the Eiffel Tower dresses in blue, the world is shifting into the new year under the threat of the pandemic

A new year marked by the Covid-19, still omnipresent

Festivities canceled or severely framed: the world is preparing to enter a third year of a pandemic while contaminations are exploding but timid signs of hope appear.

More than 5.4 million people have died since the virus was identified in China in December 2019. Countless more have been infected. The emergence of the particularly contagious Omicron variant at the end of the year pushed over one million daily cases for the first time.

France became the latest country to announce that Omicron now has a majority in its territory on Thursday evening, after a significant progress “ virus in recent days.

Britain, the United States and even Australia, which had long been immune from the pandemic, are breaking records of new cases.

However, the distribution of vaccines to around 60% of the world’s population offers a glimmer of hope, although some poor countries still have limited access and a segment of the population remains reluctant to do so.

From Seoul to San Francisco, New Years celebrations have again been canceled or reduced. But those of Rio de Janeiro, which usually bring together 3 million people on Copacabana beach, are maintained. As in Times Square, New York, official events will be reduced, but crowds are still expected. Sydney, Australia’s largest city, also maintained its fireworks display.

source site-29