Dec. 28 (UPI) — France announced tightened COVID-19 protocols on Monday while Britain said it will not implement new restrictions before the new year.
The differing strategies came as the rapid spread of the Omicron variant spurred record-breaking daily case counts in both countries over the weekend with Britain tallying 122,185 new infections on Saturday and France adding 104,611.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced during a press conference Monday that working from home will become “mandatory” beginning Jan. 3.
Under the rules, public indoor gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people while outdoor gatherings will be limited to 5,000.
Night clubs will remain closed until further notice while cafes and bars will only be able to provide table service. Eating and drinking on long distance transport will be banned and mask-wearing will be required in city centers.
Starting Jan. 15, France will also tighten restrictions for its vaccine passes, eliminating the option of providing only a negative test to enter bars and restaurants. That measure is pending parliamentary approval.
Castex said not getting vaccinated “is a deliberate act of endangering others, no personal conviction can justify this.”
The prime minister added he wants authorities to more severely penalize those who use fake COVID-19 passes and announced that as of Tuesday the nation will reduce the window for receiving a booster shot from four months after the final dose of the original vaccine regimen to two.
Conversely, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowed nightclubs to remain open on New Year’s Eve while also providing a go-ahead for mass events.
“We will continue to monitor the data carefully, but there will be no new restrictions introduced in England before the new year,” Johnson wrote in a series of tweets. “However, I would urge everyone to continue to act cautiously given the rising number of Omicron cases. Most importantly I urge everyone to get their first, second or booster jab without delay to protect yourselves and your loved ones.”
British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said people should take steps to protect themselves and others over the holiday.
“We won’t be taking any further measures. Of course people should remain cautious as we approach New Year celebrations and take a lateral flow test if that makes sense, celebrate outdoors if you can, have some ventilation indoors if you can,” he said.
