Omicron variant XBB.3 feared to be dominant in India in a month: report

STORY: Omicron variant XBB.3 feared to be dominant in India in a month: report DATELINE: Oct. 26, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:30 LOCATION: New Delhi CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of India gate 2. various of crowded market areas 3. various of people receiving COVID-19 testing 4. various of the hospital area 5. various of street views STORYLINE: The Omicron sub-variant XBB, particularly XBB.3, is likely to be the dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus in India within a month, reported The Times of India newspaper on Tuesday citing scientists. According to the report, there were 71 confirmed cases of XBB-driven COVID-19 infection in India at the beginning of this month, and the number jumped to 136 by Oct. 23. "On Monday the case count was 235," it added. It quoted a senior scientist with the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) as saying that the XBB.3 strain is currently leading the pack in India "with maximum cases." According to the report, the eastern state of West Bengal has reported the hig

New Zealand reports 1st Omicron BA.5 variant

STORY: New Zealand reports 1st Omicron BA.5 variant DATELINE: May 9, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:47 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: HEALTH/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of airport and international arrivals (file) STORYLINE: New Zealand reported its first case of Omicron BA.5 variant at the border amid 12,392 community cases during the weekend, said the Ministry of Health in a statement on Sunday. A person who has traveled from South Africa to New Zealand has been confirmed as having the BA.5 variant of Omicron. This is the first known detection of the variant in New Zealand, said the ministry. According to the ministry, this follows the detection of BA.4 on May 1, also in a person who had traveled from South Africa. It can take weeks or months to assess the severity of each new variant or sub-variant, so the Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the emerging evidence closely, it is said. Microbiologist Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles from the University of Auckland was worried about "all versions of Omi

COVID-19 cases rise in New York State

STORY: COVID-19 cases rise in New York State DATELINE: April 5, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:10 LOCATION: NEW YORK, U.S. CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of street views in Times Square, New York City 2. various of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul receiving her second booster of COVID-19 vaccine STORYLINE: COVID-19 cases are rebounding in New York State as the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron contributes to the majority of infections. The 7-day average of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people increased to 17.8 on Sunday, up from 8.2 three weeks ago, according to the latest data issued by the state's authorities on Monday. Meanwhile, the 7-day average of the positive rate of COVID-19 testing reached 3 percent on Sunday, up from 1.4 percent on March 13. In particular, the Central New York region looks to be a hotspot with the 7-day-average positive rate of COVID-19 testing at 9.64 percent. New York City reported a 2.21 percent of the 7-day average positive rate in COVID-19 testing on Sunday, with that

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People wait at a COVID-19 test centre in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People wait for a tram in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People take a ferry in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People walk near a COVID-19 test centre in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- A man takes a ferry in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-CASES

(220330) -- SYDNEY, March 30, 2022 (Xinhua) -- A man wearing mask walks in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2022. Daily COVID-19 cases in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) surged on Wednesday as the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 sub-variant continues to spread. NSW reported 25,235 new cases on Wednesday, its second highest daily increase in the month of March, the first highest being a result of a backlog of cases earlier in the month. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-OMICRON-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-OMICRON-CASES

(220316) -- SYDNEY, March 16, 2022 (Xinhua) -- A woman checks in at a COVID-19 testing site in Sydney, Australia, March 16, 2022. Daily COVID-19 infections in several Australian states witnessed a big spike on Wednesday as the new BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is spreading rapidly in the country. The state of New South Wales (NSW) recorded 30,402 new cases on Wednesday, a big increase from Tuesday's 10,689. The state also recorded five deaths and 1,016 hospitalizations with 36 people in intensive care. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-OMICRON-CASES

AUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-COVID-19-OMICRON-CASES

(220316) -- SYDNEY, March 16, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People enter a COVID-19 testing site in Sydney, Australia, March 16, 2022. Daily COVID-19 infections in several Australian states witnessed a big spike on Wednesday as the new BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is spreading rapidly in the country. The state of New South Wales (NSW) recorded 30,402 new cases on Wednesday, a big increase from Tuesday's 10,689. The state also recorded five deaths and 1,016 hospitalizations with 36 people in intensive care. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)