Latin America in Short: Ómicron Arrives in Colombia and Deportivo Cali Goes Champion

The world fears for the new variant of Coronavirus. Ómicron arrives in Colombia and with this the uncertainty grows. Israel, for its part, makes the fourth dose official for people over 60 years old. On the political stage, Europe is in tension. Finally, in sports, Deportivo Cali is the champion of Colombian professional soccer.

Israel: fourth dose for people over 60 years old

If it was already thought that 3 doses were too many, in Israel they announced the start of vaccination with the fourth dose for people over 60 years of age and for health personnel. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benet announced that the program will start as soon as possible to counter the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant. Israel has over 62% of its population with at least 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 45% with 3 doses.

European Union and Poland show their teeth

The European Commission announced this week an infringement procedure against one of its members, Poland, after the Constitutional Court ruled in October against the primacy of European law over national law. The European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, assured that the ruling violates previously signed treaties in which it commits members to make the rulings of the EU Court of Justice binding.

For its part, Poland criticized this measure and classifies it as a sign of European centralism and bureaucracy. The European country has already been previously sanctioned by the group after the Government has taken a series of controversial decisions and against the liberal values of the organization. However, the Poles have refused to pay the previous fines and this could indicate the position they will take again in the face of a new sanction.

Ómicron is already in Colombia

On December 20, it was determined that the Omicron variant had already arrived in the Latin American country. The variant was identified in three travelers from the United States and Spain. The travelers would have landed in the Caribbean cities of Cartagena and Santa Marta.

So far Ómicron has been identified in more than 80 countries and for three weeks the National Institute of Health (INS) had been reporting on the imminent arrival of the variant in the country. Even Fernando Ruiz Gómez, Minister of Health and Social Protection, insisted on the application of the immediate vaccine in those over 18 years of age to avoid contagions as much as possible. Taking into account that the variant arrives with the time of festivities and family reunions, the alerts have been turned on. Even in places like the United States, massive events that were planned for these dates are already being canceled due to the variant.

Also read: Omicron Variant: The End of the Pandemic?

Polluted air in cities can be the source of toxins

A study has recently been published in the journal Nature that shows how the polluted air of major cities around the world can be the perfect environment for the creation of new toxins with high danger for human beings.

Within this list of cities we find Lagos, New York or Tokyo, São Paulo, Bogotá, Santiago, Buenos Aires, among others. The experts, who took air samples from these cities, discovered about 19 substances that are so far detected. These substances, also known as POPs (persistent organic pollutants), have the capacity to generate more toxic substances that can put human life at risk.

Deportivo Cali champion of the Colombian Cup

Cali became champion of the BetPlay League after defeating Deportes Tolima 1-2. Tolima got the first goal with a header from Julian Quiñones in minute 14. At minute 58 came the goal from Cali, with a goal from Jhon Vásquez. Finally, Harold Preciado took a penalty in the 73rd minute for 2-1. Thus, Deportivo Cali won its tenth first division title.