The pandemic killed at least 1,843,631 on Tuesday, January 5, and the world is blaming the end of the year holidays.
If a third confinement is not on the table in France for the moment, many countries have adopted new restrictive measures in recent days to try to stem a third wave under the threat of the British variant of the coronavirus, which is more contagious.
Read also: Vaccine against the Covid: are France's objectives sufficiently ambitious?
United Kingdom
Boris Johnson announced Monday evening the reestablishment of "total" confinement for all of England until mid-February
"if conditions allow".
English schools close their doors on Tuesday and non-essential businesses on Wednesday, and the British must refrain from going out unless there is a compelling reason.
England thus takes the lead of Scotland which had announced a few hours earlier a containment similar to that of spring until the end of January.
The provinces of Northern Ireland and Wales had confined themselves just after Christmas.
Lebanon
Lebanon is preparing for a third lockdown from January 7 until February 1.
A curfew will be imposed between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m., and travel will be controlled according to an alternating traffic principle, while hospitals in the country are saturated after an outbreak of cases of Covid-19 contamination during the holidays.
Austria
Austria is also contained for the third time since December 26, enforcing a strict closure of schools, restaurants and shops across the country until January 24.
The Austrian government announced on Monday that it would have to give up the lifting of restrictions scheduled for January 18 for all those who test negative in shops, restaurants and schools, amid outcry from the opposition.
Greece
Greece announced on Saturday a new extension until January 10 of the strict confinement imposed for two months, putting an end to the relative relaxation of measures during the holidays.
In anticipation of Christmas, the government had authorized in mid-December the opening of hairdressing salons, churches with a limited number of worshipers and shops with the "click-and-collect" system.
Individuals are now only allowed to travel to see the doctor, the pharmacy, run errands or exercise, and a curfew is in effect from 10 p.m.
Schools remain closed at least until January 11.
Israel
Containment was declared for the third recovery in Israel as of December 27.
Israelis are not allowed to move more than a kilometer from their homes and most businesses will be closed except for deliveries, as the country began a flash vaccination campaign in late December aimed at vaccinating in one month an quarter of the country's population, or 150,000 people per day.
Thailand
Relatively spared by the first wave, Thailand is now experiencing an outbreak of cases and on Saturday introduced restrictive measures in the capital, where bars and nightclubs, massage and beauty salons are now closed.
Public schools are also closed for two weeks.
