Covid is on the rise in Asia and Europe, prompting a WHO warning

Key Takeaways:

• Despite a new spike in Covid cases in several countries worldwide, the WHO warned that the pandemic was still a long way off.
• The National Health Service (NHS) in England has declared that the fourth coronavirus vaccine shot will be administered.
• As per AFP, cases of the Omicron variant are on the rise again throughout the UK, with estimates putting the infection rate at one in every 20 people.

The WHO alerted that the pandemic was still a long way off, despite a new surge in Covid cases in several nations worldwide. With some southeast Asian countries experiencing a surge, India has been urged to remain vigilant. The highly infectious 'stealth Omicron variant' is causing an increase in daily cases in China. This week, the country saw its first deaths since January 2021.

Here's a 10-point summary of the Covid surge around the world:

1. Delta and Omicron variants continue to dominate a new wave in Asia, with coronavirus infections on the rise in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea.

2. As the country battles a surge, China's national health authorities reported two Covid-19 deaths, the first increase in the death toll since January 2021, according to reports. By 2021, China reported only two Covid deaths, the last of which occurred on January 25.

3. According to news agency ANI, Singapore reported 10,244 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of instances to 1,007,158. On Saturday, three more deaths were reported, bringing 1,194.

4. According to Reuters, Hong Kong reported a single-day spike of 16,597 cases on Saturday, down from more than 20,000 the day before.

5. The Hong Kong government is struggling to deal with the pandemic. According to ANI, some fear that the government's inability to contain the virus has accelerated Beijing's creeping authority over the semi-autonomous territory, citing local media.

6. The National Health Service (NHS) in England has announced that it will begin administering the fourth coronavirus vaccine shot. As per the news agency AFP, the fourth shot, or the 2nd booster dose, will be available to care home residents, people over 75, and the immunosuppressed.

7. According to AFP, cases of the Omicron variant are on the rise again in the UK, with estimates suggesting that one in every 20 people is now infected. The United Kingdom was one of the worst-affected countries during the pandemic, with more than 163,000 people dying due to infection.

8. The World Health Organization said that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was still a long way off, citing an increase in cases in its most recent weekly data as evidence. The United Nations' health agency has previously stated that the pandemic's acute phase could end this year.

9. "How quickly we meet its target of vaccinating 70% of the population in each country, among many other factors, will determine the end of the pandemic," the UN health body said, according to Reuters.

10. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stated that nations should offer free Covid-19 testing to Ukrainian refugees to prevent outbreaks like the most than 3 million people flee their war-torn country on Friday.