France reports record high of 1,04,611 COVID-19 cases amid Omicron scare in Europe

COVID-19 infections in France hit a record rise on Saturday as health authorities recorded 1,04,611 new cases in 24 hours. The latest figures effectively broke the 1,00,000 threshold for the first time in France since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. The daily infections in the European nation surpassed 94,100 on Friday, jumping up from 58,500 last week. As the country is bracing for another COVID wave, Omicron "is set to become the dominant variant" in France, Health Minister Oliver Veran had said last week, Sputnik reported. As of Saturday, France reported 1,22,546 COVID-related fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic.

The latest records from France's public health agency come just ahead of a video conference to be held on Monday, in which French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to lay out new COVID safety measures. Meanwhile, France has tightened the issuance of health passes in the wake of the sudden surge of COVID-related infections, French national media reported. On Friday, the French health authority mandated booster dose in order to avail a health pass, which is also required to access cafes, restaurants and public spaces as well as international travel. Last week, French Prime Minister Jean Castex predicted that the Omicron variant is "spreading at a lightning speed" in Europe and will likely become "dominant in France" by the start of next year, BBC reported.

Omicron drives up cases to record highs in UK and Italy

Among all European countries, the United Kingdom has been the hardest hit with over 25,000 Omicron cases reported last week. On December 24, scientists in the UK warned the government that in the wake of the spread of the immune evasive Omicron variant, the daily numbers could reach between 6,00,000 to 2 million in the coming months in the absence of stringent measures. Additionally, SPI-M-O group experts have also warned that hospitalisations might reach 3,000 to 10,000 per day with nearly 600 to 6,000 deaths per day, The Guardian reported. Meanwhile, Italy recorded a third success record tally of COVID-19 cases on December 25. On Saturday, new cases touched 54,762 from 50,599 from a day before.

Considering the skyrocketing number of infections, UK government authorities have decided to propose additional restrictions from December 27, the Guardian reported. Ministers will gather to review alternative scenarios modelled for the government scientists by the University of Warwick. Any new regulation will be implemented only after UK PM Boris Johnson and his cabinet reach an agreement on the best course of action.

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