The Omicron variant is "spreading at lightning speed" in Europe, the French prime minister has warned, while in the US it is threatening to worsen an already dangerous surge of Covid-19 cases.
People waiting at St Pancras International train station in London before the travel restriction imposed by France on travellers from the UK to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. Photo: AFP / 2021 Anadolu Agency
Jean Castex spoke on Friday, hours before France imposed strict travel restrictions on those entering from the United Kingdom. He said Omicron was likely to become the dominant strain in France by the start of next year.
He announced France will from next month reduce the time between second and third Covid-19 vaccination injections from five to four months and require people to show proof of vaccination to enter some venues.
Castex said that big public parties and fireworks would be banned on New Year's Eve and recommended that people - even if vaccinated - test themselves before attending year-end parties.
To increase pressure on people to get vaccinated, the government will present a bill early next year to change the French health pass into a vaccination pass. That means people will have to be vaccinated to enter restaurants or use long-distance public transport.
Under current rules, a recent negative test can serve as a health pass even without vaccination.
"We cannot allow that the refusal of a few French people to get vaccinated affect the life of the entire country," Castex said in a televised speech.
Castex said the rapid spread of the Omicron variant was also behind restrictions being imposed on travel from Britain to France from Saturday.
The UK has so far been the hardest hit in the region, with nearly 15,000 confirmed Omicron cases on Friday.
Omicron continues to spread across the UK - and is thought to now be the dominant variant in England and Scotland, replacing Delta.
Across Europe, health officials are bracing for a wave of infections.
Additional restrictions were announced in Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands on Friday as governments seek to stem the tide.
In Germany - which reported 50,000 new cases on Friday - Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told reporters the country "must prepare for a challenge that we have not yet had in this form".
Its public health agency designated France, Norway and Denmark as "high risk" due their increased spread of Covid.
The UK reported a record number of Covid infections for a third day in a row - more than 93,000 - largely driven by Omicron.
More stringent restrictions need to be brought in "very soon" in England if ministers want to stop hospital admissions reaching 3000 a day, the government's scientific advisers say.
The BBC has seen leaked minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies held on Thursday.
The document says there are "many uncertainties" about the future path of hospitalisations linked to Omicron.
One plan for England includes Covid passes for certain events, face masks in more places and people being urged to work from home if they can.
Other UK nations have already brought in similar rules - and Scotland has gone further by asking people to limit social contact to three households at a time in the run-up to Christmas. Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close from 27 December.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said half of all UK adults have now received a booster vaccination jab.
Meanwhile in Ireland, where a third of new cases have been due to the new variant, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said they were expecting "to see infections at a rate that is far in excess of anything we have seen to date".
Ireland's hospitality industry said it will be devastated by new rules from Monday that mean pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas must close every night by 8pm local time.
The move has also been criticised by some politicians from Ireland's governing coalition, who said the new rules would encourage more gatherings in people's homes.
Sports venues will have to operate at 50 percent capacity or have attendance numbers capped at 5000. Wedding celebrations will be allowed to go on until midnight - with a maximum of 100 guests.
There is already a limit of four households allowed to socialise together inside a home.
Jean Castex said France will reduce the time between the second and third Covid-19 vaccination injections from five to four months. Photo: AFP
France has closed its border to tourists and those visiting for business travelling from the UK, with huge queues forming at the Port of Dover and Eurostar terminals as people tried to enter before the ban came into effect.
It is not the only country tightening its controls. Earlier this week, Italy, Greece and Portugal announced that visitors from the EU will need to present a negative test result on arrival - even those who have been vaccinated.
Speaking hours before the new rules came in, Castex said the travel restrictions were part of a series of measures being brought in to stem the tide of infections.
They include shortening the gap between the second and third dose of vaccine, and requiring a full vaccination to enter restaurants and long-distance public transport.
Additionally, all official New Years Eve celebrations and firework displays have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Dutch health experts have said the country should go into a "strict" lockdown, local media has reported.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said Omicron could be the country's dominant strain by January, similar to France.
Since late November, bars, restaurants and most shops have been ordered to close between 5pm and 5am local time. This measure was meant to end before Christmas, but will now continue until 14 January.
The Netherlands recorded more than 15,400 infections on Friday - less than previous days, but far higher overall than any other time during the pandemic.
London people wearing face masks as the number of Omicron cases in the city continues to increase. Photo: AFP
Vaccine or testing mandate reinstated in US
A US appeals court has reinstated a nationwide vaccine-or-testing Covid-19 mandate for large businesses, which covers 80 million American workers, prompting opponents to rush to the Supreme Court to ask it to intervene.
The ruling by the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati lifted a November injunction that had blocked the rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which applies to businesses with at least 100 workers.
The ruling coincides with the Omicron variant threatening to worsen an already dangerous surge of cases.
Hospitalisations for Covid-19 have jumped 45 percent over the last month, and confirmed cases have increased 40 percent to a week-long average of 123,000 new US infections a day, according to a Reuters tally.
Meanwhile, South Australia has reported a record 73 new community Covid-19 cases, with restrictions expected to ease in the state on Friday when it is due to hit a 90 percent double vaccination rate.
New South Wales also hit a daily record recording 2482 new cases of Covid-19 today and one death, while Victoria today recorded 1504 cases and seven deaths.
- BBC / Reuters / ABC
