As Covid-19 cases continue to rise across Europe, many countries have reinstated certain restrictions over the holidays.
Here are the key things to know:
France
France imposed restrictions on travelers entering the country from the United Kingdom, to slow the arrival of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Only essential travel from the UK to France is allowed, regardless of vaccination status. The travel restrictions were enforced starting Dec. 18.
France’s Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Dec. 17 that big outdoor events and gatherings will be banned on New Year’s Eve. This includes the consumption of alcohol in public spaces and the cancellation of fireworks and concerts.
France reported 91,608 new Covid infections on Thursday, an all-time high since the beginning of the pandemic.
Spain
Spain has reinstated its nationwide mandate for wearing masks outdoors — with exceptions for sports and large areas — from Christmas Eve, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Wednesday.
Meanwhile regionally, some governments are tightening restrictions even more, with Murcia banning non-essential activity from Dec. 24 until Jan. 14, according to the regional government’s news release.
In Catalonia, leaders are imposing a curfew from 1 a.m. until 6 a.m., closing night time venues and limiting social gatherings to 10 people, according to the release.
The measures will affect municipalities of over 10,000 residents with an incidence rate of 250 per 100,000 since Dec. 17. They are set to last for 15 days, from Christmas Eve.
Italy
Nightclubs will be closed and people will be banned from eating in public squares from Dec. 30 to Jan. 31, according to a government news release. On Friday, the outdoor mask mandate returned and the use of the Covid pass will be expanded from Feb. 1.
Netherlands
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced…
Source : cnn
