A month after being identified in South Africa, Omicron has already been identified in nearly 80 countries and is making rapid progress in Europe, where it is likely to dominate by mid-January, the European Commission said.
Omicron already dominates the British capital, and its mayor Sadiq Khan said on Saturday that he was “very concerned”. And triggered a warning process involving the integrated response of public services.
The process was already triggered on January 8, 2021, at the height of the epidemic, when London hospitals were threatened with overcrowding.
More than 10,000 new confirmed cases of the Omigron variant have been identified, bringing the total number to nearly 25,000, the British Health Care Agency said on Saturday.
According to several British media outlets, the government plans to ban indoor gatherings for two weeks after Christmas in an attempt to break the wave of pollution.
Closing of pubs in Ireland
In Paris, the town hall announced on Saturday that it was canceling planned fireworks and concerts at the famed Avenue des Champs-Elysees on New Year’s Day. Prime Minister Jean Costex on Friday called on town halls to drop off concerts and firecrackers on the evening of December 31, when alcohol would be banned on public roads.
In Ireland, bars, pubs and restaurants are closed from 8:00 pm 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 concerts on Sunday for a month, but will also close its amusement parks and museums.
In the Netherlands, tough anti-Govt measures should be announced on Saturday evening by a panel of experts advising the government to return to control to prevent the spread of the Omigran variant.
On the American continent, Quebec will re-establish measurements in bars, restaurants and shops.
In Asia, South Korea on Saturday restored forced closing hours for cafes, restaurants, theaters and other public places, and private meetings there will now be limited to four people.
Travel restrictions
The first travel restrictions also began to ease this weekend.
France has reiterated the need for “compelling reasons” for travelers to and from Britain.
Within the European Union, some countries, such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Greece, are now vaccinated against European travelers, but have to undergo a negative test.
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.
German territories on Saturday called on the federal government to tighten entry rules to prevent the spread of Omicron and suspend traffic from the UK.
Everywhere, up to the mandatory vaccination, there are measures with increased pressure against those who are not vaccinated.
Childhood vaccine
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.
The vaccination duty, which was suspended by the court, has been strongly opposed by some police officers or firefighters who have so far failed.
In Switzerland, from Monday, only those vaccinated or cured will have access to restaurants, cultural institutions and the interior of sports and leisure facilities and indoor events.
Prime Minister Jean Costex announced on Friday evening that the Health Pass would be a “vaccine pass” to be implemented in France at the beginning of the year.
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.
Portugal, one of the countries with the highest vaccination coverage rates in the world, launched a vaccination campaign on Saturday for children between the ages of 5 and 11. “If all goes well” France should follow the country on Wednesday, its health minister Oliver Vernon said on Saturday.