US health authorities have halved the recommended isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid-19, as President Joe Biden warned Americans not to panic amid a surge of cases threatening wider social disruption.
Speaking about the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, Mr Biden said some US hospitals could be "overrun," but the country is generally well prepared to meet the latest surge.
The coronavirus continued to punch holes in airlines' busy Christmas holiday schedules, with multiple airlines saying spikes in cases of the Omicron variant have caused staffing shortages.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, which cut isolation for asymptomatic cases from 10 to five days, open the way for people to return to work sooner - minimising the prospect of mass labour shortages in key parts of the economy.
The recommendations, which are non-binding but closely followed by US businesses and policymakers, further suggest that the five-day isolation period be "followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others."
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The agency said the new guidelines were "motivated by science," which had demonstrated that the majority of Covid-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally one to two days prior to the onset of symptoms and in the two to three days after.
In a virtual meeting hosted by the White House with several state governors and top health advisers, Mr Biden stressed the Omicron variant would not have the same impact as the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 or the Delta surge this year.
"Omicron is a source of concern, but it should not be a source of panic," he said.
In addition to expanding free testing sites, the administration will soon send 500 million at-home test kits to Americans, Mr Biden said.
But "if we'd known, we would have gone harder, quicker," Mr Biden said. "We have to do more."
The United States has recorded the world's highest national pandemic toll, with more than 816,000 recorded Covid deaths and 52 million cases.
Israel orders Pfizer's new Covid-19 pill
Israel has ordered 100,000 units of Pfizer Inc's anti-viral Covid-19 pill Paxlovid for people aged 12 and older at risk of severe illness, an Israeli official said on Saturday, confirming a television report.
Channel 12 TV said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett agreed the deal in a phone conversation with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. There was no immediate confirmation from the company.
The first oral and at home treatment for Covid-19, Paxlovid was nearly 90% effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness, according to data from Pfizer's clinical trial.
Recent lab data suggests the drug retains effectiveness against the Omicron variant, it said.
Chinese city puts 13 million in lockdown
China's local coronavirus cases rose for a fourth day, with the majority of infections reported by Xian, a northwestern city that has put its 13 million people under lockdown.
Xian reported 175 symptomatic cases for Monday, up from the previous day's 150.
No Omicron infections have been announced yet from the more than 800 confirmed cases in Xian since 9 December.
Case numbers in Xian are small compared with many clusters in other countries, but Chinese officials have imposed tough curbs on travel within the city and on leaving it, in line with national guidelines to immediately contain any Covid-19 outbreak.
Some residents in Xian were anxious to know when they could next stock up on daily necessities such as vegetables, as officials had barred people from going out to shop during a new round of mass testing that started on Monday.
Officials had said shopping could resume for people in less risky areas once test results came back negative, but did not say exactly when the suspension would be lifted. Prior to the restriction, each household had been allowed to send only one person out to shop for essentials every two days.
Since last week, Xian residents have not been allowed to leave the city without clearance from their employer or community authorities
Officials have also banned non-essential vehicles.
South Africa study suggests Omicron enhances neutralising immunity against Delta
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron infection enhances neutralising immunity against the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who were vaccinated, developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant.
The analysis enrolled 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated people who were infected with the Omicron variant in South Africa.
While the authors found that the neutralisation of Omicron increased 14-fold over 14 days after the enrollment, they also found that there was a 4.4 fold increase of Delta virus neutralisation.
'No choice' but to allow some Covid-positive essential workers attend the workplace
Quebec, the second most populous Canadian province, has "no choice" but to allow some essential workers to continue working even after testing positive for Covid-19 to prevent staff shortages from impeding its healthcare services, Health Minister Christian Dube said on Tuesday.
Quebec, which has been setting daily records since the Omicron variant started a new wave of rapidly rising infections, recorded 12,833 new cases on Monday - the highest one-day count of any region in Canada during the pandemic.
"Omicron's contagion is so exponential, that a huge number of personnel have to be withdrawn - and that poses a risk to the network capacity to treat Quebecers," Dube told reporters at a briefing.
"We made the decision that under a certain condition positive staff will be able to continue working according to a list of priority and risk management," he said, adding that more information would be provided in the coming days.
Dube said Quebec would also offer a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to everyone above the age of 18 from 4 January.
Last week, Quebec ordered bars, gyms and casinos to shut and directed people to work only from home. It also limited the size of gatherings at private homes and restaurants to six people.
