TOTTENHAM could reportedly ask the Premier League to POSTPONE Sunday's away clash at Brighton following the club's Covid outbreak.
A number of Spurs players and staff members have tested positive for coronavirus, with the club awaiting results of PCR tests.
All those that have recorded positive tests are said to be double vaccinated.
According to Football Insider , at least eight members of Tottenham's players and staff have contracted Covid, including Son Heung-min.
The news outlet states that the North London outfit could ask for their upcoming trip at the Amex Stadium to be rescheduled.
Read our Omicron live blog for the latest news and updates…
The Omicron variant is being blamed for a surge in cases in South Africa. In mid-November there were around 250 cases recorded every day. This has now topped 8,000 daily cases in a country that has already seen large waves of other variants.
Anecdotal accounts from South Africa have argued symptoms tend to be mild and data on just 40 patients in one hospital hinted that fewer were becoming severely ill.
However, it will take weeks to know for sure as there is a long delay between catching the virus and becoming seriously ill. South Africa also has a relatively young population and younger people tend to have milder Covid.
The vaccines have all been based on the original form of the virus that was first detected in Wuhan, in China. The concern is Omicron is now so different to the original that vaccines may not be as effective.
Some of the mutations have been seen before in other variants, which gives some insight into their likely role in this variant.
For example N501Y seems to make it easier for a coronavirus to spread. There are some in there that make it harder for antibodies to recognise the virus and might make vaccines less effective, but there are others that are completely new.
There have been many examples of variants that have seemed scary on paper, but came to nothing. The Beta variant was at the top of people's concerns at the beginning of the year because it was the best at escaping the immune system. But in the end it was the faster-spreading Delta that took over the world.
Prof Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, said there was an "unusual constellation of mutations" and that it was "very different" to other variants that have circulated.
"This variant did surprise us, it has a big jump on evolution [and] many more mutations that we expected," he said.
He said there 50 mutations overall and more than 30 on the spike protein, which is the target of most vaccines and the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells.
Zooming in even further to the receptor binding domain (that's the part of the virus that makes first contact with our body's cells), it has 10 mutations compared to just two for the Delta variant that swept the world.
It is not certain where Omicron came from, but it is thought it evolved in a single patient who was unable to beat the virus.
There have been a further 101 cases of the Omicron variant confirmed, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says.
It takes the total number of cases confirmed in the UK to 437.
Of those new cases, 72 are in England, 28 in Scotland and one in Wales.
It means there have been a total of 333 cases in England, 99 in Scotland and five in Wales.
None have been identified in Northern Ireland.
The Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to be "more transmissible" than the Delta strain, Boris Johnson told ministers, as the UK reported its highest weekly number of new Covid-19 cases since January.
A total of 336,893 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in the past seven days, including 45,691 on Tuesday, Government figures show – the highest since the week to January 16.
Official figures also showed 101 additional confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been reported across the UK, taking the total to 437.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting the Prime Minister said it was "too early to draw conclusions on the characteristics of Omicron" but "early indications were that it was more transmissible than Delta".
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said there was no Cabinet debate on whether to introduce Plan B to control the virus this winter in England.
The coronavirus vaccine booking system has been extended as the Omicron variant sweeps across the UK.
People aged 40 and over are now able to book their booster jab three months after receiving their second dose, instead of the original six months.
The system will also allow people to book their booster a month in advance.
It comes as the Omicron variant sweeps the globe after first being detected in South Africa last month.
There have been 336,893 new Covid-19 cases reported in the past seven days, including 45,691 on Tuesday – the highest since the week to January 16.
Official figures also showed 101 additional cases of the Omicron variant have been reported across the UK, with the total now reaching 437.
To speed up the vaccination programme, the Government says about 450 military personnel have been drafted in to help, and there will be extra community pharmacy sites, hospital hubs and pop-up sites.
The first Omicron variant cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.
Three Omicron cases have been confirmed in total, the department said.
Two are from same household in the greater Belfast area and a third unconnected case in the South Eastern Trust area.
The Department of Health said all three positive cases have a link to travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride said: "This is a development we have been expecting and preparing for since we were first made aware of the Omicron variant."
A further 5,590 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, the Department of Health has said.
As of Tuesday morning, there were 505 people in hospitals with the virus, with 117 patients in intensive care units.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: "The current high incidence of Covid-19 that Ireland is experiencing is driven by the Delta variant, which, coupled with the presence of the Omicron variant, means that the trajectory of the disease remains uncertain."
The International Olympic Committee has ruled out postponing the Beijing Winter Olympics under any circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has raised concern globally, both in terms of its apparent transmissibility and over its ability to evade immunity from a previous Covid infection.
The emergence of the virus in Wuhan ultimately led to the Tokyo 2020 summer Games being delayed by 12 months.
However, the head of the IOC's Beijing co-ordination commission, Juan Antonio Samaranch, said there was no chance of that being repeated and that the Games would go ahead as planned in February next year.
Asked if there were any circumstances in which the Games could be postponed, Samaranch said: "The answer is no. In all walks of life we have learned for the last two years in a Covid world you have to be flexible and adapt rapidly to changing conditions.
"We have that in Beijing. We have done all the rehearsals, all the possible situations, they have prepared for any possible contingency."
Around four per cent of Covid-19 cases in Scotland are likely to be the new Omicron variant, with that figure "steadily rising", Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Scotland's First Minister said the "really concerning development" from the latest variant meant all current restrictions would remain in the country and further measures such as an extension to vaccine passports could not be ruled out.
Contact tracing will now be enhanced in Scotland, with household contacts of close contacts of positive cases told to test and isolate.
She told employers that if they had staff working from home at the start of the pandemic they should enable them to do so again until the middle of January.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said there has been more than a tenfold increase in Omicron cases over the last week.
A total of 28 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the overall number to 99.
"A still low – at around four per cent – but steadily rising proportion of cases also now show the S gene drop out that, as I said a moment ago, is indicative of Omicron," she said.
"Our estimate at this stage is that the doubling time for Omicron cases may be as short as two to three days, and that the R number associated with the new variant may be well over 2."
The first real world data showing the coronavirus variant Omicron may evade some of our immunity has been reported by scientists in South Africa.
It is a rapid analysis and not definitive, but fits with concern about the mutations the variant possesses.
It is also not clear what this means for the protection given by vaccines.
A week after the variant was named Omicron, the world is still scrambling to understand the true threat posed by the variant. But now the first pieces of a large and complex puzzle are starting to be assembled.
We already know the variant is heavily mutated and officials in South Africa have warned it is leading to a surge in cases there.
The latest piece of the jigsaw is understanding how likely somebody who has already had Covid is likely to catch Omicron.
It has also been detected in more than 30 countries.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called on the Government to do away with the travel red list, saying that we cannot have a "travel apartheid".
He described the travel restrictions as "morally wrong" and "self-defeating", and warned it effectively punishes nations for being transparent when they discover new Covid variants.
"With omicron set to become the dominant variant in the UK, I appeal to the British Government to remove Nigeria and South Africa from the red list – together with all other countries currently on it," he said.
"We must find fair and effective approaches for those who are vaccinated and tested to enter the UK. I agree with the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK – we cannot have 'travel apartheid'."
He added that Britain must "end vaccine nationalism and stockpiling", and deliver jabs to the countries that need them the most. "The choice is vaccine nationalism or human solidarity," he said.
No – it can affect multiple organs and has several less common symptoms.
Scientists using data on the health of four million people say Covid has six sub-types:
Nicola Sturgeon says it is vital to "strengthen compliance" with existing measures to slow the spread of Omicron.
People are already advised to work from home where practical, but she says employers are now being asked to ensure this is happening.
If staff were working from home at the start of the pandemic, they should be asked to do so again, she adds.
This advice will be in place until the middle of January, when it will be reviewed.
People are also asked to do a lateral flow test before mixing with other households.
However, the first minister says she "cannot guarantee" further measures will not be needed.
It is important to remain open to any proportionate measures, such as the extension of Covid certification, she adds.
A Canadian drugmaker said its plant-based COVID-19 vaccine showed strong protection against the virus and will soon seek authorisation at home and elsewhere.
Medicago announced Tuesday that its two-dose vaccine was 71% effective at preventing COVID-19 infection in a large, late-stage study that included several variants including the delta variant. The companys results did not include the emerging omicron variant, which wasnt circulating during the study period.
The Quebec City company said it will seek Canadian approval imminently and has also begun the process to file with regulators in the U.S., U.K. and other countries. The company said it's also preparing to send its data to the World Health Organization.
Medicago uses plants as living factories to grow virus-like particles, which mimic the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. British partner GlaxoSmithKline contributes an immune-boosting chemical called an adjuvant to the vaccine.
The World Health Organization's office for Europe said Tuesday that children in the 5 to 14 age group now account for the highest rates of reported COVID-19 infection in the region.
He stressed the continued threat from the widespread delta variant, and noted the new omicron variant has so far accounted for 432 confirmed cases in 21 countries in the region.
Kluge urged countries to protect children and the schools amid the rapid increase in cases among the young in the region, and said the incidence of COVID-19 was two to three times higher among young children than the average population in some places.
Children have tended to face less severe cases than more vulnerable populations like older people, health care workers and people with weaker immune systems.
Earlier this month, Dr Jenny Harries, head of the UK Health Security Agency, said we shouldn't be socialising "when we don't particularly need to".
But Boris Johnson said the government wasn't changing its guidance "about how people should be living their lives", and urged people not to cancel Christmas events.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said everyone should carry out a lateral flow test before meeting others over the festive period.
Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned people to "think carefully" about whether to meet vulnerable relatives over Christmas.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid suggested people could consider testing before meeting, and wearing face masks while socialising.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe cautions against making Covid vaccines mandatory, saying they should be "an absolute last resort only applicable when all other feasible options to improve vaccination uptake have been exhausted".
Covid treatments using plasma taken from the blood of recovered virus patients should not be given to people with mild or moderate illness, WHO says.
Plasma treatment showed some early promise but "current evidence shows it does not improve survival nor reduce the need for mechanical ventilation".
The WHO says infection rates among children are now sometimes "two or three times higher" than the general population, saying the risks extend beyond kids to their parents and grandparents.
With the country about to make jabs compulsory, the country's partial lockdown ends except for people who are not fully vaccinated.
The European Union drug regulator gave its backing Tuesday to mixing different types of vaccines in initial vaccination and booster campaigns to battle the coronavirus.
The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that using different types of vaccines together, known as heterologous vaccination, can provide protection against COVID-19.
The EMA, together with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said that a mix-and-match strategy could give nations more options in vaccination campaigns as much of the continent seeks to contain the latest surge in the pandemic.
The evidence available so far with different types of authorized vaccines indicates that a heterologous booster appears as good as or better in terms of immune responses than a homologous booster, the agencies said in a statement.
Poland will introduce compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations for doctors, teachers and security service personnel from March 1 as well as a raft of new measures designed to curb the spread of the virus.
Polish health minister Adam Niedzielski said the limit on the number of people allowed in public spaces such as restaurants and cinemas would be lowered to 30%, not including vaccinated people, from the current 50%. Businesses will be required to check customers' COVID certificates.
Nightclubs will be closed from December 15, and on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day only 100 people will be allowed to enter, not counting those who have been vaccinated.
Additionally, travellers from outside the European Union's Schengen passport-free zone will need to show a negative test result from December 1.
Detailed age breakdowns for England and Scotland reveal it is largely young people who are not yet fully vaccinated. About 60% of under-40s in both nations have received two doses, compared with over 90% of those aged 40 or over.
About a third of English 18-24-year-olds have not yet been double-jabbed, falling to 30% of those aged 25 to 29. The government dashboard does not provide an age breakdown for Wales or Northern Ireland.
Scotland has been more successful in giving the vaccine to young people, according to Guardian analysis. Just under two-thirds of those aged 18 or under in Scotland have received a first dose, compared with 53% in England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told his cabinet that the Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to be "more transmissible" than Delta, Downing Street says.
Giving an account of the meeting on Tuesday morning, the prime minister's official spokesman says while Johnson said it was "too early to draw conclusions" on the new variant "the early indications were that it is more transmissible than Delta".
But, the spokesman says, there was no debate around the cabinet table on whether to introduce Plan B of the government's plans to control the virus this winter.
Some people who catch Covid develop chilblain-like lesions on their toes or fingers.
It can happen to anyone, but is more common in children and teenagers.
For some it's painless, but the rash can be very sore and itchy.
It appears to be a side effect of the body switching into attack mode to fight off the virus.
Writing in the British Journal of Dermatology, researchers say they've pinpointed which parts of the immune system are responsible, which should lead to better treatments.
The vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech was the first approved by the WHO, followed by several others.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is now the most widely used around the globe.
Unlike Pfizer's jab – which has to be kept at an extremely cold temperature (-70C) – the Oxford vaccine can be stored in a normal fridge, which makes it easier to distribute.
The African Union has started the distribution of 400 million vaccines produced by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) – which, unlike the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, only requires one dose.
Most governments are starting with doses for the over-60s, health workers and people who are clinically vulnerable. After priority groups have been vaccinated, there is a wider rollout among younger age groups. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for 12 to 15-year-olds in the US, UK, Europe and other countries. The Sinovac vaccine is being used for children as young as three in China and Colombia.
In countries such as Israel and the UK, there are already promising signs the vaccines are reducing hospital admissions and deaths. They are also among some countries offering booster shots at least six months after a second dose.
Of the 197 countries and territories administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 67 are high-income nations, 103 are middle-income and 27 low-income.
Overall, China and India have administered the highest number of doses, with more than 2.5 billion and 1.2 billion respectively. The US ranks third, with more than 470 million.
But when breaking the figures down by doses per 100 people in countries with a population of at least one million, Cuba, Chile and the United Arab Emirates top the list.
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