The reproductive number, a measure of how fast the virus spreads, has surged to a record in Gauteng, the center of South Africa’s omicron variant outbreak. The reproductive number rose to 2.33 in the province, Michelle Groome, head of health surveillance for the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said Friday. That means each infected person on average infects another 2.33. India reported its first cases of the omicron variant, but one prominent expert said it may not be as deadly as the earlier delta surge in the country. South Korea is urging people to work from home, and China identified infections in Beijing and Shanghai. Alphabet Inc.’s Google has delayed its return-to-office plans for workers in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Almost two dozen municipalities in Norway, including Oslo, are requiring remote work, and Switzerland is considering a similar measure. […]