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In some European countries, people have not welcomed the resumption of restrictive measures by the authorities, in an attempt to control the rise in coronavirus infections following the emergence of the disturbing “Omicron” variant.
The Dutch government was the first to impose a new nationwide isolation starting on Sunday. Incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte said all non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants in the Netherlands would be closed by 14 January. This decision, which caused a disappointment to the citizens, also prohibits the gathering of many people during the end-of-year holidays.
Thousands of peaceful protesters demonstrated in downtown Brussels this Sunday, for the third time. Numerous police forces were deployed in the streets waiting for the crowds, given that previous protests had ended in violence.
The Brussels protest came a day after protests in other European capitals, including Paris and London.
A vaccination certificate will be required in France in January to allow people to enter public places, and the government hopes the measure will persuade more citizens to get vaccinated. Health authorities in France are also expected to approve vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11, another policy many protesters oppose.
Protests against the restrictions in London ended in violence. Police clash with a group of protesters near Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s residence. A number of officers were injured, but no arrests have been made so far, police said.
Britain is in an alarming situation in terms of the number of infections from the “Omicron” variant, while health authorities say that this may be just the tip of the iceberg. The pressure on the health system is also increasing as hospital admissions have increased by 30 percent.
Similar protests against the restrictive measures took place in Spain, Italy and Germany.
The World Health Organization reports that the “Omicron” variant of the coronavirus has been detected in 89 countries.voa
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