France, which announced on Monday a series of measures and recommendations to try to curb the fifth wave of coronavirus, is not the only one to tighten the screws: everywhere, restrictions are taken against unvaccinated people in the face of the propagation of the Omicron variant.
France: nightclubs closed, new measures at school
Closure of nightclubs for four weeks, strengthening of the health protocol at primary school, opening of the vaccination envisaged for all children: French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Monday a battery of measures against the 5th wave of Covid-19.
Will people over 65 be able to access the booster dose without an appointment?
The head of government also called on the French "to ease off" on social interactions.
In companies as in the public service, the government aims for 2 to 3 days of teleworking per week and wants to limit face-to-face meetings.
Read alsoNew wave of Covid-19: the government relies on the vaccine booster and teleworking
New York: compulsory vaccination in the private sector
The mayor of New York (United States), Bill de Blasio, has decided that as of December 27, all companies and private businesses in the city will require their employees to be vaccinated to go to work.
Children aged 5 to 11 will have to show from December 14 that they have received a dose to participate in "high-risk extracurricular activities such as sports, music and dance", according to the town hall.
Those over 12 will need two doses, unless they have received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.
To read also "Why it is necessary to institute the compulsory vaccination of over 50 years"
Italy: restrictions for the unvaccinated
Unvaccinated people in Italy will no longer be able to go to the movies, the theater, concerts or major sporting events, under new restrictions that came into effect on Monday.
The only exception is people who have recently recovered from Covid-19, who also have access to the “super health pass” granted to the vaccinated.
The basic health pass, accessible with a negative test, is however sufficient to go to his workplace.
Americans urged to avoid travel to France and Portugal
The American authorities asked their nationals on Monday to avoid traveling to a dozen countries including France and Portugal, yet among the best vaccinated in Europe, in the midst of the epidemic outbreak on the Old Continent.
Read alsoWhere can we travel?
Our map of open countries and restrictions for French tourists
Netherlands: faced with the outbreak of the epidemic, soldiers in reinforcement in a hospital
Thanks to military reinforcements, the Dutch hospital UMC Utrecht opened a second care unit for Covid-19 patients on Monday and will welcome patients from all hospitals in the Netherlands when necessary, against the backdrop of the outbreak. epidemic in recent weeks.
In order to help the nursing staff, the Defense sent "50 people with medical training" who will allow "to support hospitals in two services (Covid)" in Utrecht, explained to AFP Martin van Dijk, who coordinates the military aid within this establishment.
Read alsoFifth wave: is France still "a good student" in Europe?
Colombia: vaccination certificate required to enter the country
Colombian President Iván Duque announced on Monday that from December 14, international travelers over the age of 18 would have to present a Covid-19 vaccination certificate to enter the country.
Fiji detects first case of Omicron variant at border
The Fiji Islands reported their first case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 on Monday, which has apparently been stopped at the border and has not infected anyone, authorities in the small Pacific nation said.
Health officials said Monday evening that Omicron was detected in two Fijians who returned from Nigeria via Hong Kong on November 25.
Argentina: first case of Omicron, the province of Buenos Aires establishes a pass
A first case of the Omicron variant was detected in Argentina on a traveler returning from South Africa, the authorities informed, while the province of Buenos Aires, which concentrates a third of the population, announced a health pass from the 21st. December.
The pass will be necessary to participate in mass gatherings or "cultural, sporting, religious activities in closed spaces", as well as for employees in regular contact with the public, announced to the press the governor of the province, Axel Kicillof. .
He explained that he was inspired by the experience of several European countries, including France.
Read alsoCovid-19: is the health pass really "ineffective" against the epidemic?
The impact of the pandemic on education more severe than anticipated
The generation of young people currently in school risks losing nearly $ 17 trillion in income due to school closings linked to the pandemic, more than initially expected, warn the World Bank and UN agencies.
This amount corresponds to about 14% of current global GDP and is higher than the 10,000 billion dollars estimated in 2020, specify the institutions based in Washington, Unesco and Unicef, in a report published on Monday.
In low- and middle-income countries, the percentage of children not able to read and understand simple text by the age of 10 - which was already over 50% before the pandemic - could quickly reach almost 70% due to the closure of classes and the poorer quality of distance education.
More than 5.2 million dead
The pandemic has killed at least 5.2 million people worldwide since the World Health Organization (WHO) office in China reported the onset of the disease at the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Monday at 11:00 GMT.
The United States is the most bereaved country with 789,708 dead, ahead of Brazil (615,744), India (473,537), Mexico (295,203) and Russia (282,462).
The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic in the world could be two to three times higher.
