The world heads for the New Year in the face of the COVID “tsunami”

Paris: Millions of people around the world saw a significant increase yesterday as a record coronavirus case caused by an Omicron variant warned that the COVID “tsunami” could overwhelm the medical system. Prepared for a reduced New Year celebration.

The coronavirus, first detected two years ago and proclaiming a pandemic in March 2020, killed more than 5.4 million people, caused an economic crisis, and saw society bounce inside and outside the blockade. .. The latest variant, Omicron, is thought to cause temporary mild illness, but has recently pushed infection levels to record levels in the United States, United Kingdom, France and other European countries, limiting governments. Have been forced to impose.

According to yesterday’s AFP aggregate, the number of new daily COVID cases worldwide exceeded 1 million for the first time and 7.3 million in the last 7 days. From Greece to Mexico, from Barcelona to Bali, and throughout Europe, authorities have closed or imposed a curfew on nightclubs, canceling or reducing public rallies.

In France, everyone over the age of 11 is required to wear a mask outdoors while walking through the streets of Paris from Friday. The nightclub is closed until January. In Spain, public festivals have been canceled in most regions and large cities except Madrid, compared to 18,000 in 2019, before the pandemic swept Europe.

Yesterday, the United Kingdom National Health Service announced that it would begin opening a temporary field hospital to contain the possibility of an overflow of inpatients in the United Kingdom.

“Scaffolding of war”

“Given the high levels of COVID-19 infection and increased hospitalization, the NHS is now on the scaffolding of the war,” said Stephen Powis, National Health Director. Indonesia, which has reported more than 4.2 million confirmed cases, will be deported from Bali on a resort island if foreign travelers are found to violate COVID health rules during the New Year. I warned that there is a possibility.

“Get ready to be kicked out,” Jamalli Manifruk, director of the Bali Immigration Bureau, told AFP. Carnivals, fireworks and gatherings of more than 50 people are banned in Bali during Christmas and New Year. Mexico City has also canceled a large New Year’s Eve celebration as a precautionary measure after an increase in COVID cases.
Aaron Rosas, an engineering student, said, “I feel this is questioning many of the things we already thought were safe. I’m scared, so I’m worried.” “By making that cancellation, they are sending a message in a way:’What do you know? This is serious,” said teacher Victor Arturo Madrid Contreras.

In Saudi Arabia, authorities have re-imposed social distance measures at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the sanctuary of Muslims, after recording the most infections in a few months. “Omicron is more contagious and circulates at the same time as the delta, so we are very concerned about the tsunami,” said WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Gebreyes.

“The brink of collapse”

“This continues to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers and the endangered health system.” According to a follower at Johns Hopkins University, Omicron has already been hit hardest. It has begun to overwhelm several hospitals in the United States, and the average of new cases over 7 days has reached 265,427.

Harvard epidemiologist and immunologist Michael Mina tweeted that the counts are probably just the “tip of the iceberg” due to lack of testing, and the actual numbers are likely to be much higher. “Half of my family has it,” said Victoria Sierrata at a Miami test site. “It’s like coming back like the first stage of COVID. It’s absolutely crazy.”

The NBA, NFL, and NHL are scrambling to keep teams competitive, and sports leagues are the best way to tune the coronavirus protocol to protect players, staff, and fans while maintaining schedules. Is working on. In China, residents of Xi’An, where 13 million people have been blocked, said Beijing was having a hard time finding enough food, even though it claimed it had enough supplies.

State television showed a video of workers in hazmat suits sorting eggs, meat and vegetables before delivering food to residents door-to-door. “I live … I drink porridge every day just to stay alive,” a resident named King told AFP that she was processing all supplies. – AFP