As Europe's COVID cases spike, France records 1,80,000 new infections in under 24 hours

As countries throughout Europe have been struggling to curb the 'highly mutated' Omicron strain, France has recorded the largest number of new daily COVID-19 instances ever. The number of coronavirus infections in Europe has reached a new high, with 1,79,807 COVID cases reported in France in the last 24 hours. However, France was not alone in hitting records on Tuesday, Italy, Greece, Portugal, as well as the United Kingdom also recorded new highs. Countries have also been reporting spikes in the number of cases during the festive season, due to the more infectious Omicron type, BBC reported. 

Amid the high number of cases in France, On Monday, French health minister Olivier Véran cautioned that "everything suggests" that by the beginning of January, the nation might be seeing as many as 250,000 instances per day, whereas the French Hospital Federation cautioned that the "most difficult weeks are yet to come." 

Furthermore, French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, announced further limitations earlier this week, which include mandatory work from home for individuals who can for at least three days per week starting in early January. According to Xinhua, 77% of French people had been properly vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday. 

COVID cases in Europe

Apart from France, infections in Italy have surpassed 78,000 cases, a new high since the COVID-19 outbreak. It also reported 202 fatalities, bringing the country's overall death toll to 136,753. On Tuesday, Portugal recorded a new tally of 17,172 instances, up from the previous day's total. After the government recorded 21,657 instances, Greece's Health Minister, Thanos Plevris, appealed to the citizens to be calm during this crisis situation.  

Further, Cyprus also set a new record for the number of illnesses in a single day, with 2,241 new cases. Meanwhile, health officials in England recorded a total of 117,093 cases, which is a new high in the nation. Over the Christmas season, full UK-wide COVID data was unavailable, according to BBC. 

While certain cities, such as Paris, London, as well as Berlin, have cancelled formal New Year's festivities, some administrations have been less prepared to impose nationwide limitations. Meanwhile, outdoor events and closed nightclubs have been prohibited in Italy, but there are no limitations on private meetings. 

(Image: AP/ Shutterstock)