Public health experts are concerned that a wave of Omicron cases could overwhelm the healthcare system. Tokyo’s occupancy rate of hospital beds for Covid patients rose to 23.4% on Tuesday. An increase to 50% would warrant declaration of a full state of emergency, officials have said.

Japan has vaccinated about 80% of its population, but its booster shot program has barely begun.

Brazil has recorded a record 137,103 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry reported on Tuesday.

The number of deaths also rose by 351, the highest number since mid-November.

The Omicron variant has spread rapidly across the South American country, becoming the dominant strain.

New cases have soared above the previous daily record of 115,228 on 23 June last year.

Brazil has now registered 23,211,894 cases since the pandemic began while the official death toll has risen to 621,517, according to ministry data.

Brazil has the world’s third highest death toll from Covid-19 after the United States and Russia. Almost 70% of Brazilians are fully vaccinated, and Brazil this week started vaccinating children aged 5-11 years.

The Covid pandemic is far from over, the World Health Organization chief has said, cautioning against a narrative that the Omicron variant is risk-free.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in a press conference from the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday:

This pandemic is nowhere near over.

Omicron may be less severe, on average, but the narrative that it is a mild disease is misleading,” he said.

Make no mistake: Omicron is causing hospitalisations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities.”

The UN health agency chief warned against dismissing Omicron as mild in light of evidence it seems to cause less serious disease.

Debate continues as to whether the virus is on the verge of passing from the pandemic phase to becoming an endemic disease that humanity can live with – with the implication that the danger will have passed.

But the WHO has warned that the sheer numbers of people infected will mean many people are still falling seriously ill and dying.

“An exponential rise in cases, regardless of the severity of the individual variants, leads to inevitable increase in hospitalisations and deaths,” WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told Tuesday’s press conference.

As England prepares to see an easing of Plan B Covid measures later this month, here is a quick visual representation of how many people remain in hospital with coronavirus each day in the UK.

A No 10 statement setting out the plan for Wednesday’s decision noted that case numbers are still high, with 17,000 Covid patients in hospital in England.

A government spokesperson said: “Decisions on the next steps remain finely balanced. Plan B was implemented in December to slow the rapid spread of the extremely transmissible Omicron variant, and get more jabs in arms.

“The Omicron variant continues to pose a significant threat and the pandemic is not over. Infections remain high but the latest data is encouraging, with cases beginning to fall.

Hello it’s Samantha Lock with you on the blog today as we unpack all the latest Covid developments from across the world.

I’ll be reporting to you from Sydney and my colleagues from London will take over a little later in the day.

Boris Johnson’s fight to salvage his premiership and the Downing Street parties scandal continues to somewhat overshadow the Covid crisis unfolding in the UK.

Johnson will attempt to change the national conversation by meeting with his cabinet on Wednesday morning where he is expected to end of Plan B Covid measures across England.

A review of Covid restrictions will likely see ministers approve the end of current advice for people to work from home where possible and the use of vaccine certificates to enter venues like nightclubs and sports stadiums.

This would happen from Monday 26 January, the pre-set review point for the plan B measures.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has cautioned that the Covid pandemic is far from over as the agency’s chief described the narrative that Omicron is a mild disease as “misleading”.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed reporters during a press conference on Tuesday, saying: “Make no mistake: Omicron is causing hospitalisations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities.”

Here’s a quick run-down of all the global developments:

• The United Nations is preparing for distanced relief operations in Tonga to avoid a Covid outbreak in the Pacific island nation that is reeling under the impact of a volcanic eruption and tsunami.
• Covid deaths in the US are climbing and modellers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.
• The World Health Organization says the worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalisations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly.
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised against travel to 22 nations and territories because of a rising number of Covid cases.
• In France, 464,769 new cases have been registered in the past 24 hours – a global record increase.
• Italy’s cases have jumped to 228,179 from 83,403 a day earlier.
• Omicron measures in Scotland will be lifted on Monday, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. This includes restrictions on indoor live events, table services in hospitality and distancing in indoor public places.
• The UK has reported 94,432 new Covid cases and 438 deaths.
• There were more than 900 Covid deaths in England and Wales in the first week of January. The ONS records a 58% rise on the previous week but figures are artificially high due to Christmas bank holidays.
• Lateral flow tests will no longer be free for people in the UK by the end of June, according to a document seen by Reuters news agency.
• France’s education minister is facing calls to resign after it emerged he had announced Covid protocol for schools while he was on holiday in Ibiza.

Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have a story or tips to share. Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: samantha.lock@theguardian.com
Twitter: @Samantha__Lock