:format(jpg):focal(1275x859:1285x849):watermark(cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ipmgroup/5IDEBLR7ERC5TMAPLOHS63MVNM.png,0,30,0)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ipmgroup/JNLVSESPAJC7JO4ZZYRUNRQAOY.jpg "Coronavirus around the world: UK tightens travel rules, no New Years in Rio due to Omicron variant")
Europe
UK
Travelers wishing to travel to the UK will need to get tested for the coronavirus before hitting the road, the UK government decided on Saturday. London wants to slow down the spread of the Omicron variant. This new temporary measure will come into effect on Tuesday. Travelers will need to be able to show proof of a negative test less than 48 hours old. This also applies to people who have been vaccinated.
Ten million French people have received their booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Saturday evening.
“10 million French people have taken their booster dose to maintain their protection against Covid. New meetings will continue to open every day so that all eligible people can make their recall on time,” he said. he tweeted.
The objective set by the government for this weekend has therefore been achieved.
Ten days ago, the government announced that all adults were now eligible for a booster dose, prompting an influx of appointment bookings.
For the Minister of Health, there is no logistical difficulty likely to prevent the smooth running of this recall campaign which aims at a “firewall effect” against the fifth wave of the epidemic.
Health officials reiterated on Friday that there would be no shortage of vaccine doses.
From January 15, the booster dose will be mandatory for 18-64 year olds so that their health pass remains valid.
This does not mean that the injection must necessarily have been made before this date which simply corresponds to the entry into force of the mechanism: from January 15, the pass of these people will be deactivated if they have not had their booster dose at most 7 months after the last injection.
America
Brazil
The city of Rio de Janeiro will not celebrate the New Year with the usual festivities due to the arrival in Brazil of the new Omicron variant, city authorities announced on Saturday.
This decision raises fears of a possible cancellation of the famous carnival, already canceled last year due to the Covid-19 epidemic. “We are going to cancel the official celebration of the New Year”, the festivities that usually bring together on Copacabana beach, with music and fireworks, some three million people, announced “with sadness” the mayor of the city, Eduardo Paes, on Twitter.
So far, Brazil has six confirmed cases of people infected with the Omicron variant, two in Brasilia, one in Porto Alegre, and three in Sao Paulo, which also canceled its New Year celebrations on Friday.
About 20 other provincial capitals (out of 27 in all) have made the same decision.
According to the WHO, the Omicron variant has been identified in 38 countries. No deaths linked to this new mutation in SARS-CoV-2 have been reported to date. Belgium has recorded nine cases of contamination by Omicron on its territory.
Africa
Morocco
The Moroccan government has decided to ban all festivals and major cultural and artistic events due to the spread of the new Omicron variant, according to a statement. This decision was taken “on the basis of the legal provisions relating to the management of the state of health emergency and reinforcement of the necessary preventive measures aimed at limiting the spread of the new coronavirus”, indicates the press release relayed Friday evening by the MAP press agency.
This brief press release does not specify either the date of entry into force of the ban or the type of cultural and artistic events concerned.
However, according to Moroccan media, citing government sources on Saturday, this measure – which has sown some confusion in cultural circles – mainly concerns major events, fairs or ceremonies which bring together large crowds.
However, theaters, cinema and exhibition halls, museums, art galleries and bookstores are not affected by the ban.
Morocco is renowned for the number and quality of its major music festivals (Essaouira, Rabat, Fez), dance (Casablanca) and cinema (Marrakech).
In addition, all sporting events – such as the National Division 1 football championship – have been held without an audience since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
In its press release, the government reiterates its appeal to Moroccans to join “the national vaccination campaign” and to take all precautionary measures, “in order to preserve the gains made and contribute to the gradual return to normal life in the kingdom” .
The epidemiological situation is constantly improving, which has led the authorities to lift the night curfew imposed for months.
But since Monday evening, the Moroccan authorities have closed the air and sea borders for a period of two weeks due to the resumption of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tourism professionals fear that this drastic measure will deal a fatal blow to this vital sector for Morocco’s economy, already weakened by nearly two years of health crisis.
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