Grim COVID milestones amid Omicron surge

Europe surpasses 100m infections by Jan 1; America registers over 1m daily cases

PARIS — Europe has recorded more than 100 million coronavirus cases, or more than a third of all infections worldwide, since the start of the pandemic, according to a tally from Agence France-Presse.

The continent is battling an upsurge in cases spurred on by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The European region, including 52 countries and territories from the Atlantic coast to Azerbaijan and Russia, has recorded more than 100 million COVID-19 infections by Jan 1.

Across the Atlantic, the United States reported a shocking record 1.08 million new cases on Jan 3, adding to its total of 57.06 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

More than 4.9 million cases have been reported in Europe over the seven days to Jan 1, with 17 countries and territories in the continent beating their previous case records in a single week.

France alone has recorded more than 1.26 million new cases that week, which is equivalent to 10 percent of all its positive cases.

The cumulative number of cases in France surpassed the 10 million mark on Jan 1, and a record 271,974 new cases were detected on Jan 4.

The French Health Ministry announced that almost 53 million people have received at least one vaccine dose by Jan 1, about 78.5 percent of the population. Almost 25 million have received booster shots.

In new measures, it was made mandatory for those from the age of 6 to wear face masks in certain public areas beginning on Jan 3. As schools reopened, the government has asked the institutions to prioritize physical activities outdoors when possible.

The countries with the highest ratio of infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the world were all in Europe. Denmark scored worst with 2,045, followed by Cyprus with 1,969 and Ireland with 1,964.

However, COVID-19 deaths are decreasing in Europe. It recorded on average 3,413 coronavirus deaths a day on the week leading up to Jan 1, a 7 percent drop from the previous week. At its worst, that average saw 5,735 deaths a day in January 2021.

Overall, more people are vaccinated on the European continent than the worldwide average. Sixty-five percent of Europeans are partially vaccinated, while 61 percent are fully vaccinated — more than the 58 and 49 percent respectively worldwide, according to online tracker Our World in Data. Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health

Organization estimates that the overall death toll worldwide could be two to three times higher.

Around the world, virus surges dampened New Year’s celebrations, with events canceled and tens of millions affected by restrictions.

The United Kingdom has put in place some precautions but has so far refused to curb socializing and large events despite record case numbers.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have all rolled out new rules limiting gatherings since Christmas.

People in many parts of the world have grown increasingly weary of restrictions, sparking regular protests and defiance in some countries.

Dutch police broke up a rave that was attended by hundreds in a disused factory on Jan 1 in breach of COVID-19 rules, local media reported.

Dozens of police officers entered the makeshift venue in the central town of Rijswijk with hundreds more mobilized to shepherd people away, NOS television reported.

In Germany’s Stuttgart city, about 100 activists attempted to stage an unauthorized protest against COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions.

Elsewhere, the virus continues to rage, with Australia battling a surge, logging 71,495 new infections on Jan 5 — over 10 percent of its 608,803 confirmed cases — according to JHU data. More than 64 percent of its total cases were recorded in December.

As of Jan 5, India had logged 35.02 million cases, roughly 1 percent of which were recorded in the past month. Of Indonesia’s 4.26 million total infections, just 299 new cases were logged on Jan 5.