The essential
208,000 new cases in 24 hours, a "tidal wave" according to Olivier Véran.
180,000 false health passes detected according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Nearly 7 million screening tests during Christmas week, a new record.
The bed occupancy rate climbed 10% overnight in the UK.
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6.30 a.m. The public hospital will "rock" in January, warns Martin Hirsch.
"It's going to rock" in January in hospitals under the effect of the shortage of caregivers affected by Covid-19 and the outbreak of the Omicron variant, warns in an interview with Les Echos the director general of Public Assistance - Hospitals of Paris (AP-HP), Martin Hirsch. If the forms are rather "light", "we note that it already strikes a large number of caregivers, (...) the rate of absenteeism increases strongly, with sick leaves which multiply and no complete team", alert he does.
6:15 a.m. No New Years Eve in Quebec.
Quebec has announced the return of the nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. across the province on New Year's Eve. "It's a gesture that is extreme because the situation is extreme," said the Premier of Quebec François Legault. Private gatherings are now limited to the family bubble. Violators face a fine ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 6,000 (4,100 euros). The dining rooms will be closed as of today and the start of the school year in schools and universities has been postponed to January 17.
6:10 am. The Omicron wave passed without a peak in deaths in South Africa.
South Africa, where the new variant of Covid-19 was detected last month, announced that it had passed the peak of the Omicron wave without a significant increase in the number of deaths. "All indicators suggest that the country has probably passed the peak of the fourth wave" of the pandemic, the presidency said in a statement, announcing the lifting of certain health restrictions and in particular the night curfew. New contaminations fell by nearly 30% last week (89,781), compared to the previous week (127,753). Hospitalization rates have been lower than in previous waves, ”stressed the presidency.
6:05 am. the milestone of one million daily contaminations exceeded.
The symbolic milestone of one million daily infections by Covid-19 in the world was crossed for the first time during the week of December 23 to 29, a few hours from the New Year's festivities. 1,045,000 new daily cases were detected over the period, up 46% compared to the previous week. The previous record of 817,000 daily cases was recorded between April 23 and 29, 2021. More than 85% of current contaminations are concentrated in two regions where Omicron is strongly present: Europe and the United States and Canada. Only Asia has seen the pandemic recede over the past week.
6 hours.
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It will allow you to follow the events and the evolution of the pandemic throughout the day.