Mutations

China steps up anti-COVID measures in megacities as infections mount Shanghai and other big Chinese cities, including Shenzhen, have ramped up testing for COVID-19 as infections rise, with some local authorities hastily closing schools, entertainment venues and tourist spots. Ryan Woo,Casey Hall Reuters

...

Vast majority of red-state seniors have been vaccinated, despite GOP vaccine resistance When the COVID-19 vaccine rolled out, Clyde Muchmore was ready to drive across Oklahoma to get it. “At the very, very first, all we knew was that a whole lot of people were dying,” recalled Muchmore, 80, of Oklahoma City. He scheduled a vaccine, he said, “on absolutely the first day I could.” Nearly half… YahooNews

...

China imposes lockdowns as COVID-19 surges after holiday BEIJING (AP) — Chinese cities were imposing fresh lockdowns and travel restrictions after the number of new daily COVID-19 cases tripled during a weeklong holiday, ahead of a major Communist Party meeting in Beijing next week. AP NEWS

...

The latest lockdown started Monday in Fenyang city in northern China’s Shanxi province after a preliminary positive case was found in citywide testing the previous day, state broadcaster CCTV reported. ...

From BQ.1.1 to XBB and beyond: How the splintering of Omicron variants could shape Covid's next phase “It’s a little bit like what we would expect to see over a couple years of flu, but crammed into about three months with SARS-CoV-2." Andrew Joseph STAT

...

Covid is on the rise in some European countries.