France tightens border crossings, Austria restricts unvaccinated people

France tightens border crossings

France decided to tighten the conditions for access to the national territory. Since Saturday, November 13, unvaccinated travelers from Belgium over the age of 12 must submit a negative PCR or antigen test, which is done within 24 hours compared to 72 hours previously. Belgium recorded a 39% increase in new daily infections in one week.

Read alsoCOVID-19: Why is Eastern and Northern Europe more affected by the renewed epidemic?

These restrictive measures, which also concern Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, were taken by decree published last Thursday in Official Gazette To respond to the outbreak of pollutants that these countries have witnessed since the beginning of this month.

Let’s see also – Austria wants to ‘give the green light to contain’ the unvaccinated to curb the Covid-19 epidemic

Unvaccinated people are confined to Austria

The Austrian chancellor announced on Sunday The lockdown took effect Monday for people who have not been vaccinated or who have not recently contracted Covid-19, in an effort to stem the record number of new cases. “the situation is dangerous (…). We do not take this action with a soft heart but unfortunately it is necessaryAlexander Schallenberg said at a press conference in Vienna.

About 65% of the population has received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country, one of the lowest rates in Europe. And more than 13,000 new cases were recorded on Saturday in this country of 9.8 million people, the highest rate since the beginning of the epidemic.

Latvian MPs comment that they are not immune

Latvian parliament Vote for the law which prevents national and local lawmakers who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 from voting, participating in debates and receiving a salary.

Latvia was the first to re-impose the lockdown this fall to curb the new wave of the epidemic. The peak of 3,206 new cases reported was reached on October 27 but since then new infections have declined. The country of 1.9 million people is still hoping to increase the full vaccination rate of its population, which is among the lowest in the European Union, to 58.1%.

Returning to remote work in Germany

Germany is preparing for a massive return to remote work, according to a bill consulted by AFP on Sunday, in a bid to stem a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the plan to return to remote work, German employers will have to offer the possibility of working from home in the absence of “compelling professional reasonto come to the office. Anyone who goes to work will also be required to prove that they have been vaccinated or tested negative.

The reintroduction of the homework rule, which was lifted in early July, comes as Germany faces an alarming resurgence of the pandemic. The number of infections and deaths has risen sharply since mid-October, in a country where the vaccination rate barely exceeds 67%.

Covered by COVID-19, Bulgaria called to the polls

Bulgarians Voting on Sunday in the third legislative elections of the year, in the midst of the fourth wave of Covid-19 in this country considered the least immunized in the European Union. Hospitals are overcrowded and nearly 200 people die from the coronavirus every day while less than a quarter of the population of 6.9 million is vaccinated.

Three Covid patients died during the night from Saturday to Sunday in a hospital fire in Sliven (southeast). The country’s hospitals, often poorly maintained, are currently overwhelmed by the influx of coronavirus patients.

Let’s see also – “The next Bulgarian government will come from the coalition,” says Kirill Petkov.

Morocco tightens border controls

Morocco, a major tourist country, has decided to strengthen border controls due to the increase in cases of Covid-19 virus in Europe.

In addition to the mandatory health permits and negative PCR tests, upon arrival in Morocco, a double check will be carried out by thermal cameras and electronic thermometers, as well as antigen tests. These measures concern all persons coming from the so-called countries “list b», France, several European Union countries in addition to the United Kingdom, Algeria and Tunisia.

Clashes in the Netherlands

Dutch police announced that they arrested 15 people on Saturday evening in the northern Dutch town of Leeuwarden, after… Clashes with hundreds of people Not satisfied with premature closing of bars.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced, on Friday, the re-implementation of partial containment with a series of health restrictions, to deal with a record number of Covid-19 cases. Bars and restaurants must now close at 8:00 PM (7:00 PM GMT).

Let’s see also – Covid-19: Hundreds of people protest against new restrictions in the Netherlands

Demonstration in Switzerland

Several thousand people Saturday demonstration in Geneva Against the anti-Covid measures put in place by the federal government and saying no to the law framing anti-Covid measures, which will be submitted to referendum on November 28.

At the beginning of November, a poll showed that “Yes» 69% winner of this vote. Swiss authorities are trying to mobilize in favor of vaccination while the country has a lower coverage rate than its neighbors (64.6% of the population fully vaccinated on November 10).

Guadeloupe: Air traffic disrupted due to traffic control system

Air traffic was disrupted on Saturday At the international airport on the French island of Guadeloupe by anti-health protesters who blocked access.

Read alsoCOVID-19: Should a health card be replaced with a vaccination card?

Local media reported that hundreds of protesters, with firefighters on the front line, crowded the access road to the airport, as the tourist season began in Guadeloupe.

Nearly 5.1 million dead

The epidemic has killed nearly 5.1 million people worldwide since the WHO office in China reported the outbreak at the end of December 2019, according to a report released Sunday around 11:00 GMT by AFP from sources formal.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (762,962), ahead of Brazil (611,222), India (463,530), Mexico (291,089) and Russia (255,386). The World Health Organization (WHO), taking into account the increase in deaths directly and indirectly related to Covid-19, estimates that the epidemic toll could be two to three times higher than that officially established.