Sajid Javid has hinted this morning on Sky News that the UK government might reassess their Omicron variant rules earlier than the three week timescale previously set out. The health secretary told Sky News:

We were confident that actually, maybe within two weeks, we can know a lot more about this. We might not even need to wait three weeks, but three weeks was I think a sensible date to set for the review, because that now that we have live samples of the virus, they’ve gone to our labs in Porton Down.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has been on Sky News this morning. On the Omicron variant he said:

We are trying to learn more about it. And in the meantime, in the next few weeks, we want to build our defences. And our best form of defence still remains our vaccines. It’s possible of course it might be less effective. We just don’t know for sure yet. But it’s also very likely that they’ll remain effective against serious disease.

He again appealed for the UK public to take booster shots when offered, saying “We’ve all got a role to play in this, and any of your viewers, if they get the call from the NHS, then please step up, roll up your sleeves and protect yourself. This has become from a health point of view the most important thing that we can do to protect ourselves. to protect the progress that we’ve made.”

Javid also praised the response of South Africa, saying he had spoken to his counterpart there, and “I think the way South Africa has behaved is exemplary in being open and transparent about what they discovered.”

Hello, it is Martin Belam here taking over the live blog from Samantha Lock in Sydney. I’ll be bringing you the latest Covid news from around the world.

In the UK it is health secretary Sajid Javid who is doing the UK media round. I’ll have the key lines from his appearances in due course. Here’s a reminder of how things stand in the UK at the moment.

Over the last seven days there have been 300,554 new coronavirus cases recorded in the UK. Cases have increased by 1% week-on-week.

There have been 832 deaths recorded in the last week. Deaths have decreased by 14.9% week-on-week.

Hospital admissions have decreased by 7.1% week-on-week. At the latest count on the UK government’s own dashboard, there were 7,631 people in hospital in total, of whom 916 are in ventilation beds.

The World Health Organization has said those not fully vaccinated who are vulnerable to Covid-19, including over-60s, should delay travel to areas with community transmission, as more countries imposed curbs to combat the spread of the new Omicron variant.

The moves came as the WHO said “blanket bans” would not contain the strain of the virus which it previously warned presents a “very high” risk globally.

The United States will require stricter coronavirus testing at borders for all travellers, including returning Americans, amid Omicron variant concerns.

US officials will require everyone entering the country to be tested one day before boarding flights, regardless of their vaccination status or country of departure. Administration officials are also considering a requirement that all travellers get retested within three to five days of arrival. Currently those who are fully vaccinated may present a test taken within three days of boarding.

The move is part of an enhanced winter Covid strategy that the Biden administration plans to announce on Thursday.

The Ukraine has recorded another 11,960 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, the nation’s health ministry reported.

Almost 7 million vaccinations were given during November, the health body added.

Japan has found a second person who has tested positive with the Covid-19 Omicron variant, broadcaster FNN reported on Wednesday.

The first case of the variant was discovered in a person arriving from Namibia on Tuesday.

In case you’ve just joined us, here is a detailed summary of the key Covid developments from the past day.

Summary

• The WHO advises vulnerable, unvaccinated and over 60s, against travel in a new travel warning.
• South Korea reported a new daily record of 5,123 new Covid cases for Tuesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
• Germany reported a daily rise of 67,186 Covid cases and 446 deaths, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute of public health.
• All eligible adults in the UK should be offered a Covid booster jab by the end of January, British prime minister Boris Johnson said.
• Austria has extended its lockdown to 20 days after lawmakers voted to extend a nationwide lockdown by 10 days on Tuesday.
• Greece is set to fine people over the age of 60 who have not received a first Covid-19 shot €100 per month from 16 January.
• Slovenia has halted use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine after experts confirmed a death was related to an extremely rare blood-clotting condition.
• An expert committee voted to recommend the US Food and Drug Administration authorise Merck’s molnupiravir Covid pill for high-risk adults, the first of a new class of antiviral drug that could tackle Omicron and other variants.
• The Philippines is mulling over whether commercial establishments and employers should be required to wear face shields on top of currently mandated face masks.
• A northern Chinese city bordering Russia has halted rail imports on Wednesday over fears of a fresh cluster of Covid-19 infections as the nation records a jump in daily Covid cases.

Latest new travel curbs:

• The US is set to toughen testing requirement for all international travellers, including returning Americans and both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, entering the country. US officials will reportedly require everyone entering the country to be tested one day before boarding flights, regardless of their vaccination status or country of departure. The Biden administration is expected to make an official announcement on Thursday.
• Singapore also introduces tougher testing for all arrivals and will require mandatory PCR testing for all travellers and additional antigen rapid tests for travellers on vaccinated travel lanes.
• Hong Kong adds non-residents from Japan, Portugal and Sweden to the list of travellers unable to enter the city due to concerns over the Omicron variant.
• Canada’s mandatory vaccination for travel within and out of the country took effect from 30 November.
• Japan is set to expand its travel ban on foreigners entering the nation even further, preventing those with resident status from ten African nations including South Africa.
• Malaysia is set to temporarily ban entry of travellers from countries that have reported the Omicron variant, the health ministry has said.

New Omicron cases:

• Brazil reported its first Omicron case in Latin America.
• Japan also confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, believed to be a Namibian diplomat in his 30s.
• Nigeria has confirmed its first cases of the Omicron variant among travellers from South Africa.

Nigeria has confirmed its first cases of the Omicron variant among travellers from South Africa, according to the centre for disease control.

“Through case and genomic surveillance at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control through its National Reference Laboratory, Nigeria confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, also known as the B.1.1.529 lineage,” the health body said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Samples obtained for the stipulated day two test for all travellers to Nigeria were positive for this variant in three persons with history of travel to South Africa.”

Nigeria recorded 105 new cases of the coronavirus o Tuesday.

Malaysia is set to temporarily ban entry of travellers from countries that have reported the Omicron variant, the health ministry has said.

The announcement was made during a press conference about 1pm local time.

The country will also delay plans to set up so-called Vaccinated Travel Lanes with those countries, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters.

We will have more on this development shortly.

Singapore is close to vaccinating all eligible people against Covid-19, ministry of health data shows.

The city-state’s vaccination rate has risen to 96% of the eligible population with 86% of the total population having received two jabs and 87% of the total population having received at least one jab.

Authorities are now racing to administer booster shots amid concerns over the Omicron variant.

Singapore has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

India has recorded a daily rise of 8,954 in Covid cases, according to recently released health ministry data.

The nation also saw another 267 deaths from Covid, taking the total death toll to 469,247.

The Philippines is mulling over whether commercial establishments and employers should be required to wear face shields on top of currently mandated face masks.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte said he recognised face shields would provide an additional layer of protection against Covid-19.

“Right now, the question is will there be any changes? I don’t know. Let’s wait. (There’s) Omicron, we will have to see where it goes. We will have to monitor developments. But right now, (the) status quo is voluntary,” acting presidential spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nogralessaid, in an interview.

The mandatory face shield policy remains in areas under alert level 5 and in areas that are closed, crowded, and where close contact (3Cs) is likely to occur, such as hospitals and other medical facilities, the Philippine News Agency reports.

“Based on our latest IATF resolutions, employers and establishments may require face shields for the protection of customers, or their clientele, or their employees,” acting presidential spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nogralessaid, in an interview.

A northern Chinese city bordering Russia has halted rail imports including coal and timber on Wednesday over fears of a fresh cluster of Covid-19 infections.

Health authorities reported 91 new cases in or close to Manzhouli – a city of 231,000 in Inner Mongolia that handles more than 65% of China-Russia trade – after seeing dozens in recent days, forcing leaders to impose localised lockdowns and travel restrictions.

All of the 91 local symptomatic cases were reported in the region and marks the highest daily count since 2 November, data from the National Health Commission showed. It is also a significant jump from 21 cases a day earlier.

The aim is to “strengthen prevention and control” of the outbreak at ports and “effectively block the spread of overseas epidemics through imported goods”, the notice added.

Japan is set to expand its travel ban on foreigners entering the nation even further, preventing those with resident status from ten African nations including South Africa from entering the country “for the time being.”

The new rules will apply to foreign residents from South Africa, Eswatini, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Angola, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The border closing will be in effect for at least a month.

“From the view of prevention, we won’t just restrict new entry by foreigners but also returning foreigners with resident status, unless there are special extenuating circumstances,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference.

“We will maintain a sense of urgency and keep track of the situation in various countries to be able to respond quickly and flexibly.”

On Monday, Japan closed its borders to all newly entering foreigners in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant. On Tuesday, Japan’s first Omicron case was discovered.

Germany is reporting a daily rise of 67,186 Covid cases and 446 deaths, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute of public health.

The figures bring the nationwide tally to 5,903,999 confirmed coronavirus cases and 101,790 deaths.