Health News Roundup: France posts new record daily COVID-19 infections; Italy reports record 50,599 coronavirus cases on Friday, 141 deaths and more

Omicron's rapid spread has driven a surge in cases over the last seven days, especially in the capital. Irish COVID-19 infections hit record, critical cases slow Ireland on Friday reported its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began but those requiring critical care fell further amid a rapid rollout of booster vaccines to battle a surge of the dominant Omicron variant.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

France posts new record daily COVID-19 infections

France hit another COVID-19 infection record on Friday, with the daily figure getting close to 100,000, a trend that prompted the government to convene a special meeting on the pandemic on Monday which could trigger new restrictions on movement. Health authorities reported 94,124 new daily COVID-19 cases on Friday while the number of people hospitalised for the disease reached a seven-month high at close to 16,200, according to official data.

Italy reports record 50,599 coronavirus cases on Friday, 141 deaths

Italy reported a second successive record daily tally of COVID-19 cases on Friday, with new cases hitting 50,599 against 44,595 a day earlier, the health ministry said. The number of coronavirus-related deaths fell to 141 from 168 on Thursday.

China reports 140 new COVID-19 cases on Dec 24 vs 87 a day earlier

China reported 140 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Dec. 24, up from 87 a day earlier, its health authority said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 87 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, compared with 55 a day earlier. Most of the new local cases were in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.

Roche says at-home COVID-19 rapid test gets ok from FDA

Roche said on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to its COVID-19 at-home rapid test that can be used by people as young as 14. The test, which uses a anterior nasal swab sample, is "able to produce accurate, reliable and quick results in as few as 20 minutes" for SARS-CoV-2 and all variants of concern, including Omicron, the drugmaker said in a statement.

Exclusive-U.S. to lift travel curbs on eight African countries - White House

The Biden administration will lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the fast-spreading COVID-19 Omicron variant, the White House said Friday. Foreign nationals who are barred from the United States because they have been in one of the eight countries within the prior 14 days will again be allowed on U.S.-bound flights leaving after 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 31, a senior official said, confirming a Reuters report.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: S.Africa scraps isolation for those without symptoms

UK sets new record for COVID cases as Omicron sweeps London

Britain reported another day of record COVID-19 cases on Friday, with new estimates showing swathes of London's population are carrying the virus, underlining the relentless advance of the Omicron variant. Omicron's rapid spread has driven a surge in cases over the last seven days, especially in the capital.

Irish COVID-19 infections hit record, critical cases slow

Ireland on Friday reported its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began but those requiring critical care fell further amid a rapid rollout of booster vaccines to battle a surge of the dominant Omicron variant. The health department reported 11,182 positive cases, topping the 8,248 on January 8 during the country's deadliest wave. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital peaked at 2,020 in mid-January, with a barely manageable 221 requiring critical care.

Seeking 'peace of mind', Lisbonites rush for COVID-19 tests before Christmas

Vitor Chitas started queuing at 6 a.m. on Christmas Eve for a COVID-19 test before meeting up with loved ones later on Friday amid a fresh surge in infections in Portugal. The 66-year-old was at the front of a long queue that snaked around Lisbon's Campo Pequeno bullring near to the testing centre, whose doors only opened at 9 a.m.

S.Africa scraps isolation for those without COVID symptoms

South Africans without symptoms of COVID-19 will no longer need to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced on Friday, saying developments around the virus justified a shift from containment measures towards mitigation. The country has led the continent in terms of COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as vaccinations, and its experience has been closely watched around the world after it was among the first countries to identify the more transmissible Omicron variant.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)