As coronavirus cases surge in the days before Christmas, President Joe Biden plans to increase support for hospitals, improve access to Covid-19 testing through hundreds of millions of rapid at-home tests and expand the availability of vaccines that can reduce the risks from the Omicron variant.

The world is confronting the prospect of a second straight holiday season with Covid-19 as families and friends begin to gather while the variant quickly spreads.

Scientists don't yet know whether Omicron causes more serious disease, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...