Due to the spread of omicron, Christmas flights to some parts of the world have been lifted and restrictions have been tightened

Millions of people around the world are facing travel disruptions and increased restrictions on the spread of Covid-19 this Christmas as the rapid spread of omicrons has led to tighter security bubbles and canceled flights.

Italy, Spain and Greece have tightened restrictions, again making it mandatory to wear masks even when outdoors.

Catalonia, in northern Spain, has set a curfew at night, while the Netherlands has introduced a strict housekeeping.

Despite scientists’ findings to date that the omicron variant of Covid-19 is milder than other variants, scientists are concerned about an increase in infections.

In the United Kingdom, France and Italy, for example, a record number of infections were recorded on Thursday, 23 December.

Meanwhile, the local number of omicron cases in the United States has risen above the peak of the recent Delta wave, and the number of inpatients is rising across the country.

Dr Anthony Fauch, America’s leading expert on infectious diseases, warned earlier this week that Christmas travel would increase the prevalence of the omicron variant, even among fully vaccinated people.

On Christmas Eve, U.S. airlines said they were already suffering from staff shortages as flight crew members tested positive for Covid-19 and were forced to isolate themselves. According to information published on FlightAware’s website, United Airlines has canceled around 150 scheduled flights on 24 December due to a “nationwide increase in omicron cases”. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines has canceled 90 flights and Alaska Airlines another 17 flights after some employees were “suspected of being exposed to the virus,” according to AFP.

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In Australia, the spread of Covid-19 on Friday also affected thousands of Christmas trips, with more than 100 domestic flights from Sydney and Melbourne to other cities canceled.