The essential
"I am optimistic and 2022 will perhaps be the end of the epidemic", launched Emmanuel Macron Friday evening during his wishes for the new year.
The three doses of vaccine would be very effective against severe forms.
More than 24.3 million French people have received a booster dose.
ARS Île-de-France is asking to deprogram “as much as possible” of non-urgent operations.
South Africa has passed through the Omicron wave without an explosion in mortality.
Israel has started administering a 4th dose to vulnerable people.
Follow the events of the day live:
7.45 a.m.
Las Vegas tech show maintained despite Omicron.
The organizers of the big tech show due to be held next week in Las Vegas announced Friday that they are maintaining the event well, but with one day less due to the current surge in Covid-19 cases.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is due to make its face-to-face return after a virtual 2021 edition, will open its doors to the general public on Wednesday January 5 in the morning and will close them on Friday January 7 in the evening, instead of January 8 in the evening.
Several large and small companies, from Amazon to General Motors, via Microsoft, Intel and many start-ups, have in recent days canceled or sharply reduced their presence on site as Covid-19 infections linked to the Omicron variant surge around the world.
7:40 am.
The mask on the Champs-Élysées.
"Your mask please": on the Champs-Élysées, thousands of tourists and onlookers came out, masked for the occasion, for New Year's Eve by strolling on the most beautiful avenue in the world before taking a final photo to celebrate the transition to 2022.
Good year !
AFP / Martin AFP OFFICE or licensors
7:35.
The Legion of Honor for Professor Jean-François Delfraissy.
In 2022, the Legion of Honor recognizes more than 500 personalities, some of whom are involved in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the president of the scientific council Jean-François Delfraissy, president of the Covid-19 scientific council, who guides the French government in the face of to the pandemic.
"All the members of the scientific council are also distinguished in this promotion" of commander, with the exception of two personalities already promoted ".
There are also other personalities including the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn.
7:15 am.
The party despite the Covid in New York.
The "city that never sleeps" celebrated the New Year on the iconic Times Square in the heart of Manhattan, brought to life by the famous descent of the crystal ball at midnight and, this year, by the swearing in of the new mayor Eric Adams. This year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio kept his promise to get back to the party and, at 11:59 p.m., started the countdown in front of a crowd limited to 15,000, instead of the usual 60,000, all in masks and vaccinated. Like every year, it took 60 seconds to bring down from a 20-meter pylon a geodesic sphere, illuminated, covered with crystal, measuring 3.5 meters in diameter and weighing more than five tons. At midnight sharp, the Times Square ball went out to make way for a brief fireworks display to the cheers and kisses of the revelers.According to tradition, more than 1.3 tons of confetti carrying New Year's greetings were then thrown from the roofs of buildings bordering Times Square.
15,000 people gathered in Time Square to celebrate the transition to the New Year.
2021 Getty Images
7:10.
The cases quadrupled in four days in Guadeloupe.
According to the ARS, as of December 31, the number of new cases accumulated over four days is 2,191 (against 543 cases over 7 days last week), for 18,300 people tested.
The 10-19 year olds and the 20-39 year olds represent 65% of these new cases.
The shift towards older age groups is underway, the statement said.
“The positivity rate is 10.4%, and the incidence rate is 634 / 100,000 inhabitants over the last 7 rolling days.
These rates are rising sharply, and now rates have gone well above the alert threshold in a few days.
The spread of the virus is exponential, ”adds the text.
7 hours.
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