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Hong Kong to cull 2,000 small animals over Covid-19 fears

Hong Kong to cull 2,000 small animals over Covid-19 fears
1 min ago

UK PM insists no one informed him outdoor drinks party was potential breach of Covid-19 restrictions

From Niamh Kennedy in Dublin, Ireland

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted no one informed him that an outdoor drinks party held in the garden of his residence, 10 Downing Street, was a potential breach of Covid-19 restrictions.

“Nobody warned me that it was against the rules … because I would remember that,” Johnson emphasized.

“If I had my time again, I would not have allowed things to develop in that way,” Johnson said, adding he would have asked the group gathered outside on May 20, 2020, to come indoors or told them “this isn’t the right way to do things.”

Johnson continues to receive backlash from politicians and the public alike over several parties allegedly held at his residence which are the subject of an inquiry led by UK cabinet secretary Sue Gray.

At an interview Tuesday, Johnson insisted that he could not fathom that “we would have gone ahead with an event that people were saying was against the rules,” adding that he did not see the email sent by his private secretary inviting recipients to bring their own alcohol to the Downing Street garden.

This counters a claim made by Johnson’s former aide, Dominic Cummings, in a blog post Monday that he would swear under oath that the prime minister was warned about the true nature of the drinks party. 

The prime minister continued to place the focus on Gray, saying she “should be given the space to get on and conclude her inquiry,” urging everyone with memories of the events to speak to her. 

He added that it is “not for me to decide who she is going to interview,” when responding to a question as to whether Cummings should be part of the process. 

The prime minister also refused to comment on whether he would resign from his position if the inquiry finds that he misled the UK Parliament.

He stressed that “we need to see what the report says,” adding that “we can’t anticipate what the conclusion of this inquiry will be.”

1 hr 9 min ago

Have you tried to get a free at-home Covid-19 test at a retailer?

From CNN’s Tami Luhby

Many Americans can now get at-home Covid-19 tests at no cost through their private insurance. They can obtain the tests from pharmacies, retailers and online vendors.

The program, which began Saturday, is part of the Biden administration’s effort to increase access to testing around the US.

But some people are having trouble getting the free tests and many Medicare enrollees are discovering that they don’t qualify.

If you’ve tried to obtain home Covid-19 tests at no cost, share your story with us. You could be featured in an upcoming story.

1 hr 56 min ago

Hong Kong to cull 2,000 small animals over Covid-19 fears 

From CNN’s Wayne Chang, Lizzy Yee and Teele Rebane in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities say they will euthanize around 2,000 small animals — including all hamsters in pet shops — due to concerns around Covid-19 transmission.

On Tuesday, officials said they found 11 hamsters from the Little Boss pet store in the city had tested preliminary positive.

The animals were imported from the Netherlands in two batches, one on January 7 and one on December 22, according to Dr. Leung Siu-fai, director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation.

The samples were taken after a 23-year-old worker at the shop, located in Hong Kong’s busy Causeway Bay district, was confirmed Monday to be infected with the Delta variant.

Generally, health authorities have said that the risk of transmission from animals to humans is possible, but low.

Environmental samples taken at the shop’s warehouse, where the small animals are held, also confirmed traces of coronavirus, officials said.

Authorities have asked the shop to hand over all its small animals, including hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs, and for people who purchased hamsters after December 22 to hand over their animals to be tested and euthanized.

In addition, pet shops selling hamsters have been asked to hand over the animals. The import of all small animals into the city has been suspended and all pet shops selling hamsters have been asked to suspend operations immediately. These pet shops can reopen once all their small animals have been tested and their results found to be negative, authorities added.

Officials said Tuesday they will also review quarantine measures for imported small animals, including possible testing before and upon arrival.

“We cannot rule out the possibility that when these animals were imported, they were already carrying the coronavirus. In light of this, we cannot rule out the possibility that people in contact with these animals are under higher risks [of infection],” Dr. Edwin Tsui, head of the Centre for Health Protection at the Department of Health, said in a Tuesday news conference. 

There have been documented Covid-19 cases in animals who likely caught the virus from humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but there is less evidence to suggest the possibility of animal to human transmission.

In November 2020, Denmark said it found a mutated strain of the coronavirus among its mink population that had spread to humans. In response, the government announced the culling of 17 million mink to stop its spread. 

Hong Kong’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) says they are “shocked and concerned” over the decision to ​euthanize more than 2,000 small animals, adding that it “did not take animal welfare and human-animal bond into consideration.” 

2 hr 14 min ago

Vatican’s Secretary of State has tested positive for Covid-19 with “very mild” symptoms

From Nicola Ruotolo in Rome and Sharon Braithwaite in London

The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Peña Parra, the substitute, have tested positive for Covid-19 and are in isolation, the Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni said on Tuesday.

Parolin has “very mild” symptoms and Peña Parra is asymptomatic, Bruni added.

2 hr 15 min ago

Smithsonian museums and National Zoo reduce operating hours, citing staffing shortages

From CNN’s Aileen Graef

The Smithsonian Institution announced it will reduce the hours of operation for its museums and the National Zoo until further notice, citing staffing shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Smithsonian recently announced reduced days and hours of operation for its Washington museums for the period of Jan. 5 – Jan. 17 in anticipation of unprecedented staff shortages due to COVID-19. Smithsonian leadership evaluated operations, staffing needs and public visitation patterns during these two weeks. This newly modified schedule reflects the continued need to reduce operations due to ongoing staff shortages while accommodating the needs of the public by opening more museums on weekends,” the institution said in a statement.

Starting Tuesday, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be open five days a week.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of African Art, the Arts and Industries building, and the National Zoo will move to a Thursday – Sunday schedule, operating only four days a week.

The National Air and Space Museum, the National Postal Museum and the Anacostia Community Museum will be closed to the public all together.

The only museums remaining open seven days a week are the Smithsonian Institution Building – also known as “The Castle” – and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

2 hr 32 min ago

Oklahoma City hospitals are at “breaking point” with no ICU beds available, hospital leaders say

From CNN’s Ed Lavandera and Chris Boyette

Hospitals in Oklahoma City are overwhelmed, with no ICU beds or inpatient beds available as the Omicron coronavirus variant causes a surge of new hospitalizations.

Staff shortages are also biting, according to an open letter from the chief medical officers of the four major Oklahoma City healthcare systems published Monday.

“Our emergency departments are overflowing. Our caregivers are still strong, but they are exhausted. Even these heroes can’t keep up much longer,” said the letter signed by the chief medical officers of INTEGRIS Health, Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City, Oklahoma University Health hospitals and SSM-Health St. Anthony.

“Soon, you or a loved one may need us for life-saving care, whether for a stroke, emergency appendectomy or trauma from a car accident, and we might not be able to help. This pandemic isn’t just impacting care for Covid patients.”

On Monday morning, 107 patients were waiting for beds in Oklahoma City emergency rooms, according to the letter.

There were 12,841 new cases of Covid-19 in Oklahoma Monday, bringing the total of active cases in the state to 110,244, according to the latest numbers from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. This makes for a 7-day rolling average for new cases of 10,642.

In addition, the letter cited hundreds of co-workers in quarantine, or unable to come to work because of children out of school, which has “crippled our already limited staff.”

The letter encouraged the public to go to community testing locations rather than the emergency room for Covid-19 testing, in order to leave the emergency department for very sick people.

The letter also called on the public to be kind to healthcare workers.

“Violence against health care workers is at an all-time high,” the letter said. “Our caregivers are wounded from this two-year battle and are being asked to work under unconscionable conditions. Please be kind and patient with them.”

CNN has reached out to the Oklahoma State Department of Health for comment.

2 hr 42 min ago

China’s capital reports three new Covid infections, and two are linked to previous Omicron case

From CNN’s Beijing Bureau

Beijing has reported three new Covid-19 infections since Monday, two of which have been found to be linked to the first Omicron case reported in the city over the weekend.

The two linked cases were identified in the mother of the first Omicron patient, who she lives with, and a colleague of the first case, the municipal government announced in a briefing Tuesday. 

The government didn’t say if the two cases were of the Omicron variant, but confirmed they were linked to the woman who was announced on Saturday as the city’s first Omicron case.

A third case of the Delta variant was also reported, which was not linked to the other cases, officials said Tuesday.

So far, Beijing has reported a total of four local symptomatic cases in this wave of infections, according to the municipal government.

Neighborhoods where the four cases live have been put under lockdown and residents are banned from leaving their homes, as authorities try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ahead of the Winter Olympics, which are set to begin on February 4. 

3 hr 10 min ago

French Constitutional Court to rule on vaccine pass bill on Friday

From CNN’s Joseph Ataman in Paris 

France’s Constitutional Court said Tuesday it will be rule on January 21 whether the government’s vaccine pass can become law.

The new law would require the French to have proof of full vaccination to access a wide range of everyday activities, such as visiting restaurants and bars or making long-distance journeys on public transport between regions. A negative PCR or antigen test would no longer be accepted. 

France’s parliament voted on January 16 in favor of the vaccine pass. A decision from the court supporting the bill’s legitimacy is the final step before it becomes law.

The court said that more than 60 lawmakers from the National Assembly and more than 60 in the Senate referred the bill to the court to determine its legitimacy. 

If supported by the Constitutional Court, the law would also come into effect on January 21.

3 hr 10 min ago

Two ex-flight attendants charged with violating anti-pandemic regulations in Hong Kong

From CNN’s Wayne Chang and Teele Rebane in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police have charged two former Cathay Pacific airline flight attendants for violating the “Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation” in the city, a government press release said Monday.

According to the release, the two ex-flight attendants arrived in Hong Kong from the United States on December 24 and 25, 2021 respectively.

On December 25 and 27, the two “conducted unnecessary activities” while they were meant to be in isolation, the press release said.

Both subsequently tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant. They have since been discharged after being treated, the press release said.

The two are currently out on bail with their case hearing due on February 9.

They are “no longer employed by Cathay Pacific,” the airline told CNN in an email statement.

“Cathay Pacific is acutely aware of the critical importance of complying with anti-pandemic measures both in Hong Kong and overseas,” it added.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/omicron-variant-coronavirus-news-01-18-22/index.html