HEADS UP: Omicron Variant, All the Important Updates (Nov. 30)

Here’s a Heads Up from reportr on news you need to know today, Nov. 30.

OMICRON VARIANT NEWS

• As a precaution against Omicron, the Philippines again shut its borders to fully vaccinated tourists.
• While not required in most areas, the public is “encouraged” to wear face shields as an added layer of protection against virus variants, Malacañang said.
• There were 665 new COVID Cases yesterday with the world on alert for the possible spread of the new variant.
• Omicron has more mutations than the dominant Delta variant according to the first 3D image from the Italian hospital Bambino Gesu. It’s not yet clear if it causes more severe COVID, says the WHO.
• The widely-used PCR test can still detect the Omicron variant, according to the WHO.
• The WHO skipped ‘Nu’ and ‘Xi’ in the Greek alphabet when giving the name Omicron to the variant that came after Mu.
• Who dares persecute the Apollo Quiboloy? The self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” said the Lord sent Omicron and Delta to punish those who hurt him. He is facing sex trafficking and immigration fraud charges in the U.S.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Philippine Airlines has updated quarantine and vaccine requirements for international arrivals in step with the government’s stricter protocols aimed at the Omicron variant.
• Number coding is coming backthis week for private vehicles from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the MMDA said.

CULTURE EXPLAINED

• More than a cultural phenomenon, the Sexbomb Girls, who are enjoying a revival on TikTok, have raised a generation of Y and Z Filipinos to fight and never give up.

ELECTION NEWS

• Vice President Leni Robredo urged voters to hit the reset button on dynasty politics after three former presidents threw their support for her chief rival for the presidency, ex-senator Bongbong Marcos.
• It’s unlikely that the threat of the Omicron variant would cancel the 2022 elections, Comelec said. On the local level, there could be postponements in case of outbreaks.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• If you are lucky enough to get a salary increase in 2022, don’t expect your boss to give you a higher rate than what you got pre-pandemic, according to a global pay tracker.
• A Simpsons episode that featured Tiananmen Square was missing from Disney+ in Hong Kong, fueling fears that mainland-style censorship is taking hold in the Chinese territory.
• Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on the government’s purchase of face shields and other COVID gear would merit an investigation by the Ombudsman.
• Two of the face shield suppliers from Pharmally Corp were transferred to a Pasay City jail cell from Senate custody for their refusal to cooperate in the lawmakers’ inquiry into the matter.