Month: December 2020

The coronavirus has now affected all seven continents, as 36 infections were reported among people stationed at Chile’s General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme research base in Antarctica.

After testing positive, the 36 individuals were taken to Chile’s Punta Arenas where they are believed to be in good, stable condition. However, they will remain under constant isolation while they recover.

The Chilean Army has thanked the timely preventive action, as “it was possible to relieve said personnel, who, after being subjected to a medical control and the administration of a PCR test… turned out to be positive for Covid-19.”

It is not clear when Chilean officials first became aware of the outbreak, but it’s been suggested that they could have been informed over a week ago.

https://www.rt.com/news/510420-antarctica-chile-coronavirus-pandemic/

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea reported a record 1,097 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including an outbreak in a Seoul prison that infected 188 as the country’s latest wave of COVID-19 worsens.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-sets-record-covid-19-cases-as-prison-reports-major-outbreak-idUSKBN28U00N

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-israel-vaccine/facebook-removes-anti-vaccine-fake-news-in-israel-government-says-idUSKBN28U0BF?il=0

It is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned. In England, those living in Tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at Christmas,” 

Across the rest of the country, the Christmas rules allowing up to three households to meet will now be limited to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days as previously set out.

https://www.rt.com/uk/510208-london-england-new-christmas-restrictions/

KABUL, Afghanistan — Five rockets were fired at a major U.S. base in Afghanistan on Saturday, but there were no casualties, NATO and provincial officials said.

The rockets hit Bagram Airfield, said Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the governor in northern Parwan province.

Shahkar said that 12 rockets were placed in a vehicle and five of them were fired while police were able to defuse seven others.

She couldn’t provide other details on any possible casualties or damage within the U.S. base. She said there are no casualties among civilians in the area.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rockets-hit-us-base-afghanistan-casualties-reported-74816378

LONDON (Reuters) – A new strain of COVID-19 identified in the United Kingdom can spread more quickly and urgent work is under way to confirm that it does not cause a higher mortality rate, England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Saturday.

“As announced on Monday, the UK has identified a new variant of Covid-19 through Public Health England’s genomic surveillance,” Whitty said in a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-strain/new-covid-19-strain-spreads-more-quickly-uk-medical-chief-says-idUSKBN28T0KP?il=0