As the fast-spreading omicron variety hampers the French government’s efforts to avoid a new lockdown, France has registered more than 100,000 viral infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic, and Covid-19 hospitalizations have doubled in the past month.
According to the regional health authority, more than one in every 100 people in the Paris region has tested positive in the last week. The omicron variety, which government specialists estimate will become prevalent in France in the coming days, is responsible for the majority of new infections. Omicron already has a stronghold in the United Kingdom, just across the English Channel.
The government of President Emmanuel Macron will conduct emergency talks on Monday to consider steps to stop the further spread of the virus. Some scientists and educators have advocated for delaying the resumption of school after the holidays or for reinstituting a curfew. However, the France education minister announced that schools will return on January 3rd, as usual.
