SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Coronavirus cases peaked as of last weekend and the rate of infections will likely accelerate, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said, adding that many decisions, including the lifting of the face mask mandate, will be discussed during a Science Board meeting slated for next week.

"If the measures continue to be loosened, pupils and students will start attending schools, in early March there will be a peak in morbidity again," said mathematician Prof. Ognyan Kunchev on Nova TV.

Japan's economy rebounded to grow 1.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December, driven by higher demand after emergency virus restrictions were lifted, data showed yesterday.

Turkey's three most populous cities, Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, have seen increases in the weekly COVID-19 cases at varying rates.

The incidence rate, measuring the number of coronavirus infections per 100,000 people, rose slightly to around 895 in Istanbul, which is home to nearly 16 million residents, in the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4 from 890 between Jan. 22 and Jan. 28.

The reason for this was a protest against COVID measures modeled on demonstrations in Canada.
Other protesters stood on overpasses and intersections as the so-called "Freedom Convoy" passed.
Israeli and Canadian flags and banners fluttered from the vehicle.

Italy has lifted some of the strictest restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of Omicron. Outdoor masks are no longer required. The nightclubs also opened last night.

People on the streets of Rome did not hide their relief after the requirement to wear masks, even outdoors, was dropped.

China on Feb. 12 said it had given "conditional" approval for Pfizer's Covid-19 drug Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease.

The South African doctor, who first discovered the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, said she had been pressured by European governments "not to state publicly that it is a mild disease".

The less severe Omicron variant has cushioned severe cases and deaths

Tiodorovic stated that new rules are not needed at the moment.
As Tiodorovi said for today's edition of "Blic", no changes in the measures are possible now, because too little time has passed since the omicron strain appeared in Serbia, which is why there is no clear study and complete insight into the situation.