(2021-12-23). IHME projects 3 billion COVID-19 infections worldwide by March 2022. wsws.org The institute based at the University of Washington forecasts 140 million new infections in the United States by the spring, nearly all of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
(2021-12-23). South African Hospitalization Rates Plunge Despite Omicron Onslaught: 'They Are At Very Low Levels'. moguldom.com The hospitalization rate of South Africans infected with the omicron variant is less than 80 percent compared to other variants of the disease, according to a study released by the country's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). Covid-19 infections in South Africa have spiked in the fourth wave of the pandemic after scientists identified the …
(2021-12-23). Headlines for December 23, 2021. democracynow.org South Africa Says Omicron Coronavirus Surge Has Peaked, WHO Warns Blanket Booster Programs Divert Vaccine Supply, Prolonging Pandemic, FDA Approves COVID-19 Pill; Most Monoclonal Antibody Treatments Fail Against Omicron, New York Coronavirus Cases Surge to Record High; Supreme Court to Weigh Vaccine Mandates, Proud Boys Member Pleads Guilty to Capitol Riot Conspiracy, Will Cooperate with FBI, FBI Undercover Teams Infiltrated Portland Racial Justice Protests, U.S. Relaxes Limits on Aid as Afghanistan Faces Dire Humanitarian Crisis, U.N. Calls for Probe into Reports That Sudanese Security Forces Raped Anti-Coup Pro…
(2021-12-23). As Omicron spreads, German intensive care workers warn of already intolerable working conditions. wsws.org An incendiary letter from intensive care nurses at a university clinic in Hamburg gives voice to the frustration and dissatisfaction widespread among nursing staff throughout Germany.
(2021-12-23). New Zealand government will not immediately lock down if Omicron appears in community. wsws.org While the Labour Party-led government claims it wants to keep Omicron out of the community, the cabinet has not put measures in place to prevent its rapid spread.
(2021-12-23). Australia's "National Cabinet" sets course for mass Omicron infections. wsws.org "Living with COVID-19 means living with COVID-variants," the meeting's communiqué declared.
(2021-12-23). Canada's top doctor: Reduce contacts immediately or Omicron will overwhelm hospitals. wsws.org Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's stark warning was swiftly followed by Canada recording its highest total of daily infections since the pandemic began, with 13,460 new cases on Wednesday.
(2021-12-23). Venezuela To Vaccinate 90% Of Its Population To Face Omicron. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced that the first seven COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant were detected in citizens who traveled abroad and recently returned to the states of Miranda, Lara and Caracas. | RELATED: | "It was inevitable that Omicron would arrive in Venezuela. Therefore, we reiterate the call to reinforce biosecurity measures and vaccination. We continue working to care fo…
(2021-12-23). Minimal restrictions introduced in Scotland as Omicron wave takes hold. wsws.org Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's latest update on the coronavirus pandemic included only the most minimal public health measures to be introduced after this weekend, guaranteeing rapid ongoing infection in the run-up to Christmas.
(2021-12-23). Pharmacy Workers Describe Conditions That Sparked US Walkouts. popularresistance.org Retail pharmacy workers conducted a nationwide walkout on Monday in the US, organized on social media, to protest worsening work conditions at large retail chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. As the hyper-infectious Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country, this much overlooked section of the health care industry is making its own demands for better working conditions, including patient safety, and an overdue increase in wages. | One pharmacist who requested to remain anonymous told the WSWS, "We work 12 hour shifts without technicians, we have no breaks and no lunch break as the drive-th…
(2021-12-23). Alarm bells ring across South Asia as Omicron variant spreads unchecked. wsws.org Highlighting capitalist governments' failure to eliminate COVID-19, South Asia, home to a fourth of humanity, is on the brink of a horrific new surge of the virus.
(2021-12-23). "They're literally making us sick": Pharmacy workers describe conditions that sparked US walkouts. wsws.org Retail pharmacy workers conducted a nationwide walkout on Monday in the US, organized on social media, to protest worsening work conditions at large retail chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.
(2021-12-23). Bombshell Document Dump on Pfizer Vaccine Data. globalresearch.ca What is contained in Pfizer's confidential report is detailed evidence on the impacts of the "vaccine" on mortality and morbidity. This data which emanates from the Horse's Mouth can be used to confront as well formulate legal procedures against Big Pharma, the governments, the WHO and the media.
(2021-12-23). New ADB Facility to Help Southeast Asia Revive Tourism. moderndiplomacy.eu The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set up a $1.7 million technical assistance facility to accelerate Southeast Asia's tourism recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, boost inclusive, sustainable development in the sector, and help local tourism entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, adopt digital platforms to grow their businesses. The Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Facility …
(2021-12-23). Life expectancy in the US dropped by an astounding 1.8 years during the first year of the pandemic. wsws.org Despite President Biden's claim that the US is in a better place since March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that life expectancy in 2020 dropped by nearly two years. By all indications, this trend will worsen in 2021.
(2021-12-23). 300 Doctors Implore Australia To Bring Assange Home. popularresistance.org The letter begins by commending Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for his recent statements calling for the U.S. extradition request against Julian Assange to be dropped. It continues: | "We are concerned that Mr. Assange's apparent mini stroke [reported in the Daily Mail on 11 December] may be the tip of a medical iceberg. Indeed his symptoms suggest as much. It is therefore imperative that Mr. Assange be released from prison, where his health will otherwise continue to deteriorate and where his complex medical needs cannot be met." Continued incarceration, the doctors warn, will place Julian Assange's life at…
(2021-12-23). Fatal accidents reveal unsafe conditions in Pakistan's coal mines. peoplesdispatch.org As deadly accidents continue in various coal mines in Pakistan, senior representatives of IndustriALL Global have asked the Pakistani ambassador at Geneva to take immediate steps to ensure that Pakistan ratifies and implements ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines…
(2021-12-23). NHS: the year in review — wilful Tory destruction and dire reform. thecanary.co 
It's been a year of turmoil and trauma for all of us. This has been acutely the case for the NHS and its staff. With the Tory government at the helm, our health service has lurched from government-induced crisis to government-induced crisis. But despite all this, NHS workers have kept saving us as they've fought back against the Tories. | A long, dark winter: | January started the year as it ended up going on: with health workers
(2021-12-23). No One Is Safe Until Everyone Is Safe: Oxfam on Vaccine Equity & Taking On Moderna. democracynow.org 
Oxfam America has accused Moderna of misleading its investors about an ongoing dispute over whether it needs to share vaccine patent rights with the U.S. government. Oxfam filed a shareholders complaint against Moderna with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the company's resistance to recognizing the role played by three scientists with the National Institutes of Health in developing the vaccine. We speak with Robbie Silverman, senior corporate advocacy manager at Oxfam America, who says the federal government owns a right to license the vaccine to manufacturers. "It is simply not sufficient just to vac…
(2021-12-23). WHO: Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic. moderndiplomacy.eu Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic and increase inequity, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. "No country can boost its way out of the pandemic," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva during his final press briefing for the year. "And boosters cannot be seen …
(2021-12-23). Nigeria Destroys 1 Million Expired COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Nigerian government destroyed over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines withdrawn from across the country after being identified for having a short shelf life. | RELATED: | The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) monitored the exercise at a dumpsite in a suburb of Abuja, the Nigerian capital. Authorities took the decision to join other African nations which earlier destroyed vaccines for the same reaso…
(2021-12-23). Tea Party Redux: How the Koch Network Funds and Fuels the Anti-Lockdown Movement. democracynow.org 
A new report titled "How The Koch Network Hijacked The War On COVID" reveals how a right-wing network linked to billionaire Charles Koch has played a key role in fighting public health measures during the pandemic, including mask and vaccine mandates, contact tracing and lockdowns. The groups include the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), Donors Trust, the Hoover Institution and Hillsdale College. We speak about the contents of the report with co-author Walker Bragman, who says the right-wing network's attack on public health is designed to "maintain…
(2021-12-23). The left's contempt for bodily autonomy during the pandemic is a gift to the right. dissidentvoice.org When did parts of the left get so contemptuous of the principle of "bodily autonomy"? Answer: Just about the time they started fetishising vaccines as the only route out of the current pandemic. Only two years ago most people understood "bodily autonomy" to be a fundamental, unquestionable human right. Now it is being treated as …
(2021-12-23). What We Know about COVID Vaccines. dissidentvoice.org 
Is the COVID vaccine safe? Pfizer's own data revealed that by February of 2021, Pfizer had already received more than 1,200 reports of deaths allegedly caused by the vaccine and tens of thousands of reported adverse events, including 23 cases of spontaneous abortions out of 270 pregnancies and more than 2,000 reports of cardiac disorders.
(2021-12-23). A painful year for Gaza's patients. electronicintifada.net Israel has blocked entry of spare parts for medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-12-23). Venezuela Maintains 7 International Air Routes. orinocotribune.com Despite the fact that the state of emergency declared in Venezuela due to the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be lifted, the president of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), Juan Teixeira Díaz, announced that seven international air routes will continue to service the country. | He clarified that commercial flights to Mexico, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Russia, Bolivia, and Cuba will remain availa…
(2021-12-23). COVID-19 infections in South Korea hit record high following implemenation of "with COVID" policy. wsws.org South Korean President Moon Jae-in's government enacted new social distancing measures on Saturday that will do nothing to halt the spread of the virus.
(2021-12-23). UK Tory government weaponises Christmas against COVID restrictions. wsws.org The government's brutal determination to keep the profits flowing at all costs is meeting widespread opposition. Workers are defying all instructions from the mass murderers in Westminster to just keep on shopping and socialising in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Millions have stopped using public transport, are working from home and are already limiting their contacts with other people.
(2021-12-23). German banks and big business profit from death in the pandemic. wsws.org Like vultures feasting on the victims of a disaster, the profiteers on the banking floors are enriching themselves from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-12-22). Finance capital and the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Since the interventions by central banks, led by the Fed, into financial markets, starting in March 2020, they have been buying financial assets at the rate of $800 million per hour.
(2021-12-22). The US Fights Asia, Not Just China. newatlas.report December 22, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cut short his tour of Southeast Asia due to concerns over COVID-19, the New York Times would report. The aborted trip comes at a time when the US finds itself struggling for relevance in a region it had once held considerably more …
(2021-12-22). A Pentagon Cover-Up: Azmat Khan on How U.S. Hid Thousands of Civilian Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Civilian Casualty Files Reveal U.S. Hid Thousands of Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Experts urge COVID-19 boosters to fight omicron surge. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org More Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 booster doses as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the Pfizer vaccine booster for 16- and 17-year-olds late last week. Previously, only those 18 and older were eligible. Early research suggests that a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe disease caused by the omicron variant, according to Pfizer. Mayo Clinic experts say, regardless of the variant, prevention of infection works. Getting…
(2021-12-22). An expert's take on what omicron tells us about the state of the pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Researchers at Mayo Clinic and around the world continue to monitor the omicron variant and study how it behaves. Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, who has decades of experience in the field of infectious diseases, offers some insight into what the emergence of omicron tells us about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and where it may be headed. Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland discusses the state of the pandemic. youtu.be/VYpUsGCayZQ…
(2021-12-22). German government refuses to take action to avert Omicron disaster. wsws.org The criminal inaction of European governments has allowed the highly contagious Omicron variant to spread across the continent. To this day, the German government refuses to take any action to prevent the looming catastrophe.
(2021-12-22). Three Reasons to Be Hopeful as a Hard Year Comes to a Close. otherwords.org There's no getting around it: 2021 has been a tough year. As with 2020, many of us are glad to see its back end. Do let the door hit you on the way out. | Yet, there is more than just Senator Joe Manchin's coal and Omicron fears in our stockings this holiday season. There are some reasons to be hopeful too. | The first reason to be hopeful is — us. We the people. | Social movements, struggling families, activists, and advocates are crushed that Republicans and Senator Manchin have set back the Build Back Better Act. But these movements have done worlds to make long-hoped-for improvements in our economy poss…
(2021-12-22). OMS confirma presencia de variante àìmicron en 106 países. telesurtv.net La OMS precisó que la propagación de Ómicron es rápida, a pesar de la transmisión comunitaria.
(2021-12-22). COVID-Omicron is Killing Christmas — And Beyond. Financial Crash, Inflation, Digitization. globalresearch.ca Omicron, a so-called covid-variant, has never been isolated. Whatever the current narrative — 193 UN member governments tell you in lockstep, what the mainstream media tell you in lockstep — and what the majority in the street of the 193 …
(2021-12-22). As Omicron Surges, People in Jail and Detention are More Vulnerable Than Ever. aclu.org Twenty-one months into the pandemic, many people outside of jails, prisons, and civil detention centers in the U.S. are rushing to get their booster vaccines and are spending time with friends and family in ways that felt impossible less than a year ago. The pandemic is far from over, as the omicron variant has made clear. Still, heralding vaccines and rapid tests, public officials are urging vaccinated Americans to celebrate the holidays together, carefully. "We'll get through this," President Biden said in his address this week. | Yet for people who are incarcerated, the risks of COVID-19 infection remain ex…
(2021-12-22). Biden Announces More Measures To Battle Omicron in the US. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new plan to increase testing, speed up vaccination, and boost the capacity of hospitals that could be strained in the coming weeks amid surging cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. | RELATED: | He said that vaccinated individuals, especially those with a booster shot, are "highly protected" against the virus, while reassuring the country can avoid lockdowns or school closure. | To that end, new federa…
(2021-12-22). Mayo Clinic expert explains why getting the COVID-19 vaccine is more important than ever. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Vaccine drugmaker Pfizer says its studies show three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine neutralized the omicron variant while two doses reduced severity. "These are studies where they try to look at how much antibody does it take to neutralize the virus in a test tube," says Dr. John O'Horo, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic. "What they found in these studies is that you need a significantly higher titer, or concentration of antibodies, to…
(2021-12-22). The Omicron surge: Scientific facts vs. Biden's fictions. wsws.org Beyond telling the unvaccinated to get inoculated, Biden advanced no plan to stop the ongoing massive spread of the Omicron variant and the infection of millions of people in the coming weeks.
(2021-12-22). Six more Philadelphia schools switch to virtual learning as Omicron spreads. wsws.org More schools are forced to close in Philadelphia as virus continues to rage across the city.
(2021-12-22). Omicron: The Lockdowners' Last Stand. globalresearch.ca Just as President Biden's unconstitutional vaccination mandates were being ripped up by the courts, authoritarian politicians, public health bureaucrats, and the mainstream media, announced a new Covid variant to justify another round of lockdowns and restrictions. The things that didn't …
(2021-12-22). Top Pfizer, Moderna shareholders get richer quickly, make $10 billion the week after Omicron hits. globalresearch.ca The top eight Pfizer and Moderna shareholders saw their combined wealth rise by $10 billion in a seven-day windfall after the Omicron variant was discovered, according to a report in the
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(2021-12-22). Finland to Reestablish Border Control With Other EU Nations From 28 December Amid Omicron Surge. sputniknews.com HELSINKI (Sputnik) – Finland will reestablish border controls with other EU countries and will require travellers arriving from the European Union to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from 28 December, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters.
(2021-12-22). Biden announces more measures to battle Omicron. ecns.cn U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a new plan to increase testing, speed up vaccination and boost the capacity of hospitals that could be strained in the coming weeks amid surging cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
(2021-12-22). Tuesday 12/21: Winter Solstice Treaty Action: Street Mural Protest Against Toxic Fossil Fuels at Chevron. indybay.org RICHMOND: Castro St, at Chevron Gate 14–major entrance, a block North of Hwy 580 (other side of Hwy from Point Richmond). LINK TO MAP: goo.gl/maps/DRtrKMpNwQXyRy3Y6 | Please wear a mask. Follow all COVID safety guidelines: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2021-12-22). Saturday 12/25: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Meals Served for Free w/ GLIDE SF. indybay.org GLIDE Memorial Church, 330 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94102 and throughout sites | in San Francisco | Please wear a mask. Follow COVID safety guidelines: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……