Faced with the surge in infections from Covid, and the curves that follow similar but staggered trajectories over the weeks, Europe is equipping itself differently to respond to the current phase of the pandemic. And so Britain, where the Omicron wave has already reached its peak, thinks of revoking its Green pass model, necessary only for club entries and mass events but never really digested by many hostile conservative MPs. to Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself, now struggling with an apology to the queen for a party in violation of anti-Covid rules and on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral. According to the British media, therefore, when the measures envisaged by the so-called Plan B currently in force are reviewed on January 26, the green certificate could be abandoned as well as the indication to work from home, while that for the use of masks in public transport and shops would remain. And this precisely in light of the “encouraging signs” mentioned on Wednesday by the Minister of Health, Sajid Javid: not only are infections decreasing on a weekly basis – back below 100,000 in the last day – but hospital admissions are also decreasing. Scotland and Wales, moreover, have already eased some of their restrictions. And even the Netherlands, premier Mark Rutte announced, is easing the lockdown imposed in December, with the reopening of shops, gyms and hairdressers, but not of restaurants and bars which will remain closed at least until January 25. Unlike the UK, in France, the government still aims to introduce the vaccination pass, the equivalent of the Italian Super green pass, despite the stalemate in parliament and the terrain of electoral confrontation. Deputies and senators have resumed work on a common bill: one of the hypotheses is that it is introduced only for those over 16 years of age. President Emmanuel Macron has meanwhile announced, through his spokesman, a new ordinance to better define “the conditions under which the mask must be used outdoors”, after the administrative justice of Paris rejected its obligation in the capital. The Omicron alarm also remains high in Germany, which for the first time exceeded the record of 92,000 daily infections, just two days after breaking through the ceiling of 80,000 cases in 24 hours. “The all-clear cannot be given,” said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, stressing that the Omicron variant is by no means “harmless” and reiterating that he is in favor of a vaccination requirement from the age of 18. Among other things, Berlin has again included Austria among the high-risk Covid countries starting from Saturday, imposing a 10-day quarantine on unvaccinated people returning from the neighboring country or 5 days plus a negative test. Another blow to the Austrian ski season that forced Vienna’s Minister of Tourism, Elisabeth Koestinger, to specify that the new German provisions do not concern vaccinated people: “Whoever is vaccinated can at any time take a safe and restful holiday in Austria”. Due to Omicron, hospitals are also in an emergency in the US, where in the last week there have been over 800,000 cases and 1,871 deaths a day: at least 85% of intensive care units are full in Washington and in 18 American states, with the worst situations in Alabama, Missouri, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Texas. And three weeks before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, China is trying to arm itself against the new variant. Since January 24, 26 international air routes have been suspended: 4 from the United States and others from cities such as Melbourne, Frankfurt, Paris, Vancouver, Toronto, Cairo and even Milan. And three weeks before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, China is trying to arm itself against the new variant. Since January 24, 26 international air routes have been suspended: 4 from the United States and others from cities such as Melbourne, Frankfurt, Paris, Vancouver, Toronto, Cairo and even Milan. And three weeks before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, China is trying to arm itself against the new variant. Since January 24, 26 international air routes have been suspended: 4 from the United States and others from cities such as Melbourne, Frankfurt, Paris, Vancouver, Toronto, Cairo and even Milan.
