Covid-19: Omicron dey spread fast fast – French PM

Large crowd at Christmas market in Paris

Reuters

Di Omicron variant dey “spread at lightning speed” for Europe and go dey likely to become dominant for France by di start of next year, French Prime Minister Jean Castex don warn.

E tok on Friday, hours before France impose strict travel restrictions on those wey dey enter from di United Kingdom.

UK so far be di hardest hit for di region, with nearly 15,000 confamed Omicron cases on Friday.

Across di continent, health officials dey ready for a wave of infections.

Authorities announce additional restrictions for Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands on Friday as goments dey chook eye on how to tackle am.

Europe don already record more dan 89 million cases and 1.5 million Covid-related deaths, according to di latest EU figures.

But Germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach tell reporters on Friday say di kontri “must prepare for a challenge wey we bin never get like dis”, while im public health agency put France, Norway and Denmark as “high risk” due to rising number of infections for those kontries. Germany too report more dan 42,000 cases on Saturday, dis wna come down from 50,000 new infections wey dem record on Friday.

For Ireland, wia a third of new cases dem record na sake of di new variant, Taoiseach Micheál Martin say dem dey expect “to see infections for rate wey dey more dan anything we don see to date”.

Di warnings dey come as di UK report a record number of Covid infections for a third day in a row – more dan 93,000 – e dey largely driven by Omicron.

France close im borders to pipo wey dey travell from UK for business or tourism at 23:00 GMT on Friday, with long queues wey form for di Port of Dover and Eurostar terminals as pipo bin dey try to enta before di ban come into effect.

Dem no be di only kontri wey dey tighten dia controls. Earlier dis week, Italy, Greece and Portugal announce say visitors from di EU go need to present negative test result on arrival – even those wey don dey vaccinated.

Speaking hours before di new rules come in, Mr Castex say di travel restrictions be part of a series of measures wey dem dey bring in to stop di infections.

E include to shorten di gap between di second and third dose of vaccine, and e require a full vaccination to enta restaurants and long-distance public transport.

Additionally, all official New Years Eve celebrations and firework displays don dey cancelled.

Vehicles queue up for di entrance of Port of Dover, ahead of travel restrictions between France and Britain, sake of di coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, for Dover, Britain December 17, 2021

Reuters
Dis an long queues of cars for di Port of Dover on Friday as pipo try to enta enter France before travel restrictions start on Saturday

Meanwhile, for the Netherlands, Dutch health experts don say make di kontri go into a “strict” lockdown, local media dey report.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte say Omicron fit be di kontri dominant strain by January, similar to France.

Since late November, bars, restaurants and most shops don dey ordered to close between 17:00 and 05:00 local time. Dis measure bin suppose end before Christmas, but go now continue until 14 January.

Di Netherlands record more dan 15,400 infections on Friday – less dan previous days, but far higher overall dan any oda time during di pandemic.

Di hospitality industry for di Republic of Ireland say new rules from Monday wey mean pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas must close every night by 20:00 local time na sometin wey no go swett dem for belle..

Sports venues go get to operate at 50% capacity or get attendance numbers pegged at 5,000. Wedding celebrations go dey allowed to go on until midnight – with maximum of 100 guests.

Already a limit of four households na im dey allowed to socialise togeda inside one home.