France has announced that it is extending all current restrictions to fight the pandemic, while tightening the border closure with the United Kingdom to try to stop the arrival of the British variant of the virus.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced this Thursday that the restrictions in force, including the closure of all hospitality and cultural businesses, will continue, in the best of cases, until the end of January, without ruling out additional measures and even a third confinement.
The government also promises to speed up vaccination, infuriatingly slow, as the virus progresses, slower than in neighboring countries, but at cruising speed, with more than 20,000 new cases daily.
“We are far from the target of 5,000 cases per day, which corresponds to the epidemic control threshold the French Prime Minister explained. The pressure on our health system is high. We are not out of the woods. We must return to a downward trend. “
France limits entry from the UK to the maximum and imposes a PCR test
Above all because Around twenty cases have already been detected, in two different foci, of the dreaded and ultracontagious British strain of the virus. Consequently, as Jean Castex explained, France has decided to also extend and tighten the border closure with the United Kingdom. “Only very specific categories of people will be allowed to enter” and with a mandatory PCR test.
United Kingdom: more than a thousand dead, 30,000 admitted and ‘battle techniques’ to vaccinate
On the other side of the English Channel, the situation is very serious. The United Kingdom registered more than a thousand deaths on Thursday. In addition, more than 30,000 patients were admitted to hospitals where there are no more beds and the people are exhausted.
Boris Johnson Government Policy: Vaccinate, Vaccinate and Vaccinate, using Army strategies, with the ambitious goal of immunizing 13 million people by mid-February.
“Let’s be clear, this is a national challenge on a scale never seen before and will require an unprecedented effort. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. And, of course, there will be difficulties. But as we explain, The Army is working hand in hand with the National Health Service and municipalities to establish a vaccination network, using battle preparation techniques to help us keep up. “
Portugal extends restrictions and announces tougher measures
The whole of Europe is still under the boot of the virus. Portugal is breaking infection records like it had not done in the first wave, with around 10,000 infections a day. Consequently, the government has announced an extension of the current restrictions to most of the country and announces tougher measures next week.
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