Coronavirus: Australia cuts wait time for booster; South Korea severe cases hit record
- Australia cutting standard waiting time for booster shot to five months from six
- South Korea struggles with nearly 80 per cent of intensive care hospital beds occupied
Australia said on Sunday it will shorten the wait time for people to receive Covid-19 booster vaccines following a rise in cases of the Omicron variant.
Australia had previously said it would offer a Covid-19 booster to everyone over 18 and who had their second dose of the vaccine six months prior.
But with rising cases of the Omicron variant, Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt said the time interval will be shortened to five months after the second dose.
“A booster dose, five or more months after the second dose, will make sure that the protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer lasting and should help prevent spread of the virus,” Hunt said in an emailed statement.
“Data from Israel shows boosters supporting reductions in the rate of infection in eligible age groups, severe disease in those aged over 40 years and deaths in those over 60 years.”
Australia will use both vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna in its booster programme.
Australia is one of the most vaccinated countries, with about 90 per cent of people over 16 fully inoculated.
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Still, Australia said on Saturday it found 1,753 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up about 3 per cent in the last week and the highest daily total since October 29
On Sunday, thousands of people were joining street protests in Melbourne and Sydney against vaccine mandates.
South Korea sees record number of critical cases
South Korea reported a record number of critical patients on Sunday – 894 – as officials struggle with nearly 80 per cent of intensive care hospital beds occupied. The Asian nation added 43 deaths, following a record 80 on the previous day, raising concerns in a country where more than 90 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated.
Daily cases stood at 6,689, falling slightly from the previous day but still the highest level for a weekend, when fewer testings occur. Cases of the omicron variant rose by 15, to a total of 90. Officials have urged people over 60 to get a booster, as about 92 per cent of deaths have come from that group.
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Omicron found in Japan quarantine case
In Japan’s Gifu prefecture, a man travelling from Sri Lanka has tested positive for the omicron variant, Japan’s health ministry announced. Though several omicron infections have been detected via screenings at airports, the new case is Japan’s first to be confirmed in a person quarantining at home, according to the Asahi newspaper.
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The case highlights the difficulty even a country implementing some of the most stringent border controls faces trying to contain the newly discovered variant. Last month, Japan moved to close its borders to new foreign arrivals and have its own citizens isolate on arrival from countries where the omicron variant has been found.
The foreign national tested negative in initial screenings but came down with symptoms after returning to his home in Gifu last week, according to Japan’s health ministry.
Reuters and Bloomberg
