Live updates: Ecumenical Patriarch tests positive for virus

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ISTANBUL — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual person of the world's Orthodox Christians, has tested affirmative for COVID-19 and is displaying mild symptoms.

The Istanbul-based Patriarchate said Friday that Bartholomew, who is 81 and precocious had bosom surgery, is afloat vaccinated. It added that “his wide information is good.”

The Patriarch has urged radical to get their shots and travel the recommendations of doctors.

Bartholomew was hospitalized overnight successful the United States successful precocious October and aboriginal had a stent installed to unfastened up a clogged coronary artery.

He is considered archetypal among equals among Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, which gives him prominence but not the powerfulness of a Catholic pope.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

— Hospitals, constabulary departments struggle to enactment staffed arsenic omicron infects workforces

— Fear of corruption takes backmost spot to nutrient insecurity arsenic pandemic pummels African economies

— Coronavirus dampens Christmas joyousness successful biblical Bethlehem

Go to https://APNews.com/coronavirus-pandemic for updates passim the day.

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY:

NEW DELHI — India’s Health Ministry says an investigation of 183 omicron variant infections showed that 87 were successful afloat vaccinated radical and 3 progressive individuals who had booster doses.

India has confirmed a full of 358 cases of the omicron variant and 114 of the infected individuals already person recovered, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told reporters Friday.

He said Asian countries are seeing COVID-19 cases diminution overall, dissimilar successful North America and Europe.

India was overwhelmed by 2 monolithic outbreaks successful September 2020 and successful May of this year. It recorded much than 400,000 caller cases successful 24 hours astatine the highest of its 2nd surge successful May. In the past 2 weeks, the state has averaged astir 7,000 caller cases a day.

Bhushan said 61% of India’s over-18 colonisation has received 2 vaccine doses. Despite being location to immoderate of the world’s largest vaccine makers, India has relied mostly connected 2 jabs: the Astra Zeneca vaccine made by Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech’s domestically developed vaccine.

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BERLIN — Germany’s wellness curate says the country's proportionality of coronavirus infections with the caller omicron variant volition summation sharply successful the days ahead.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach acknowledged determination would beryllium delays successful section wellness offices reporting figures implicit the holidays, but helium appealed connected Twitter for radical to instrumentality steps to debar corruption during Christmas festivities.

According to the nationalist illness power center, Germany had 3,198 COVID-19 cases attributed to omicron arsenic of Wednesday, a 25% summation from the erstwhile day. The illness power halfway said Thursday that of those cases, 48 radical were hospitalized and 1 idiosyncratic had died.

So far, the delta variant remains the ascendant signifier of the coronavirus successful Germany.

Authorities are introducing caller interaction restrictions, portion astir regions are shutting nightclubs and putting different measures successful place. In astir cases, the curbs are acceptable to instrumentality effect conscionable aft Christmas, though a fewer volition spell into unit starting Friday.

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TOKYO — Japan has approved the COVID-19 pill developed by U.S. pharmaceutical institution Merck & Co. for usage opening adjacent week, the Japanese wellness curate said Friday.

Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters that a ministry cause sheet authorized Merck’s molnupiravir nether a fast-track process and the cause volition beryllium shipped to hospitals and pharmacies opening adjacent week.

It’s 1 of 2 medications for treating COVID-19 that Japan has secured. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the state is procuring 1.6 cardinal doses from Merck.

Japan has besides arranged for a shipment of 2 cardinal doses of a COVID-19 pill made by Pfizer that hasn’t yet received support for usage successful the country.

Until recently, Japan mostly kept retired coronavirus infections involving the caller omicron variant by enforcing stringent borderline controls. The archetypal known locally transmitted cases were reported successful Osaka connected Wednesday.

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BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The biblical municipality of Bethlehem is marking its 2nd consecutive Christmas Eve nether the shadiness of the coronavirus.

Small crowds and gray, gloomy upwind dampened celebrations connected Friday successful the accepted birthplace of Jesus. A prohibition connected astir each incoming aerial postulation by Israel -- the main introduction constituent for overseas visitors heading to the occupied West Bank -- kept planetary tourists distant for a 2nd consecutive year.

Instead, section authorities are counting connected the Holy Land’s tiny Christian assemblage to assistance spirits. It is simply a taxable seen astir the satellite arsenic revelers, weary from astir 2 years of lockdowns and information restrictions, hunt for ways to observe safely.

Before the pandemic, Bethlehem would big thousands of Christian pilgrims from astir the world, bringing a beardown dose of vacation tone to the municipality and a immense jolt to the section economy.

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PARIS — Protesters aggravated implicit microorganism and vaccine rules person occupied Guadeloupe’s determination legislature due to the fact that of stalled negotiations implicit their grievances astir absorption of the French Caribbean island.

Officials successful Guadeloupe and Paris denounced Thursday’s incursion arsenic unacceptable and a menace to the democratically elected Regional Council.

Officials posted images online that showed a Christmas histrion knocked implicit and a banner speechmaking “No to Obligatory Vaccination, No to the Health Pass.”

Vaccinations are mandatory for each French wellness workers and a “health pass” is required to participate galore venues. The measures person met the stiffest absorption successful Guadeloupe and Martinique, reflecting long-running frustrations implicit inequality betwixt the islands and the French mainland.

SYDNEY — Australia’s New South Wales authorities is reporting much than 5,000 caller coronavirus cases successful 24 hours for the 2nd consecutive time arsenic the authorities and national governments rotation retired measures meant to curb the dispersed of the virus.

The Federal wellness curate besides said experts person recommended the spread betwixt 2nd vaccine doses and boosters beryllium shortened from 5 months to 4 starting Jan. 4 and down to 3 opening Jan. 31.

State Premier Dominic Perrottet had resisted mandating mask-wearing indoors until Thursday’s grounds caseload led him to reconsider.

Testing centers person been swamped by radical seeking tests earlier traveling for household Christmas gatherings. People are present being advised to question tests lone if they are symptomatic oregon are adjacent contacts of existing cases.

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QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador is making vaccination against the coronavirus mandatory.

The authorities said Thursday that lone Ecuadorians with a aesculapian information that could beryllium analyzable by vaccination volition beryllium exempt. Those radical indispensable supply documentation.

Officials accidental the bid comes due to the fact that of an summation successful coronavirus infections and the circulation of caller variants specified arsenic omicron.

Ecuador says it has capable vaccine to immunize the full population. As of Tuesday, astir 77% of Ecuador’s 17.3 cardinal radical had been vaccinated. About 33,600 radical successful Ecuador person died from COVID-19.

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SANTIAGO, Chile -- Chile plans to connection a 4th dose of the coronavirus vaccine to its citizens.

President Sebastián Piñera said Thursday that the 4th dose is expected to commencement successful February.

Health Secretary Enrique París says the changeable volition beryllium antithetic than the 1 radical got previously.

Chile has reported astir 86% of its colonisation afloat vaccinated. It has the highest level of immunization against the coronavirus successful Latin America, and among the champion levels successful the world, according to online probe website Our World successful Data.

Piñera says 10,2 cardinal retired of Chile’s 19 cardinal radical person received a 3rd dose.

Chile has recorded astir 39,000 COVID-19 deaths.

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LONDON — Britain’s nationalist wellness bureau says preliminary information suggest that radical with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are betwixt 50% and 70% little apt to request hospitalization than those with the delta strain.

The U.K. Health Security Agency findings adhd to emerging grounds that omicron produces milder unwellness than different variants -- but besides spreads faster and amended evades vaccines.

The bureau said Thursday that, based connected cases successful the U.K., an idiosyncratic with omicron is estimated to beryllium betwixt 31% and 45% little apt to be a infirmary exigency section compared to delta, “and 50 to 70% little apt to beryllium admitted to hospital.”

It cautioned that the investigation is “preliminary and highly uncertain” due to the fact that of the tiny fig of omicron patients successful hospitals and the information that astir were successful younger property groups. As of Dec. 20, 132 radical had been admitted to U.K. hospitals with confirmed omicron, of whom 14 -- aged betwixt 52 and 96 -- died.

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