Many countries, including France, are facing a fifth wave of the epidemic. Follow all the news related to Covid-19 in France and around the world.
10:34 a.m.
The mayor of Paris announced on Saturday the cancellation of the fireworks and concerts planned on the Champs-Elysées for New Year’s Eve, in order to apply the measures requested by the government to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic .
“In view of the resurgence of the pandemic and the new government announcements, the City of Paris regrets having to cancel all the festivities planned on the Champs-Élysées on December 31,” the town hall told AFP, specifying that it was about the fireworks and concerts planned on the avenue des Champs-Elysée.
9:50 a.m.
Portugal, one of the countries with the highest vaccination coverage rate in the world, launches its vaccination campaign for children aged 5 to 11 on Saturday, following in the footsteps of other European countries in full progression of the Omicron variant.
Nearly 80,000 children, out of some 640,000 in this age group, have registered to receive a first dose of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine this weekend.
Calling for vaccination, Prime Minister Antonio Costa explained on Friday that the spread of the new coronavirus was stronger “in unvaccinated children and their parents”.
09:39
Vaccination against Covid-19 will be offered to children aged 5 to 11 from Wednesday “if all goes well,” Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Saturday.
“If all goes well, on the 22nd afternoon we start the vaccination of children in centers adapted for children”, he declared on France Inter. The National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE) gave a favorable opinion on Friday for this age group which is not affected by the health pass or the future vaccination pass.
08:42
A third dose of anti-Covid vaccine will be mandatory for caregivers and firefighters from January 30, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran announced on Saturday, who mentioned the presence of “several hospital clusters of the Omicron variant”.
“We will strengthen the vaccination obligation of caregivers and firefighters by integrating the third dose from January 30. We do not want, as in Scotland, that we have 25 to 30% of caregivers who could not work because of they would all be in contact and therefore in quarantine “, explained Olivier Véran on France Inter. “We have several hospital clusters of the Omicron variant, particularly in the Paris region”, he noted.
twenty five past eight
Two years on the front line against the Covid-19 pandemic and Michael Ryan, responsible for emergency operations at the WHO, continues to display his optimism, convinced that humanity will change course and take the necessary measures to tame the virus.
However, he recognizes that the crisis could worsen even more when Omicron, a new variant of the virus that gives Covid-19, seems ready to resurface infection rates and fill hospitals.
08:24
Switzerland will toughen its anti-Covid measures on Monday. Only those vaccinated or cured will now have access to the interior of restaurants, cultural establishments and sports and leisure facilities as well as to indoor events.
07:30
The health pass will become at the beginning of the year a “vaccine pass” in France, which can only be activated with a complete vaccination schedule and no longer a simple negative test, announced Friday evening the Prime Minister Jean Castex.
In addition, town halls will have to give up concerts and fireworks on New Year’s Eve, during which alcohol consumption on public roads will be prohibited in order to limit the distribution of the Omicron variant.
The French Prime Minister canceled his planned trip to the troops in Jordan for the New Year, when President Emmanuel Macron gave up celebrating Christmas with the soldiers in Mali, officially due to the Convid-19 crisis.
