Ómicron casts a shadow over New Years celebrations around the world

After battling the coronavirus for too long, the world fully understands Belgium’s word of the year: “knaldrang!” – the urge to celebrate, the need to let go. However, as the New Year celebrations approach, the omicron variant increasingly darkens the atmosphere.

Monday was a good example, as several governments consider imposing additional restrictions on a variety of measures and quarantines already in place in Europe.

In the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious issues, said in an interview with ABC that due to omicron, “this will get worse before it gets better.”

The French government and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were evaluating the latest data and the need to reduce record numbers of COVID-19 infections with additional measures to keep people apart at a time when they sincerely long to be together.

But with hints that omicron could be a lighter variant despite its enormous transmissibility, politicians were caught between spoiling another party again or playing it safe to avoid the collapse of healthcare systems.

To further complicate matters, the full data from the Christmas weekend was missing, making it difficult to record omicron cases.

In Belgium, people faced the first real test on Monday with several new measures. Purchases were limited to a maximum of two adults, possibly accompanied by children, and cinemas and concert halls closed at a time when countless families were vacationing together.

Orders to close theaters and art centers were particularly criticized.

“We also need it for our mental health. It is the only way for people to live experiences, tell stories. It is of paramount importance for us to be open in these complicated and complex times ”, said Michael De Kok, artistic director of the Teatro Real Flamenco.

Even mass celebrations, such as the New Year’s fireworks for which thousands of people usually flock to Brussels in search of the best view, were canceled. Nightclubs have already closed, and restaurants and bars must close at 11pm.

In the UK, more and more similar measures are being imposed. Scotland will close its nightclubs on Monday after Northern Ireland and Wales closed on Sunday, although they remain open in England. They are expected to report the latest data on the spread of omicron to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has resisted ordering new restrictions, but has not ruled them out.

France recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic, and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled in the past month. The government of President Emmanuel Macron was in an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss next steps to attack the virus.