A week before Christmas, restrictions around the world are mounting again in the face of the rise of the Omigran variant.
One month after being identified in South Africa, the Omicron variant has already been identified in nearly 80 countries and is progressing dramatically in Europe, where it is expected to dominate by mid-January, the European Commission said.
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Many countries on the old continent have stepped up their health measures as the year-end holidays approach.
In Ireland, bars, pubs and restaurants are closed from 8pm on Sundays until the end of January.
Denmark, which set a new record of 11,000 cases on Friday, including Omicron’s 2,500, will close its theaters, theaters and concert halls and its amusement parks and museums for a month on Sunday.
In France, the government has asked town halls to cancel any concerts or fireworks scheduled for New Year’s Day.
On the American continent, Quebec will re-establish measurements in bars, restaurants and shops.
In Asia, South Korea is resetting compulsory closing hours for cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public places this Saturday, and private meetings should now be limited to four people.
The first travel restrictions also began to ease this weekend.
France is set to recover from the United Kingdom, which set a new record of pollution for the third day in a row with 93,045 cases, and this Saturday of obligatory “compelling reasons” for departing travelers.
Within the European Union, some countries, such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Greece, now have to present a negative test even if European travelers are vaccinated.
Germany, which on Friday classified France and Denmark as areas of “high risk” of infection, will impose a period of isolation for unvaccinated travelers from these countries. From Sunday, the move will also apply to travelers from Norway, Lebanon and Andorra.
Everywhere, up to the mandatory vaccination, there are measures with increased pressure against those who are not vaccinated.
Therefore, in Los Angeles, as of Saturday, all city employees, including police and firefighters who are not exempt for medical or religious reasons, should be vaccinated, subject to fines placed on leave. According to City Hall services, 43,800 municipal employees, or about 79% of the total, were in a state of renewal this week.
This vaccination obligation has been vehemently opposed by some police officers or firefighters, who have so far failed to have the action suspended by the court.
According to NBC TV, about 80% of Los Angeles police officers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, but more than 2,500 of them are reluctant and have applied for exemptions, which will be reviewed in the coming weeks.
On Friday, a U.S. federal court re-established the vaccine requirement for employees of large companies preferred by the Biden administration, and it was suspended by the Texas Court of Appeals in early November. This decision can still be challenged up to the Supreme Court.
In Switzerland, from Monday, only vaccinated or cured individuals will have access to the interiors of restaurants, cultural institutions and sports and leisure facilities and indoor events.
On Friday evening, Prime Minister Jean Costex announced that the Health Pass would be a “vaccine pass” to be implemented in France at the beginning of the year. To enter the areas covered by this permit (restaurants, cultural venues, entertainment, etc.), a negative test is no longer sufficient: you must have been vaccinated (or cured by Govt) and have a booster. Size.
At the same time, the vaccine is spreading to children almost everywhere, with Brazil joining other countries such as Canada, the United States, Israel, Chile, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
In France, the ethics committee (CCNE) voted Friday in favor of opening the vaccine every 5-11 years, while insisting that the choice be left to parents.
Pfizer announced on Friday that it would like to test the third dose of the anti-govt vaccine in children under the age of 5, which could lead to the company filing an accreditation request for three doses at this age next year.
