Good day. Here are the Top Stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021.
READ: DoH reports 2 Omicron cases
THE Department of Health reported two cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant on Wednesday — the country's first. The cases were detected in the 48 samples sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center on Tuesday. One of the two Omicron cases is a returning Filipino from Japan who arrived on December 1 via a Philippine Airlines flight PR 0427, while the second is a Nigerian who arrived via Oman Airlines flight WY 843. The Filipino's sample was collected on December 5 and tested positive on December 7, while the Nigerian's sample was collected onDecember 6 and the results were released a day later. Omicron, or B.1.1.529, has been considered as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was first reported on November 29 and has been detected in more than 70 countries.
READ: NEW VARIANT'S SPREAD UNPRECEDENTED – WHO
THE World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) 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 November 24, has a large number of mutations, setting alarm bells ringing since its discovery. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters the strain had been reported in 77 countries and "probably"spread to most nations undetected "at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant." Omicron now accounts for around three percent of cases in the United States, a figure that is expected to rise rapidly as has been seen in other countries.
READ: Concepcion: Cut booster interval
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd suggested a shorter interval for Covid-19 booster vaccines amid the threat of the Omicron variant. Concepcion said Covid-19 booster vaccination will be vital to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Earlier, Go Negosyo and over 350 companies from the private sector participated in a meeting with officials of AstraZeneca to streamline initial plans to procure Covid-19 vaccines. During the meeting, Concepcion bared that the private sector has been allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to procure AstraZeneca jabs. The Go Negosyo founder said foresight and a pro-active stance led to the decline in cases.
READ: DAWN MASS STARTS CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
THE Christmas countdown officially began today with the start of the traditional Simbang Gabi (dawn Mass). The nine-day Simbang Gabi starts amid threats of the more transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday gave parishes the leeway to determine the number of evening or pre-dawn Masses they would hold in a day. The CBCP has allowed churches to celebrate Simbang Gabi at 6 p.m. starting on December 16 until December 24. The directive strictly prohibits the kissing or touching of images, but encourages the faithful to bring an image of the infant Jesus during the pre-dawn Masses.
READ: Sweden supports BARMM women empowernment
IN a Manila Times exclusive, Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Annika Thunborg said Sweden is actively involved in promoting women empowerment and the strengthening of communities in the country. Read the full story on print and its Digital edition.
In Business
READ: PH needs to grow 7% in Q4 – DoF
THE Philippine economy must accelerate by 7 percent in the fourth quarter of this year to meet the government's upwardly revised 2021 growth target. This is according to Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran, who is also the Department of Finance's chief economist. The 24.7-percent increase in the volume of production index for the manufacturing sector, he noted, is one of the positive growth indicators so far. He also said that a 7-percent uptick in the gross domestic product (GDP) between October and December 2021 is doable.
Topping Sports
READ: Stephen Curry is NBA's new 3-point king
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry eclipsed Ray Allen's all-time record for NBA three pointers on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) on an emotional night at storied Madison Square Garden. Curry, whose remarkable shoot-ing range has revolutionized the NBA in his 13-year tenure, matched Allen's record with his 2,973rd career three-pointer with 10:56 remaining in the first quarter with his first shot of the contest. He then missed a chance at breaking the record, but with 7:33 remaining in the opening period, he swished in number 2,974, letting out a yell as teammates celebrated with him and the New York crowd cheered. Curry exchanged an emotional hug with coach Steve Kerr, who corralled the ball used in the record-setting shot. He then embraced his father, former NBA player Dell Curry, as well as Allen, who was courtside.
READ: Two-time MVP Giannis in Covid-19 protocol
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest NBA star to be sidelined by Covid-19. The league's injury report on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) listed the two-time MVP as out for the Milwaukee Bucks' game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday because he's in the health and safety protocols. Milwaukee's Wesley Matthews and Donte DiVincenzo also have entered the Covid-19 protocols and won't play on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
READ: Opinion and Editorial
The Times editorial focuses on the violent tornadoes that leveled homes in the central United States and displaced thousands of residents. And how such an event was a demonstratoion of things to come. Read the full version on the Opinion Section or listen to The Voice of The Times.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Edcel Lagman are the columnists on the front page. Contreras writes about politics performed from a distance by elected representatives who would descend on the people only durng election time. Makabenta talks about Russia's decision to veto a UN climate change resolution. Lagman writes about the disqualification petition against presidential aspirant Ferdinand "BongBomg" Marcos Jr.
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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting...