US President Joe Biden has presented new measures to combat COVID19 and said that the advent of the Omicron variant increases the urgency of booster vaccinations. Biden’s plan includes stricter restrictions on international travelers and expanded access to home testing.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that people who are not vaccinated will be banned from non-essential businesses, cultural and recreational facilities, and parliament would consider a blanket vaccination mandate that would come into effect in February.
Also on Thursday, India, Finland and Norway were the last countries to report cases of the new variant of the coronavirus Omicron as regulators in the UK gave the green light to the use of a monoclonal therapy called sotrovimab to treat people.
The news came as the daily count of the coronavirus came – Cases hit a new record in South Korea and authorities suspended quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated travelers for two weeks to defend themselves.
With the Omicron variant, new infections doubled in one day last week, indicating a dramatic increase in the country.
