The Evening Wrap: WHO says global COVID-19 cases up 11% last week, Omicron risk high

The World Health Organization says the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11% last week compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October. Cambridge University has also estimated that India is likely to witness a surge in cases amidst concerns of a possible third wave. India has recorded 781 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus across 21 States and UTs so far out of which 241 people have recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. Delhi recorded the maximum number of 238 cases followed by Maharashtra at 167, Gujarat 73, Kerala 65 and Telangana 62. With 9,195 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 3,48,08,886, while the active cases increased to 77,002, according to the data updated at 8 am. The death toll has climbed to 4,80,592 with 302 fresh fatalities,the data stated. The U.N. health agency said in its weekly epidemiological report released late Tuesday that there were nearly 4.99 million newly reported cases around the world from December 20-26. Europe accounted for more than half the total, with 2.84 million, though that amounted to only a 3% increase over the previous week. It also had the highest infection rate of any region, with 304.6 new cases per 100,000 residents. WHO said that new cases in the Americas were up 39% to nearly 1.48 million, and the region had the second-highest infection rate with 144.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. The U.S. alone saw more than 1.18 million cases, a 34% increase. Reported new cases in Africa were up 7% to nearly 275,000. BJP ready to go virtual for Assembly Elections As cases of the Omicron variant of the Coronovirus began to mount in several states, the BJP declared that it was ready to hold virtual rallies, if called, in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur that go to the polls early next year. It may be recalled that the Allahabad High Court has urged the government to postpone the election in light of rising COVID cases. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told reporters that the BJP was ready for virtual election rallies. “We’d held such rallies during the West Bengal elections.” Mr. Shekhawat, who is also the party’s Punjab in charge, stated that “it is the job of the poll commission to decide how, when and with what policies elections will be held and what restrictions will be there. The decision taken by it will be applicable to all political parties”. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Monday briefed the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the situation with regard to Omicron. With polls in five States, concerns have been raised over full physical campaign by political parties and that large rallies and roadshows may lead to an exponential increase in covid cases. During the second wave of the pandemic in the country in summer, such a rise had been seen throughout poll campaigning in States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam. On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced “precaution” or booster doses of vaccines for health and front line workers. All those involved in the election process, including officials and others, have been added to the front line workers category, eligible for these “precaution” doses. All eyes will be on the ECI which is likely to announce dates for polls early next month. This year, the Commission’s belated decision in banning election campaigns West Bengal in the midst of a rampaging pandemic, raised eyebrows. Eventually, when they banned rallies and public meetings of over 500 people, the decision had come a day after Mr. Modi canceled his four scheduled rallies. Doctors dig their heels in, continue to protest Doctors continued to press for their demands as their strike entered the 13th day on Wednesday severely impacting patient care at several major hospitals in Delhi and more resident doctors associations joined in. Resident doctors association (RDA) of the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) on Wednesday morning issued a statement that its members were “withdrawing services” to protest the alleged police action during a face-off between them and medics on Monday, and demanded expediting of the NEET PG counselling process. The RGSSH, which comes under the Delhi Government, is one of the key facilities for treatment of COVID-19 in the city. “Senior residents and junior residents have boycotted services from today. But we are trying to compensate with consultants so that patient care is not much affected,” a senior official of the hospital said, adding, about 900-2,000 patients visit its OPD daily. Members of the RDAs at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya and Northern Railway Central Hospital, one of the busiest facilities in Delhi, also protested and boycotted services. Due to the stir, patient care has been affected at three Centre-run facilities of Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge hospitals and some of the Delhi Government-run hospitals as well. The meeting between a delegation of FORDA and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had taken place at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi, but the doctors’ body had said, the “response was not satisfactory”. A senior police officer said the protesting residents have been made aware about the yellow alert issued in the national capital on Tuesday in view of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic situation. Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases following the emergence of Omicron variant, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 28 had declared a yellow alert under which schools, colleges, cinemas and gyms have been closed, shops dealing in non-essential items are operating on odd-even basis, and metro trains and buses running with 50% of seating capacity in the city. Hong Kong loses its second independent news outlet Our correspondent reports that Hong Kong has lost its second independent news outlet this year after the Stand News was on Wednesday forced to shut down; its offices were raided and several current and former senior staff placed under arrest. Among those arrested were the organisations’s editor-in-chief Lam Shiu-tung, former editor Chung Pui-kuen, as well as Denise Ho, the widely popular singer, actor, and activist who was formerly a board member. Four other staff and former board members were also arrested, while Ronson Chan, an editor at the organisation who is also chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was taken away for questioning but not arrested. More than 200 police officers carried out multiple raids on the organisation’s offices and the homes of its staff early on Wednesday, and seized computers and papers. By Wednesday evening, Stand News said it had stopped all operations, would close its website, remove all content, and dismiss its staff. With its shutting, Hong Kong has lost a second independent news outlet in recent months. In June, Apple Daily, an outspoken and popular tabloid, ceased publication after its owner Jimmy Lai was arrested. While Wednesday’s arrests were made under a colonial-era sedition law, the recent moves targeting Hong Kong’s media have come in the wake of new legislation passed by Bejing which has broadened the scope for law enforcement authorities to take action. Last week, memorials related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were removed from four Hong Kong universities, with the law cited as the reason. An officer with the Hong Kong police force’s national security department on Wednesday accused Stand News of a “conspiracy to print or distribute seditious materials”. The accusations were linked to several opinion pieces that were critical of the government. The official told a press conference that the bank accounts of the organisation were also frozen with US$ 7.82 million in assets seized. The Hong Kong Journalists Association said in a statement, reported by South China Morning Post, that it was “deeply concerned” by the arrests and police raids. “The association urges the government to protect press freedom in accordance with the Basic Law,” the statement said, referring to the law under which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been administered under the “one country, two systems” model, since its return to China in 1997. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,48,10,586 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,80,608. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 29 DECEMBER 2021 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Global COVID-19 cases up 11% last week, Omicron risk high: WHO The World Health Organization says [the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11% last week]( compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October. Cambridge University has also estimated that India is likely to witness a surge in cases amidst concerns of a possible third wave. India has recorded 781 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus across 21 States and UTs so far out of which 241 people have recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. Delhi recorded the maximum number of 238 cases followed by Maharashtra at 167, Gujarat 73, Kerala 65 and Telangana 62. With 9,195 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 3,48,08,886, while the active cases increased to 77,002 , according to the data updated at 8 am. The death toll has climbed to  4,80,592 with 302 fresh fatalities,the data stated. The U.N. health agency said in its weekly epidemiological report released late Tuesday that there were nearly 4.99 million newly reported cases around the world from December 20-26. Europe accounted for more than half the total, with 2.84 million, though that amounted to only a 3% increase over the previous week. It also had the highest infection rate of any region, with 304.6 new cases per 100,000 residents. WHO said that new cases in the Americas were up 39% to nearly 1.48 million, and the region had the second-highest infection rate with 144.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. The U.S. alone saw more than 1.18 million cases, a 34% increase. Reported new cases in Africa were up 7% to nearly 275,000. [underlineimg] BJP ready to go virtual for Assembly Elections As cases of the Omicron variant of the Coronovirus began to mount in several states, the [BJP declared that it was ready to hold virtual rallies]( if called, in Uttar Pradesh , Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur that go to the polls early next year. It may be recalled that the Allahabad High Court has urged the government to postpone the election in light of rising COVID cases. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told reporters that the BJP was ready for virtual election rallies. “We’d held such rallies during the West Bengal elections.” Mr. Shekhawat, who is also the party’s Punjab in charge, stated that “it is the job of the poll commission to decide how, when and with what policies elections will be held and what restrictions will be there. The decision taken by it will be applicable to all political parties”. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Monday briefed the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the situation with regard to Omicron. With polls in five States, concerns have been raised over full physical campaign by political parties and that large rallies and roadshows may lead to an exponential increase in covid cases. During the second wave of the pandemic in the country in summer, such a rise had been seen throughout poll campaigning in States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam. On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced “precaution” or booster doses of vaccines for health and front line workers. All those involved in the election process, including officials and others, have been added to the front line workers category, eligible for these “precaution” doses. All eyes will be on the ECI which is likely to announce dates for polls early next month. This year, the Commission’s belated decision in banning election campaigns West Bengal in the midst of a rampaging pandemic, raised eyebrows. Eventually, when they banned rallies and public meetings of over 500 people, the decision had come a day after Mr. Modi canceled his four scheduled rallies. [underlineimg] Doctors dig their heels in, continue to protest Doctors continued to press for their demands as their [strike entered the 13th day]( on Wednesday severely impacting patient care at several major hospitals in Delhi and more resident doctors associations joined in. Resident doctors association (RDA) of the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) on Wednesday morning issued a statement that its members were “withdrawing services” to protest the alleged police action during a face-off between them and medics on Monday, and demanded expediting of the NEET PG counselling process. [Police stand guard as resident doctors stage a protest outside a hostel of Safdarjung Hospital over delay in NEET counselling, in New Delhi on December 29, 2021.]  The RGSSH, which comes under the Delhi Government, is one of the key facilities for treatment of COVID-19 in the city. “Senior residents and junior residents have boycotted services from today. But we are trying to compensate with consultants so that patient care is not much affected,” a senior official of the hospital said, adding, about 900-2,000 patients visit its OPD daily. Members of the RDAs at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya and Northern Railway Central Hospital, one of the busiest facilities in Delhi, also protested and boycotted services. Due to the stir, patient care has been affected at three Centre-run facilities of Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge hospitals and some of the Delhi Government-run hospitals as well. The meeting between a delegation of FORDA and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had taken place at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi, but the doctors’ body had said, the “response was not satisfactory”. A senior police officer said the protesting residents have been made aware about the yellow alert issued in the national capital on Tuesday in view of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic situation. Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases following the emergence of Omicron variant, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 28 had declared a yellow alert under which schools, colleges, cinemas and gyms have been closed, shops dealing in non-essential items are operating on odd-even basis, and metro trains and buses running with 50% of seating capacity in the city. [underlineimg] Hong Kong loses its second independent news outlet Our correspondent reports that Hong Kong has lost its second independent news outlet this year after the [Stand News was on Wednesday forced to shut down]( its offices were raided and several current and former senior staff placed under arrest.  Among those arrested were the organisations’s editor-in-chief Lam Shiu-tung, former editor Chung Pui-kuen, as well as Denise Ho, the widely popular singer, actor, and activist who was formerly a board member. Four other staff and former board members were also arrested, while Ronson Chan, an editor at the organisation who is also chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was taken away for questioning but not arrested. More than 200 police officers carried out multiple raids on the organisation’s offices and the homes of its staff early on Wednesday, and seized computers and papers. By Wednesday evening, Stand News said it had stopped all operations, would close its website, remove all content, and dismiss its staff. With its shutting, Hong Kong has lost a second independent news outlet in recent months. In June, Apple Daily, an outspoken and popular tabloid, ceased publication after its owner Jimmy Lai was arrested. While Wednesday’s arrests were made under a colonial-era sedition law, the recent moves targeting Hong Kong’s media have come in the wake of new legislation passed by Bejing which has broadened the scope for law enforcement authorities to take action.  Last week, memorials related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were removed from four Hong Kong universities, with the law cited as the reason. [Police officers guard outside the building of Stand News' office in Hong Kong, Wednesday, December 29, 2021.]  An officer with the Hong Kong police force’s national security department on Wednesday accused Stand News of a “conspiracy to print or distribute seditious materials”. The accusations were linked to several opinion pieces that were critical of the government. The official told a press conference that the bank accounts of the organisation were also frozen with US$ 7.82 million in assets seized. The Hong Kong Journalists Association said in a statement, reported by South China Morning Post, that it was “deeply concerned” by the arrests and police raids. “The association urges the government to protect press freedom in accordance with the Basic Law,” the statement said, referring to the law under which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been administered under the “one country, two systems” model, since its return to China in 1997. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 3,48,10,586 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,80,608. 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