The rise in Covid cases driven by the omicron variant of the coronavirus has led Spain to reintroduce the mandatory use of outdoor masks, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced this Wednesday (22).
With about 80% of the population vaccinated against the disease and the application of the booster dose of the immunizing agent advancing, the Spanish government managed to contain the fourth wave that reached other countries in Europe, but the situation worsened with the arrival of the micron.
The numbers of the disease soared in the country, leading to a record of almost 50,000 new infections on Tuesday (21), although the volume of hospitalizations and patients in intensive care remains low, when compared to other waves of Covid.
Omicron accounted for nearly half of all new infections reported in Spain in the week ended December 18, up from 3% the week before. Prime Minister Sanchez’s government also plans to allocate 292 million euros (BRL 1.8 billion) to strengthen the primary care sector.
The prime minister’s administration is dealing with the challenge of promoting agreements between regional administrations, which conflict over measures taken to curb the spread of the disease.
In Catalonia, where ICU occupancy is almost double the national average of 30%, the left-wing administration has ordered the closure of nightclubs and imposed limits on meetings. In the capital Madrid, conservative leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso promised to keep the tourism sector unrestricted regardless of the unfolding of the pandemic.
The worsening of the health crisis is not unique to Spain. The United Kingdom registered on Wednesday the record number of 106,000 new cases of Covid daily, according to official information.
Data from the Health Safety Agency show that confirmed cases of omicrons have reached 69,147 in England. In Scotland, there are already 1,652 Covid cases due to the new variant, and in Wales, 941. No updated figures are available for Northern Ireland due to data flow problems.
The United Kingdom had, as of Tuesday (21), 195 patients hospitalized with omicron, and 18 deaths of people infected with the variant were confirmed. The total number of Covid patients admitted exceeds 8,000, which is an increase over the past seven days, but is below the levels of more than 38,000 admissions reached in January of this year.
The country is one of the most affected by Covid in Europe, prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce a series of measures to combat the pandemic, such as the requirement of proof of vaccination for certain spaces — a package that has led to a rift within the Party Conservative, of which it is part.
Faced with the explosion of cases of the disease, Boris again stated, on Monday (20), that he would not hesitate to introduce more restrictions. Still, on Wednesday, England announced a reduction from ten to seven days of the quarantine period for vaccinated people who have been infected with the coronavirus.
Authorities reasoned that the measure was based on updated guidance from health experts and that it could help alleviate the burden on health services, which see the workforce shrinking as more employees are with Covid.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the move was based on guidance from the government’s Health Safety Agency and that a week-long isolation period along with two Covid tests with negative results had about the same protective effect than an isolation period of 10 days.
The scenario has also changed in Portugal, a country that has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 87% of the population with a complete vaccination schedule. Almost 9,000 new cases were registered on Tuesday (21), the highest number since the beginning of February.
Health Minister Marta Temido said the micron will trigger a record number of infections in the coming days, and Prime Minister Antonio Costa urged people to limit their personal contacts as much as possible. The government announced new restrictions, such as closing nightclubs and bars, and urged citizens to work from home for at least two weeks after Christmas.
In Sweden, the government, which has already had its response to the health crisis described as slow and insufficient by an independent commission, imposed a limit of 50 people in private meetings and the need for proof of vaccination at events with more than 500 people. Bars and restaurants can only serve seated customers, and stores will have to limit the number of customers to avoid crowding.
The Nordic country registered 12,681 new cases of Covid from Saturday (18) to Monday (20), and the number of new infections is expected to increase in the coming weeks due to the more communicable omicron. The peak projected by the authorities would be in January and could reach 15,000 new cases daily, a record number.
“The pace of new infections is increasing rapidly and we are seeing more pressure on the healthcare system,” newly elected Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told reporters. “The spread of the new omicron variant is worrying.”
The German government projects that omicron will become the dominant strain in the country within three weeks and has ordered 80 million doses of vaccine against Covid for delivery between April and May 2022.
The country’s authorities announced on Tuesday new limits on private meetings, the closing of clubs and discotheques and the ban on fans in football matches from 28 December.
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