In the wake of holiday gatherings amid the much more transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, a number of European nations today reported new daily record highs, including France, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Hospitalizations rising at a slower pace
France yesterday reported a record 271,686 cases, with the number likely to top 300,000 today. The country's surge comes as French lawmakers advance a vaccine-pass bill through Parliament in an attempt to avoid more restrictive measures for the whole population and to ease pressure on health systems, according to ABC News.
The country's hospitalization level has been growing but not at the same pace as overall COVID-19 infections.
Denmark's Statens Serum Institute reported more than 28,000 cases today, a new daily record, and predicted that daily cases could range from 25,000 to 55,000 cases a day toward the end of January. The group said daily hospitalization levels could range from 150 to 360 a day, with as many as 25% initially receiving treatment for conditions other than COVID-19.
Switzerland today reported a record 31,109 cases, reflecting a 66% increase from the 7-day average. Meanwhile, hospitalizations were up 5%, and the intensive care unit (ICU) level showed a small drop. Business leaders in Switzerland are calling for eased quarantine restrictions to prevent staff shortages and disruptions.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands also reported a new daily high today, with 24,590 new cases, with younger people, especially those in their 20s, the hardest hit group. Amsterdam and Rotterdam are two of the main hot spots. However, hospitalizations declined to the lowest level in 8 weeks.
And in Germany, cases are rising again, after falling in December, according to Reuters. Health officials say the Omicron variant makes up about 25% of Germany's cases, but they expect it to become dominant in the next few days.
More global headlines
- Brazil's COVID-19 cases are rising, with a jump in confirmed Omicron cases, according to Reuters. Some cities have cancelled upcoming Carnival parades, including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte.
- In Asia, Thailand's cases are starting to rise, and officials are considering new measures to slow the spread, and Japan is battling a doubling of infections in Okinawa prefecture, with the activity linked to clusters at US military bases.
- The global total today climbed to 297,048,673 cases, and 5,463,317 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
