European countries considered adopting new restrictions on movement on Tuesday (December 21), while US President Joe Biden called on all Americans to be vaccinated to combat the global epidemic in the days before the second Christmas of the pandemic. Omicron variant.
Omicron infections are increasing exponentially in Europe, the United States, and Asia, including in Japan, where the cluster of single COVID-19 cases at military bases has increased to at least 180.
“If you are not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to worry,” Biden said at the White House, where he announced plans to purchase 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests and distribute them for free from January.
He took a terrifying tone to the risks faced by a quarter of American adults who have not yet been vaccinated, saying: “Your choice may be the difference between life and death.”
Biden also mobilized approximately 1,000 military medical personnel to support the already overwhelmed hospital.
Omicron now accounts for 73% of all new cases in the United States, up from less than 1% earlier this month.
Hans Kruger, the head of the World Health Organization in Europe, said at a press conference in Vienna that Omicron will dominate in more countries in the region within a few weeks, “bringing the already stretched health system further to the edge.”
“We can see another storm is coming,” Kruger said.
Germany, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and South Korea are countries that have re-implemented partial or full blockades or other social distancing measures in recent days.
Portugal ordered the closure of nightclubs and bars and told people to work from home for at least two weeks from Saturday.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s chief minister, is part of the United Kingdom but has decentralized responsibilities for health. He has developed a plan to further restrict large-scale public events, including sporting events, in the three weeks after Christmas.
“Unfortunately, this also means that large-scale Hogmanay celebrations, including those planned here in our capital (Edinburgh), will not be possible,” she said, referring to the traditional Scottish New Year party.
New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins stated that his country has implemented some of the world’s toughest COVID-19 measures, delaying the start of the phased reopening of borders until the end of February.
“So far, all the evidence indicates that Omicron is the most spreading variant of COVID-19 so far,” he said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany will adopt new measures, including limiting private gatherings of vaccinated people to a maximum of 10 people before New Year’s Eve. Schultz agreed with the governors of the 16 federal states that there will be no spectators at major events including football matches.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he will not introduce new COVID-19 restrictions in England before Christmas, but the situation is still extremely difficult and the government may need to take action thereafter.
Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced that it would provide 1 billion pounds (1.17 billion euros) in additional support to the companies that have been hit hardest by Omicron, which has dealt a blow to the hotel industry and other companies.
‘A generation Understand that many people are tired’
The rapid spread of Omicron meant that many Britons changed their Christmas plans at the last minute, despite the lack of formal restrictions.
Rebecca Gilmore, a 24-year-old medical student who lost her brother to commit suicide earlier this year, said that separation from her family this year is particularly difficult, but self-isolation from her partner is the right approach.
“This means I am protecting the most vulnerable people,” she said.
Sweden will urge all employees to work from home as much as possible and implement stricter social distancing regulations.
Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson said: “I know that many people are bored with this – and so do I – but we now have a new variant of the virus, which means we are in a new situation.”
Due to concerns about the global economic recovery, Omicron has dealt a heavy blow to the financial markets in recent days, but global stock markets rose on Tuesday and the US dollar weakened as the appetite for risky assets returned cautiously.
Major Wall Street stock indexes closed higher, rebounding from the plunge caused by the coronavirus on Monday.
According to the World Health Organization, as of Tuesday, the variant has been confirmed in 106 countries, after the variant was first discovered in Southern Africa and Hong Kong last month.
The severity of the disease it causes is unclear, but WHO warns that it spreads faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from the COVID-19 disease.
According to Israeli news media, Israel has recorded the first known death of the Omicron variant. The media reported that an elderly person died in Beer Sheva on Monday.
Since the pandemic began nearly two years ago, it has been reported that more than 274 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus. More than 5.65 million people died.
