For the second year in a row, billions of people are celebrating Christmas “enough” for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its highly contagious Omicron variant, resulting in thousands of flights being canceled and delayed. Weekend.
Also read: Live | Recent developments on COVID-19
Also read: 100,000 pollution milestone crossed in France
Also read: 5,600 flights worldwide were canceled due to Omicron
The blessing of Pope Francis Urby et RB began in the afternoon in front of the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
AFP
The next day at a Mass in the Basilica in front of only 2,000 masked believers, Francis called for “dialogue” in the face of the temptation to “turn on himself.”
The 85-year-old sovereign pope announced, inviting, “internationally,” the trend of “in this time of epidemic, our ability to maintain social relations will be damaged, folding over each other, going alone”. We stay in the “ways of conversation”.
He spoke in support of the US Alliance, but said that maintaining some independence was not the answer.
In London, meanwhile, some are unpacking their gifts, while others are already queuing up for vaccinations.
AFP
Faced with a “tidal wave” of pollution with the Omicron variant, the British government began a general equation for injecting booster doses into all adults in the United Kingdom later this year. With millions of injections per day, the pace is not so strong.
“However, because of Kovid, we (Christmas) can not be celebrated as we like, we can still enjoy many happy traditions,” as British Queen Elizabeth suggested in her speech, such as Christmas songs and Christmas tree decoration. II, was responsible for her stay at Windsor Castle.
In France, Christmas Day is synonymous with a new record in terms of health, with more than 100,000 new cases per day, according to officials. The government will pass a bill on Monday mandating a vaccination pass.
The Omicron variant also dominates Portugal, accounting for more than 61% of cases and infections within 24 hours from January, despite having the highest vaccination coverage rate in the world.
AFP
In the Philippines, Fr.
Dozens of worshipers prayed for shelter and food and good weather.
As pilots and hostesses were detained, airlines had to cancel more than 5,600 flights worldwide this weekend, with many of the routes connecting to the United States and thousands of flights delayed.
Millions of Americans have crossed their country, yet the Omicron wave has already surpassed the peak of the Delta variant, with an average of 171,000 daily cases in seven days. Hospitals were overcrowded.
AFP
During his first Christmas at the White House, Joe Biden praised the “immense courage” of Americans in the wake of the epidemic and called on them to seek “light” and unity in adversity.
If conventions in general are easier than in 2020, with the exception of the Netherlands, the epidemic has once again affected the festivals. Broadway had to cancel Christmas shows in New York City and Spain and Greece inevitably reintroduced the open mask.
China reported 140 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the highest in four months. The country is rushing to contain the epidemic shortly before the Winter Olympics in February.
Many Australians may travel back to their home country, for the first time since the outbreak of the epidemic, further strengthening the Christmas spirit in a country facing record levels of pollution.
AFP
Sydney (Southeast) Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher in his Christmas message praised the “moving scenes where people meet at airports months later”.
In Latin America, outgoing Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced that his country would give a fourth dose of vaccine against the coronavirus from February.
And in Ecuador, it is now mandatory to vaccinate against covid from the age of five, this age being the first in the world for them. So far, only a few countries have made the vaccine mandatory.
AFP
The pandemic has killed at least 5,391,404 people worldwide since the end of 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Saturday. The World Health Organization estimates that the actual toll could be two to three times higher.
According to the AFP database, the epidemic has accelerated in almost all parts of the world over the past week, with the exception of the Middle East and Asia.
The pandemic did not completely destroy the magic of Christmas and its charitable spirit. In Brazil, a black Santa Claus arrived by helicopter delivering food packages to residents of Penha Favela in Rio de Janeiro (southeast).
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