After the UK recorded its highest number of confirmed new COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began, France announced that it would tighten entry rules for those coming from Britain. 9News
driven in part by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have rattled Europe, prompting new restrictions on the Continent and fuelling a familiar dread on both sides of the Atlantic about entering a new phase of the pandemic just in time for the holidays.
Early data suggests that Omicron may be milder but better at evading vaccines — making booster shots more crucial. Experts have urged caution in particular about drawing conclusions because hospitalisations lag behind infections and because many variables contribute to how sick people get.Even if Omicron proves milder on the whole than Delta, it may disarm some of the lifesaving tools available and put immune-compromised and elderly people at particular risk.
Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, struck a more cautious note, advising people earlier in the week to limit their social contacts. Michael Stohl, 32, was relieved when he got the Pfizer vaccine last spring, but the spread of Omicron has turned his optimism to dread. People in the Netherlands, meanwhile, have been in a partial lockdown since November to curb a Delta-driven surge. While infection numbers are now declining, the government this week ordered elementary schools to close for Christmas a week early amid fears of a new rise. Authorities also sped up a booster campaign as caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte cited Britain as an example of how swiftly the variant can spread.
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