The essential
324,580 new contaminations were recorded in France on Saturday.
146 people also died as a result of the Covid.
24,544 people are hospitalized and Saturday marked the 4th consecutive day of decline in the number of daily admissions to critical care (218), and the 3rd consecutive day of decline in the number of patients treated in critical care (3,852).
Demonstrations by opponents of the health pass brought together some 54,000 participants across France, according to the Interior Ministry.
The Netherlands, Norway, Canada, several countries are relaxing their restrictions on Omicron, while others, such as Iceland, are tightening them.
Follow the day's events live:
8:20 a.m.
In India, a wave is rising.
In 24 hours, the authorities have identified 271,202 new contaminations, confirming a very strong upward trend for ten days.
314 people died from a complication of Covid, bringing the official death toll to 486,066.
8:10 a.m.
The vaccine pass definitely adopted this afternoon.
A final review is scheduled from 4 p.m. in the Assembly, which has the last word after the Senate passed the bill at second reading last night (187 votes for, 66 against and 88 abstentions).
8 hours. In the Senate, two weighty amendments.
At second reading, the Senate with a right-wing majority deleted two elements in its final version of the bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass: the possibility of carrying out identity checks on the part of professionals - cinemas, cafes, etc. . - in case of doubt about the holder of a pass, and the administrative fine for non-compliance by the employer with the rules of teleworking.
7:50 a.m.
Be careful not to put all of China under glass.
China's state planner is asking local governments to limit restrictions during the Lunar New Year holiday, which would hamper a rebound in consumption.
Short trips are perfectly possible in areas with limited risk, he believes.
A few weeks before the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Omicron variant has been reported in at least five provinces and municipalities, including yesterday an indigenous case near Beijing.
7:40 a.m.
In Mexico, beach and parties.
The 44,293 new cases on Friday did not prevent Mexicans and tourists from rushing to the beaches, nor from participating in the festivities of the Grand Festival of Chiapas, in Chiapa de Corzo.
The participants in the Grand Festival of Chiapas were not all masked, or with folk masks.
REUTERS/Jacob Garcia
7:30 a.m.
Considering the Covid as a flu, what does that mean?
In a series of tweets, Professor Antoine Flahault dissected at the end of the day on Saturday what could happen if we considered the Covid as a chronic winter epidemic.
Priority should be given to vaccinating "children, the elderly, immunocompromised, health and nursing home personnel", but also to consider reserving "masks, white plans, teleworking... only when the epidemiological situation becomes tense as a peak during a variant that is a little more transmissible than the others”.
7/7 -
5. And then, masks, white plans, teleworking,… only when the epidemiological situation becomes tense as a peak approaches during a variant that is a little more transmissible than the others.
6. No more health or vaccination passes, curfews and confinements.
— Antoine FLAHAULT (@FLAHAULT) January 15, 2022
7:20 a.m.
In Australia.
The daily number of infections fell below 100,000 on Sunday for the first time in five days.
85,824 cases were reported at midday, due to jet lag.
Thursday, with more than 150,000 contaminations, could be the pandemic peak.
7:10 a.m.
And yet it is too little.
The international mechanism Covax, intended to promote access to vaccines against Covid-19 in poor countries, reached a milestone yesterday by passing the "first billion" of doses distributed, rejoiced Seth Berkley, executive director of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
7 hours.
Hello and welcome to this live.
Yes, even on Sundays we follow the news of the pandemic and its consequences.
