WHO: Omicron Risk Remains Very High

Covid-19 cases have shot up globally with the variant Omicron driving the surge in several countries. Ina FASSBENDER AFP
Covid-19 cases have shot up globally with the variant Omicron driving the surge in several countries. Ina FASSBENDER AFP
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WHO: Omicron Risk Remains Very High

Covid-19 cases have shot up globally with the variant Omicron driving the surge in several countries. Ina FASSBENDER AFP
Covid-19 cases have shot up globally with the variant Omicron driving the surge in several countries. Ina FASSBENDER AFP

The risk level related to the Omicron variant remains very high, the WHO said late Tuesday, with the numbers of new Covid-19 cases hitting another record high last week.

"Over 21 million new cases were reported, representing the highest number of weekly cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic," the World Health Organization said in its weekly epidemiological coronavirus update.

The UN health agency said the number of new infections increased by five percent in the week to Sunday -- compared to the 20 percent rise registered the week before, AFP reported.

"A slower increase in case incidence was observed at the global level," the WHO said.

Nearly 50,000 new deaths were also reported, it added -- a similar figure to the week before.

The report said Omicron continued to increase its dominance globally over the other variants of concern.

"The current global epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 is characterized by the dominance of the Omicron variant on a global scale, continued decline in the prevalence of the Delta variant, and very low-level circulation of Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants," the WHO said.

"Countries that experienced a rapid rise in Omicron cases in November and December 2021 have been or are beginning to see declines in cases.

However, "based on the currently available evidence, the overall risk related to the Omicron variant remains very high".

The WHO said that of samples collected in the last 30 days that have been sequenced and uploaded to the GISAID global science initiative, Omicron accounted for 89.1 percent.

Delta -- previously the world's dominant variant -- now makes up 10.7 percent.



Italy Says No US Extradition Request for Detained Iranian Businessman So Far

A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
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Italy Says No US Extradition Request for Detained Iranian Businessman So Far

A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)

The United States has not submitted any formal request of extradition for an Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini detained in Milan, Italy's justice minister said in an interview published on Thursday.
"The matter of Abedini is purely legal ... regardless of the (freeing of Italian journalist) Cecilia Sala. It is premature to talk of extradition, also because no formal request has been sent to our ministry so far," Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told daily La Stampa.
Abedini is wanted by the United States on suspicion of involvement in a drone strike against US forces in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement and said last week the detention of the Iranian national amounted to hostage-taking.
His arrest has been linked to the detention three days later of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a regular journalistic visa and freed on Jan. 8.