Description
Added on the 21/01/2022 11:59:57 - Copyright : France 24 EN
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has brought a "tidal wave" of new cases, according to the WHO. France has seen record numbers of positive cases – as have several other EU states. This week, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinated, limiting their access to certain social spaces like restaurants and cinemas as a means of convincing more of them to get their jabs. Meanwhile, more and more EU member states seem to be moving towards making vaccination mandatory. Austria is set to become the first EU country to make the jabs obligatory, as of February – with the measure valid until 2024.
French parliament starts to debate legislation that would require people to show proof of vaccination to go to a restaurant or cinema or take the train. The new law, which would do away with the option to show a negative test instead of having the jabs, has the backing of most parties and is almost certain to be passed by the lower house in a vote late on Monday or early on Tuesday.
Germany on Thursday imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated as it sought to break a dramatic surge in daily coronavirus infections exacerbated by the discovery of the Omicron strain. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries. FRANCE 24's Nick Spicer tells us more.
Moscow city authorities ordered all workers with public facing roles in the Russian capital to be vaccinated against Covid-19, one of the most forceful steps taken anywhere in the world to compel employees to get shots. A decree listed a range of jobs - from hairdressers, retailers and taxi drivers to bank tellers, teachers and performers - for which vaccination will now be obligatory. Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said the list covers more than 2 million workers in the city.
France’s Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that masks will be made mandatory in closed public spaces starting next week. Castex first brought the August 1 date, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, but the government then changed it, as Health Minister announced that Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise.
|
Support : Technical 
- Content 
- Editors 
