What new restrictions have been implemented in Europe and the US for Christmas and the end of the year?

For the second year in a row, the world will have to suspend or limit the Christmas and New Year holidays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, threatened by the accelerated rate of contagion presented by the new omicron variant, U.S and various nations of Europe they have had to resume some social restrictions that they had already lifted.

On Tuesday 14 the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned at a press conference that the omicron variant spreads “at a rate that we have not seen with any other.”

The maximum body in global health details that 77 countries have already reported infections with omicron, although the real figure could be much higher.

For this reason, nations have set off alarms with special emphasis on social and family gatherings planned for the end of the year, taking into account the transmission capacity of the variant.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has warned that “we must prepare (in Germany) for a challenge in a form that we have not yet known; even a gentler course (of the disease) will not make a big difference ”.

This, in turn, has had a serious impact on the already battered tourism and hotel industries in both regions.

THE BRITISH CASE

The clearest example, probably, is the one presented by the United Kingdom. The Advantage Travel Group, a conglomerate of 350 British travel agents, warned on Wednesday 15 that trips have been reduced by 40% in mid-December compared to the previous month. In addition, according to the Abta travel chamber, this sector has also suffered income losses of up to 78% during the year, according to one of its executives quoted by the AP agency.

The main reason is that the British territory faces a new wave of COVID-19 infections that have led, in turn, to the government reimposing restrictions with the intention of stopping the advance of omicron.

“This idea that (the variant) is a milder version of the virus is something that we must park and recognize how quickly it accelerates (its spread) among the population. So the best we can do is all get the booster dose (of the vaccine)“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned.

THE REST OF EUROPE

On Thursday 16, the European Commission held meetings with which it seeks to launch a joint response to the advance of omicron, especially focused on the distribution of more vaccines and the inoculation of as many inhabitants as possible.

“The extension of vaccination for all and the administration of booster doses are crucial and urgent”, Concluded the leaders.

However, beyond the joint response, almost all the nations of the Old Continent have taken action against the new wave of infections.

In countries such as France, Germany, Denmark or Italy, the measures vary from greater importance for the so-called COVID passports to the closure of discos or the early school holidays, in order to prevent minors from taking the virus home.

The Gallic government, in addition, launched a special restriction for travelers from the United Kingdom, who are prohibited from entering except for special exceptions. The measure was adopted by the Emmanuel Macron administration in response to the high rate of infections registered on British soil.

Nations such as Spain, on the other hand, are evaluating special restrictions for the holidays, but they have already issued recommendations such as avoiding family gatherings for Christmas or, if they do, that attendees take discard tests before attending.

EE.UU. IN ALERTA

In the United States, which continues to be the country most affected by the pandemic, measures vary between states. Currently, 22 of them have some type of restriction for travelers, both for those who come from abroad and for those who move within the same US territory.

However, 28 states have not yet imposed any restrictions on air travel.

Among those that apply the greatest controls to the arrival of travelers is Alaska, a state in which they require a discard test or the vaccination certificate, in addition to specifying the reason why they intend to enter the territory if they do not work in he.

President Joe Biden warned that omicron “it will spread much more quickly”In the country and urged to increase the rate of inoculation against the disease. “The only real protection is getting the injection”, He said in reference to completing the vaccination schedule and, in other cases, receiving the booster dose.

In this interactive map developed by Trade You can find out in detail what are the restrictions that have been applied -or in other cases, such as the Netherlands and Portugal, extended- in Europe and the United States with a view to Christmas and New Years.