France announced new restrictions on Monday evening to combat the spread of the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, air traffic continues to be disrupted around the world, with many flights canceled.
France: new restrictions
Jean Castex announced Monday, December 27 a series of measures to try to stem the meteoric spread of the virus, in particular the time limit for the injection of the booster dose, reduced to three months after the previous dose.
Read alsoCovid-19: does the Omicron variant justify wearing the mask outdoors?
Gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 outdoors.
Standing consumption will be prohibited in cafes and bars from January 3.
After the holidays, telecommuting will be mandatory at least three days a week when possible.
US health authorities cut isolation time in half for Covid-19 infection
US health authorities announced on Monday that they had halved the recommended isolation time for people positive for Covid-19, from ten to five days for asymptomatic people, and also reduced this time for contact cases.
Read also United States: the Covid redraws the demographic map
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the main health agency in the United States, said in a statement that
"this change is justified by science,"
according to which the majority of infections occur in one to one. two days before and two to three days after the onset of symptoms.
On route to China, Delta Airlines flight turns around amid new anti-Covid restrictions
The American company Delta Airlines decided to return a plane in flight to Shanghai to Seattle last week because of the new health restrictions required at the airport, drawing criticism from the Chinese authorities.
According to Chinese media, several passengers ended up in the United States with expired Covid tests and expired visas, prompting the Chinese consulate in San Francisco to officially complain to Delta.
Read also Omicron: nearly 2,500 flights canceled on Monday
NBA cuts length of isolation for Covid-positive players
NBA players who test positive will now be able to come out of quarantine after only six days, against a minimum of ten days previously, if they are vaccinated and asymptomatic, the league said in a note sent to the teams and viewed Monday by the American media ESPN.
Nearly 2,500 flights canceled on Monday
Nearly 2,500 flights were still canceled by airlines across the world on Monday, with the Omicron variant disrupting travel during the holidays with pilots and crew members sick or in quarantine.
Read also Why French airlines are little affected by flight cancellations
English football: 103 positives in the Premier League
The Premier League announced Monday that it had identified 103 positive cases for Covid-19 among the twenty clubs in the English 1st division between December 20 and 26, a figure never reached since the start of tests in 2020.
Nearly 5.4 million deaths worldwide
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed nearly 5.4 million people, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Monday at 11:00 GMT.
In absolute terms, the United States is the most affected country with 816,610 deaths, followed by Brazil (618,534), India (479,997) and Russia (305,155).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that officially recorded.