![]() Greek residents over the age of 60 have until Sunday (January 16) to complete their vaccination course or risk being fined €100 for every month they remain unvaccinated under a government mandate announced in November. Infections have been decreasing recently but the new Omicron variant already represented 27% of new cases in the country on December 19. The Belgian government also urged people to get tested ahead of the holidays. Museums, libraries, and fitness centres were, however, allowed to stay open. Protesters had gathered on December 26 after Belgium introduced the new restrictions. In an emergency procedure, the Council of State ruled that measures concerning theatres were “not proportionate,” and didn't provide enough motives to “understand why going to cultural sector performance venues was particularly dangerous for public health.” The order came despite the assessment of the scientific committee advising the government that going to such places poses no extra risk to public health. Under the short-lived restrictions that took effect Sunday, indoor venues had been ordered to shut their doors. The following day the government said it was revoking its decision, allowing theatres, cinemas, concert halls and art centres to remain open. ![]() The government was in late December rebuked by an advisory body that suspended new curbs on the cultural sector. People walk near a small Christmas market on a shopping street in Ghent, Belgium Virginia Mayo/AP Belgium The intense wave has also prompted authorities to allow health care workers who are infected with the coronavirus to keep treating patients rather than self-isolate, to ease staff shortages at medical facilities. The number of virus patients in hospitals has been on an upward trajectory for two months, and more than 72 per cent of French ICU beds are now occupied by people with COVID-19. With Europe’s highest-ever single-day confirmed infection count, the Omicron-driven surge has put a strain on the country's health care system. Franceįrance announced 361,000 daily new cases on Wednesday (January 12), as hospitals prepared drastic measures to brace for patient surges and the government strained to avoid a new lockdown. Restrictions already in place target mainly the unvaccinated, with proof of vaccination or recovery required to enter nonessential stores among other things. Large events such as football matches are held without an audience as part of new restrictions that will come into effect on 28 December. He said 100,000 critical workers would have lateral flow testing available every day. ![]() Johnson said however that the weeks ahead would be challenging with "some services" being disrupted by staff absences. "We have a chance to ride out this Omicron wave without shutting down our country once again," Johnson said, adding that Omicron was milder than other variants and that it was not translating into the same numbers of people needing intensive care. It comes after the UK's death toll from COVID-19 passed 151,000 after a further 398 deaths were reported on Wednesday (January 12).īritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier that the country would "ride out" the Omicron wave, even as the UK reports more than 200,000 daily COVID-19 infections. The measure aims to "maximise activity in the economy and education," he said. Just over 86% of adults are fully vaccinated and 45% have had a booster shot.īritain's Health Minister Sajid Javid announced on Thursday (January 13) that self-isolation for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has been cut from seven days to five full days if they test negative twice during their quarantine. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said then that the move was “unavoidable because of the fifth wave caused by the Omicron variant that is bearing down on us”. The Netherlands has been under a strict nationwide lockdown since December 19 with all nonessential stores, bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and museums shut. The Netherlands will allow shops, gyms and hairdressers to reopen as it eases its strict COVID-19 measures, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday, despite record-high infections.īars, restaurants, cafes and cultural establishments will remain closed at least until January 25, Rutte said at a press conference. Some countries have taken steps targeting the unvaccinated, while programmes are also being rolled out to vaccinate young children. Several nations have been reporting record numbers of new daily cases, the increase compounded by the emergence of the new Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa. Europe is once again seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases - here is our summary of the measures being taken across the continent.
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