# Assessed and called: The new SARS-CoV-2 variant, B.1.1.529 has been classified as a “Variant of Concern” and is named Omicron, the World Health Organization has said.

# Indefinitely postponed: The WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) scheduled next week in Geneva has been indefinitely postponed as the growing threat from the new Covid-19 variant ‘Omicron’ cast its shadow over the event.

# Tracking variants: Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is tracking the new variant B.1.1.529 though it has not yet been spotted in the country, Samiran Panda, senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told BusinessLine.

# Know your Omicron: B.1.1.529 variant had been detected in 77 samples collected in South Africa

# Calibrated resumption: India has decided to resume scheduled international flights from December 15, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced. However, there will be a calibrated resumption of flights from countries that are recognised ‘at risk’ by the Health Ministry.

# ZyCov-D in States: The much-awaited roll-out of the needleless Covid-19 vaccine ZyCov-D is likely to be launched in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal in the first phase, a top Government source told BusinessLine.

# Exports to Covax: Serum Institute of India (SII) announced it has resumed exports to the international vaccine sharing programme, Covax. The first batches of its Covishield vaccine left the SII manufacturing facility in Pune earlier on Friday, for distribution to low- and middle-income countries via the Covax mechanism.

# Opaque numbers: As Kerala reconciles its mortality numbers, every day for the last several days, there seems to be little clarity offered by the administration on the reasons behind this.

# Global curbs: Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the world now races to contain a new coronavirus variant potentially more dangerous than the one that has fuelled relentless waves of infection.

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