Wave of contagions in Europe pulverizes all previous highs 2:05
(CNN) -
As the world celebrates Christmas, several countries in Europe report a record number of new cases of covid-19.
Among the most affected, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, are the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The UK reported 122,186 new cases on Christmas Eve, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic, according to government data.
The UK Health Security Agency reported 23,719 new cases of the omicron coronavirus variant were recorded across the UK on Friday, and confirmed cases of omicron in the country now total 114,625.
Europe restores covid-19 restrictions during the holidays: here, a summary
In response to the outbreak, the country increased the speed of its vaccination program.
The UK Health Department said on Friday the country had a record week of vaccinations.
Meanwhile, France reported a record 104,611 covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest daily number since the pandemic began and the first figures to surpass the 100,000 threshold, according to data from the Health Ministry.
On Friday, the French government announced that President Emmanuel Macron will organize a virtual meeting with ministers on Monday to discuss the coronavirus crisis.
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Patients wait to be tested for the new Covid-19 coronavirus in Paris on December 23, 2021 (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP via Getty Images).
For its part, Italy reported on Saturday its third consecutive day of new record cases of covid-19, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
With 54,762 new daily cases of covid-19 on Saturday, this is the highest daily figure since the pandemic began.
That's more than Friday's record of 50,599, which in turn surpassed the previous day's record of 44,595 cases.
The country also reported 144 more deaths and 33 more patients in intensive care units on Saturday.
Other countries in Europe recorded a record number of new cases earlier this week.
Denmark reported a new record of 20,635 cases on Tuesday, while Spain recorded a record of 72,912 new cases on Thursday.
Flights are canceled around the world
Airlines canceled thousands of flights on Christmas weekend, including more than 1,000 domestic flights in the United States, as staff and crew fell ill during the surge in cases of the omicron variant.
More than 5,000 flights canceled on Christmas weekend
Globally, airlines have canceled about 5,700 flights on Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after Christmas, according to FlightAware.
That includes about 1,700 flights in, to or out of the United States.
There are operational drawbacks on airlines as millions are still flying despite the rise in coronavirus cases.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it screened 2.19 million people at airports across the country Thursday, the highest number since the surge began. on vacation trips a week ago.
Airlines cancel hundreds of flights before Christmas 3:43
CNN's Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
