With the holiday season setting in, coupled with growing omicron fears, many countries around the world sought to reimpose COVID restrictions to prevent the possibility of a new wave of the virus. With omicron cases doubling every 2-3 days, the UK was one of the first countries to reimpose restrictions including work-from-home restrictions in England. However, as the number of cases of the variant saw a huge increase, other countries followed suit.
UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed strict COVID-19 restrictions in England on 8 December, ordering people to work from home, wear masks in public places and use vaccine passes to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Johnson said Omicron was spreading rapidly and had no choice but to move to ‘Plan B’ while a vaccine booster program was in place. The restrictions ahead of the festive season were imposed after last year’s debacle, with the PM accusing his staff of partying in Downing Street during the Christmas lockdown last year. Although different in nature than the complete lockdown imposed in the country earlier this year, the new measures were described as a ‘hammer blow’ to city center restaurants, cafes and shops that are busy selling their Christmas merchandise. Desperate to rebuild finances.
Norway
After the United Kingdom, Norway also announced new COVID restrictions amid the spread of the Omicron variant and rising case numbers and hospital admissions. The move comes after Norway’s health authority warned that the country could record 90,000 to 300,000 daily coronavirus cases and 200 hospitalizations per day in three weeks without further measures. As part of the new restrictions, bars and restaurants will not be able to serve alcohol, remote working will be mandatory where possible, mask mandates will be increased and access to public swimming pools and gyms will be restricted. The cancellation of large sporting events was also recommended.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is likely to enter a nationwide lockdown in view of the increasing cases of Omicron. All non-essential stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands will be closed from Sunday until January 14, Acting Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a hastily organized press conference on Saturday night. He said that schools and universities will remain closed till January 9. The Dutch lockdown is also set to put limits on Christmas celebrations. Residents will only be allowed two visitors except for Christmas and New Years, when four are allowed. The number of Omicron cases in the Netherlands is 13.
Germany
Germany on Thursday banned the unaffiliated in a bid to break the unabated surge in daily coronavirus infections fueled by the discovery of the Omicron strain. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with the leaders of Germany’s 16 states to deny them access to all but essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries. They also agreed to pass legislation in the national parliament to make vaccination mandatory. As per the new restrictions, businesses have been kept open for about 69% of the population who have been fully vaccinated as well as those who have evidence of recovery from COVID-19.
France
As part of the French government’s new restrictions, officials are urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the holiday’s festivities to prevent the spread of the virus and to avoid imposing another lockdown. “The fifth wave is here and it is here in full force,” Prime Minister Jean Casteux said at a news conference on Friday, comparing the spread of the highly mutated Omicron variant to “lightning” in Europe. To prevent the spread of the virus during the holidays, the government banned public gatherings and fireworks displays during New Year’s celebrations. It also called on people to avoid large gatherings and limit the number of family members on Christmas.
Denmark
Denmark, which has the highest number of Omicron cases on record, has been gradually imposing more and more restrictions for more than a month to prevent the spread of the new variant. Earlier this week, the country’s school children, who as a group have been increasing pollution, were sent home for Christmas a week ahead of time.
Ireland
Ireland imposed an 8pm curfew for hospitality venues as part of a number of new measures aimed at slowing the spread of the Omicron version. The new rules will come into effect from Sunday 19 December and will be in place till 30 January. Restaurants and bars have also been directed to close at 8 pm, with no indoor events after this time. Venues must run at low capacity, for indoor venues, this is 50% of capacity or 1,000 people and outdoor events should be limited to 50% or 5,000 people. All foreign arrivals are required to undergo an antigen or PCR test based on their immunization status and all arriving travelers should be advised to undergo antigen testing on a daily basis for five consecutive days. Wedding receptions can take place after 8 pm but with a capacity limit of 100 guests.
Australia
Australia closed its borders to nine southern African countries and suspended all flights to and from those countries amid growing concerns about the new Omicron version of COVID-19. Any Australian citizen or dependent who has lived in those countries in the past 14 days must go into mandatory quarantine, the federal government announced on Saturday. This includes international student and temporary visa holders, including skilled expatriates, who have traveled to any country in southern Africa in the past fortnight.
So far, more than 10,000 new omicron cases have been reported in the UK in the highest daily surge ever. The UK Health Protection Agency confirmed an additional 10,059 cases in the new version on Saturday, more than three times the number reported on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 24,968. Meanwhile, the death toll from the Omicron version rose from one to seven. Other parts of the United Kingdom have similar rules, but Scotland has asked people to limit social contact to three homes at a time before Christmas. Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close after Christmas from 27 December.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And coronavirus news Here.
,