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Covid rules are being scrapped in Europe despite high omicron margin


People have a drink at a bar along the Rembrandtplein as cafes and restaurants reopen after the easing of Covid-19 measures, in Amsterdam on January 26, 2022. The Netherlands lifted it Some of Europe’s toughest Covid restrictions with bars, restaurants and museums allowed to reopen, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on January 25, 2022.

RAMON FLYMEN VALVE | AFP | beautiful pictures

LONDON – From the reopening of bars and restaurants to the removal of legal requirements for face masks, many of Europe’s largest economies are now easing Covid rules and restrictions- 19 to save their economy.

This comes despite high levels of infection across Europe, largely due to the spread of the omicron variant. But many governments are now impatient to reopen their societies, especially as the new variant causes fewer hospitalizations than previous strains, and as booster Covid vaccines continue. launched.

Many citizens in mainland Europe have become increasingly frustrated and angry with the restrictions, especially seeing that other countries like the UK have performed relatively well after it opted against the restrictions. tighter in the omicron wave.

On Thursday, Britain ended the legal requirement for face coverings and Covid tickets to enter certain places as the government relaxes so-called “Plan B” measures enacted before Christmas. .

Meanwhile in the Netherlands – which has some of the strictest regulations in Europe with the country partially closed before the holiday – bars, restaurants and museums were allowed to reopen on Monday. Wednesday though previously had to close at 10pm. For the rest, people are still advised to work from home and there is a limit on the number of guests that people can receive at home.

Announcing the easing of measures, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a televised address on Tuesday that “we are really taking risks today and we have to be clear about that.”

Denmark has also announced plans to cancel all Covid measures on February 1 with the Danish government released a statement on Wednesday that it has “decided that Covid-19 should no longer be classified as a critical illness after January 31, 2022” although there will still be some rules, such as wearing of masks in care facilities elderly.

While Covid cases have peaked and are falling in the UK, cases in France and Germany are still near records. On Wednesday, France reported just over 428,000 new Covid cases in the previous 24-hour period. Germany reports a new record of 164,000 new infections daily on the same day, but this happened on Thursday, with 203,136 new infections reported by the public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute.

Germany has yet to show any signs of easing its restrictions, but French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday (as more than 500,000 daily Covid cases are reported) that he believes France will peak within days. next. The government has signaled that it will relax work-from-home rules from early February and will then allow nightclubs to reopen a few weeks later.

While infection levels remain high, government officials have focused on data showing the breakdown of infection rates and hospital admissions when making a cautious reopening decision.

While the omicron is more transmissible than earlier variants like delta, it causes less illness (although the mass Covid vaccination coverage has improved) and the booster shots significantly improve the chances of getting sick. a person’s immunity against omicrons.

Different vaccination rates are affecting the speed with which governments are looking to reopen their economies, with programs ramping up in some countries more slowly than others.



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