Last week, while many were welcoming 2021 and bidding farewell to the dreaded 2020, a tragedy occurred in a grand hotel in Makati City in the Philippines.Christine Angelica Dacera checked in at the City Garden, a four-star hotel to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her friends.However, on 1 January, 2021, the 23-year-old flight attendant at Philippines Airlines was found unconscious in the bathtub of a hotel room.According to media reports, one of her friends, Rommel Galido woke up around 10:00 a

Hong Kong is holding its first legislative council election since China introduced sweeping changes that have altered the city's political landscape.The government says the revamped electoral system will ensure only "patriots" will be allowed to stand for election and eventually hold positions of political power.However, critics say it has weakened the city's democratic voice, eradicating whatever opposition is left.How Is Hong Kong Run?Hong Kong used to be under British c

British researchers say they have found “no evidence” that the Omicron coronavirus variant is milder than Delta, casting doubt on the cautious optimism of some experts that the new strain may not be as virulent and not overwhelm healthcare systems.The study by Imperial College London (ICL) on Friday - released just as British officials reported record COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day, with a rise to 93,045 new infections - also found that the risk of reinfection with Omicron is mo

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Dutch Christmas ShutdownThe Netherlands will go into "lockdown" over the Christmas period to try to stop a surge of the Omicron coronavirus variant, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces.'Major Incident' In LondonLondon mayor Sadiq Khan declares a "major incident" in the British capital owing to the spread of the Omicron variant, with a record 26,418 cases reported in the last 24 hours - the highest n

United Kingdom (UK) researchers have analysed the likely impact that a COVID booster shot will have on Omicron and say it could provide around 85 percent protection against severe illness.The protection is a bit less than vaccines gave against earlier versions of COVID.But it means the top-up dose should still keep many people out of the hospital.It comes as a record 861,306 number of booster jabs and third doses were given in the UK on Thursday.The modelling, from the team at Imperial Colleg

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday Omicron was spreading at an unprecedented rate and urged countries to act, as drug maker Pfizer said its coronavirus pill was effective against the variant.Dutch primary schools will close early as Europe battles a fresh wave of infections and hospital admissions, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a major parliamentary test seeking to impose fresh COVID curbs.Omicron, first detected by South Africa and reported to the WHO on 24

In the fight against the coronavirus, one key component of the human immune system has hogged the limelight: antibodies.These Y-shaped proteins have made top news recently because COVID-19 shots don't produce as many of them that work against the heavily mutated Omicron variant compared to past strains – at least, not without a booster. Trained by both vaccines and infection, antibodies grab on to the spike protein that studs the surface of the coronavirus, stopping it from pene

COVID-19 vaccines promised to be the Asia-Pacific’s ticket to returning to normal life.Nearly a year after the jabs arrived, life across the region is far from normal, as authorities continue to restrict freedoms, particularly when it comes to travel, despite peaking vaccination rates.The sobering reality, which has been underscored by the emergence of the Omicron variant, raises questions about the region’s end goal in fighting a virus that scientists broadly agree will exist and mutate for

President Joe Biden warned Thursday that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus will start to spread much more rapidly in the United States (US) and urged Americans to get vaccinated or boosted."The only real protection is to get your shot," he said, predicting "a winter of severe illness and death" for the unvaccinated.He spoke as America is growing more and more nervous over the latest chapter of the nightmare that is the coronavirus pandemic.As of 1 December, the averag

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:France Bans British TouristsFrance "drastically tightens" restrictions on travel to and from Britain from Saturday with tourists and business trips banned to slow the spread of the Omicron variant which is raging in southern England.Another COVID Record In UKThe United Kingdom government reports another daily record of 88,376 new COVID cases, as Britons change their festive plans, including Queen Elizabeth II who cancels her