Omicron has become the main coronavirus strain in France where the number of infections has seen a big increase in the last few days, the country’s public health agency has said, Al-Jazeera reported.
“62.4 percent of tests showed a profile compatible with the Omicron variant” at the start of this week, compared to 15 percent the previous week, the agency said.
The strain has contributed to the current flare-up in cases, which topped 200,000 in the 24-hour period from Wednesday to Thursday.
In the US, health experts have urged Americans to prepare for severe disruptions in the first weeks of 2022, as the rising wave of COVID-19 cases led by the Omicron variant threatened hospitals, schools and other sectors impacting their daily lives.
Meanwhile, Australia’s city of Sydney is gearing up for New Year’s Eve celebrations on Friday despite a record Omicron surge. A total of 21,151 cases were reported on Friday.
Despite a vaccination rate of around 80 per cent, Spain will end 2021 with one of the highest incidences of coronavirus in Europe.
The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within 24 hours climbed to 1,086, the health ministry announced, the first time the 1,000 mark was exceeded.
Meanwhile, the authorities claim that the situation in the hospitals is still largely under control, also thanks to the high vaccination rate, as the vaccine in most cases ensures infection without symptoms or a milder course of the disease.
ZZ/PR