COVID-19 Updates
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Coronavirus news live: South Africa sees ‘exponential increase’ in Covid cases, dominated by Omicron variant
The Omicron variant has propelled a sharp rise in Covid cases in South Africa, accounting for almost three quarters of all new virus cases Omicron variant fuelling ‘exponential’ rise in…
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Western Australia, a state almost no one can visit, to pitch itself to tourists as ‘safest place in the world’
WA premier says the state will loosen Covid-19 border restrictions in ‘a couple of months’, but those trying to get home are unimpressed Get our free news app; get our…
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Omicron variant fuelling ‘exponential’ rise in Covid cases, say South Africa officials
Nearly three-quarters of virus genomes sequenced last month were of new variant, say South African health officials Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Omicron variant has…
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Omicron variant: travel industry takes another hit just as it was recovering, with new coronavirus restrictions leading people to cancel holidays or postpone trips
Tourism businesses that were just finding their footing after nearly two years of devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic are being rattled again as countries throw up new barriers to…
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‘A lemon’: Coalition fights to keep Covidsafe app data under wraps
Morrison government says it is negotiating with the states about future uses for application Follow our live blog for the latest updates Vaccine rollout tracker; Cases and data tracker Get…
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Will the Omicron Covid variant cancel Christmas?
A new Covid variant first identified in South Africa is spreading around the world, with leaders rushing to respond. Our science correspondent Nicola Davis outlines what we know so far…
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Hong Kong demands airlines use separate crew for mainland China flights as coronavirus’ Omicron variant prompts tough new measures
Hong Kong health officials have asked airlines to begin maintaining separate teams that will fly exclusively to and from mainland China to further reduce the risk of Covid-19 entering the…
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Coronavirus: South Korea axes quarantine exemptions to tackle Omicron; Australia says no evidence new strain is deadlier
South Korea’s daily record of coronavirus cases reached a fresh high on Thursday, as authorities halted quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated inbound travellers for two weeks in a bid to…
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Teesside factory making Covid vaccine gets £400m injection
Japanese owner makes single biggest investment in UK pharmaceutical manufacturing in decades A Teesside factory that makes Covid-19 vaccines has received a £400m injection from its Japanese owners, the largest…
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Hong Kong consumers are feeling the pinch of rising costs from inflation, but with the world still gripped by Covid-19, is there light at the end of the tunnel?
From groceries to beef and petrol, Hongkongers have felt the pinch of rising prices from inflation, with the global economy and supply chains still gripped by the pandemic. In the…