HERE'S what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
China's Xian marks first week of lockdown
A lockdown of 13 million people in the Chinese city of Xian entered its seventh day on Wednesday, with many unable to leave their homes and virtually dependent on deliveries of necessities as new COVID-19 infections persisted.
Xian reported 151 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday, or nearly all of the 152 cases nationwide, bringing the total number of local Xian cases to nearly 1,000 during the Dec. 9-28 period. No cases of the Omicron variant have been announced in the city.
Australia's Omicron outbreak strains testing clinics
Australia's COVID-19 infections surged to a record on Wednesday due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, overwhelming testing facilities in its most populous state. The crush at testing facilities in New South Wales, home to Australia's largest city of Sydney, has been partly blamed on neighbouring Queensland state requiring interstate tourists to return a negative PCR test result before arriving.
Queensland's so-called tourism tests came under severe criticism from New South Wales after holiday travellers crowded its testing hubs, causing delays in results of several days. Queensland authorities will relax requirements for interstate travellers with domestic arrivals needing only a negative rapid antigen test result to gain entry from Jan. 1 rather than the PCR test, state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Wednesday.
Delta, Alaska cancel hundreds of flights
U.S carriers Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air Group cancelled hundreds of flights on Tuesday due to bad weather and rising cases of the Omicron variant. Total cancellations as of 2 p.m. ET within, into, or out of the United States stood at 1,034, with 2,694 flights delayed, marking a fifth day of flight cancellations.
Despite the disruption, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday it was not considering recommending a vaccine mandate for domestic flights, responding to a suggestion the previous day by Dr Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert.
NYC to limit classroom closures, prioritize ramped-up testing
New York City will stop quarantining entire classrooms exposed to the coronavirus and will instead prioritize a ramped-up testing program so that asymptomatic students testing negative for COVID-19 can remain in school, officials said on Tuesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio described New York's new policy as "Stay Safe, and Stay Open" and said it will take effect on Jan. 3. About a million New York City public school students are scheduled to return from holiday break on Monday.
A day earlier, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to five days from the previous guidance of 10 days.
France reports record daily high of new coronavirus cases
France reported a record high of 179,807 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Tuesday, one of the highest one-day tallies worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
It is the highest number of new daily infections in Europe, according to data on Covidtracker.fr. Since the start of the pandemic, only the United States and India have reported average daily new cases above 200,000. On Monday, the United States reported more than 505,000 new COVID-19 cases.
Reuters
Wed Dec 29 2021
U.S carriers Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air Group cancelled hundreds of flights on Tuesday due to bad weather and rising cases of the Omicron variant. - REUTERS
Kru kapal dikaitkan dengan Israel dibebaskan
Iran berkata pembebasan anak kapal adalah tindakan kemanusiaan dan mereka boleh pulang ke negara mereka bersama kapten kapal.
Agensi Risikan Seoul beri amaran Korea Utara rancang serangan ke atas kedutaan
Agensi Risikan Korea Selatan mengeluarkan amaran Pyongyang sedang merancang serangan yang menyasarkan pegawai dan rakyat Seoul di luar negara, dan kementerian luar perlu meningkatkan tahap amaran untuk misi diplomatik di lima negara.
20 terkorban bas terjatuh dalam gaung di utara Pakistan
Bas berkenaan dalam perjalanan ke kawasan pergunungan utara Gilgit-Baltistan dari Rawalpindi di wilayah timur Pakistan.
MKT UMNO beri komitmen sokong kempen calon PH
Mesyuarat Majlis Kerja Tertinggi (MKT) UMNO bersetuju untuk memberi komitmen penuh untuk membantu calon Pakatan Harapan (PH), Pang Sock Tao pada Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu, pada 11 Mei ini.
Laluan alternatif hubungkan Sibu-Kapit akan dibina
Satu jajaran jalan baharu akan dibina sebagai laluan alternatif yang akan menghubungkan Sibu dengan Kapit melibatkan jarak kira-kira 66 kilometer (km).
UNESCO anugerahkan hadiah kepada wartawan Palestin
Wartawan berkenaan dianugerahkan Hadiah Kebebasan Akhbar Dunia UNESCO/Guillermo Cano 2024 pada Khamis di Chile, lapor agensi berita Jerman (DPA).
Malaysia, Jepun bincang kerjasama perdagangan, pertanian
Malaysia dan Jepun mengadakan perbincangan dua hala yang antara lain menyentuh mengenai perdagangan, pertanian dan peranan Malaysia sebagai hab halal yang boleh dimanfaatkan negara itu.
Mohamad wakili PM ketengah isu kepentingan Islam
Menteri Luar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan akan mengetuai delegasi Malaysia selaku wakil Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ke Sesi Ke-15 Sidang Kemuncak Pertubuhan Kerjasama Islam (OIC) di Banjul, Gambia dari 4 hingga 5 Mei ini.
Malaysia berpeluang berkembang dengan kemajuan teknologi
Mengambil contoh Malaysia sebagai negara berpendapatan sederhana, beliau berkata keutamaan yang harus dilijat ia seberapa cepat teknologi berkenaan boleh disebarkan ke seluruh ekonomi, dan memanfaatkan sektor seperti penjagaan kesihatan dan pendidikan.
Rakyat perlu kuasai AI untuk tentukan sendiri nilai moral, budaya - PM
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.berkata jika AI tidak dikuasai, nilai dan moral dalam teknologi itu akan ditentukan oleh pihak-pihak yang menguasainya terutama dari barat.
Anthony Fauci bersara Disember ini
Fauci akan bersara selepas lima dekad berkhidmat dalam perkhidmatan awam Amerika Syarikat.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Dr Anthony Fauci disahkan positif COVID-19
Dr Anthony Fauci, wajah di sebalik usaha kerajaan Amerika Syarikat untuk menangani pandemik COVID-19, akhirnya kecundang selepas disahkan positif COVID-19.
COVID-19: Wabak koronavirus masih belum berakhir - Fauci
Sekiranya virus terus mereplikasi di merata dunia, sentiasa ada ancaman varian baharu yang akan muncul.
COVID-19: AS terus gesa rakyat ambil dos penggalak
Ketika ini dos penggalak adalah pertahanan terbaik terhadap peningkatan kes varian Omicron.
COVID-19: Rakyat AS digesa ambil dos penggalak kekang penularan Omicron
Dr Anthony Fauci berkata ketika ini dos penggalak adalah pertahanan terbaik dalam menangani peningkatan kes varian Omicron.
COVID-19: Dos penggalak berkesan terhadap varian baharu
Data menunjukkan dos penggalak meningkatkan dengan ketara tahap antibodi terhadap varian-varian baharu virus itu.
COVID-19: AS sahkan kesan kes pertama varian Omicron
Kes berkenaan ditemukan pada pesakit yang telah lengkap vaksin serta mengunjungi Afrika Selatan pada 22 November lalu.
COVID-19: AS tiada kes jangkitan melibatkan varian Omicron
Varian Delta kekal mendominasi jangkitan COVID-19 di negara itu.
Mansuh mandat vaksinasi: Fauci kesal keputusan Gabenor Texas
Keputusan tersebut akan melumpuhkan sistem kesihatan awam memandangkan vaksinasi adalah perkara utama ketika ini.