Europe is reporting near vertical rises in Covid-19 cases as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the continent.
Cyprus on Tuesday announced it had recorded the world's highest Covid-19 infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants over the past seven days.
At 2,505 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it was followed by Denmark (2,117), Ireland (1,946), Greece (1,762) and France (1,680).
On Tuesday, the UK reported a total of 218,000 daily cases, with an infection rate of 1,596 per 100,000 people.
France reported a record-breaking 271,686 daily virus cases on Tuesday as Omicron races across the country, burdening hospital staff and threatening to disrupt transport, schools and other services.
The French government is straining to avoid a new economically damaging lockdown and is instead trying to rush a vaccine pass bill through Parliament in hopes that it is enough to protect hospitals.
But with Europe’s highest total of confirmed daily virus cases, after weeks of record-breaking figures, France is in an increasingly challenging position.
More than 20,000 people are in hospital with the virus in France, a number that has been rising steadily for weeks but not as sharply as the infection rates.
Covid-19 patients fill more than 72 per cent of France’s intensive care beds and a once-renowned healthcare system is again showing signs of strain.
Most virus patients in ICUs are not vaccinated, though 77 per cent of the population has had at least two doses.
More than 123,000 people with the virus have died in the country, among the world’s higher death tolls.
A growing number of people in France cannot work because they are sick or have been in close contact cases, disrupting some hospitals and forcing the cancellation of some regional trains, among other services.
The French government has imposed some restrictions on crowds and reimposed mask requirements outdoors in some places, in addition to indoor mask requirements.
The surge is also forcing candidates for April presidential election to scale back campaign events.
Europe has once again become the pandemic's epicentre and is battling an upsurge of cases spurred by the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the virus.
The European region, including 52 countries and territories from the Atlantic coast to Azerbaijan and Russia, has recorded 100,074,753 infections of Covid-19 over the past two years, an AFP tally of official figures showed — more than a third of all infections worldwide.
The calculations are based on official figures, but some infections could have gone undetected, for example if patients were asymptomatic.
Of the European infections, more than 4.9 million have been reported over the past seven days alone, with 17 out of 52 countries or territories beating their previous records of most cases in a single week.
Covid-related deaths are, however, decreasing in Europe.
Europe recorded on average 3,413 coronavirus deaths a day over the past week, a 7 per cent drop from the previous week. At its worst, in January last year, that average was 5,735 deaths a day.
This could be due to the fact that Europeans are now, on the whole, more vaccinated than the worldwide average.
Sixty-five per cent of Europeans are partially vaccinated, while 61 per cent are fully vaccinated, the Our World in Data website showed.
Though taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the World Health Organisation estimates the overall death toll worldwide could be two to three times higher than official figures show.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
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RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Mountain%20Boy
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
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