► With the Omicron variant, hospitals in the Paris region are preparing for the worst
The regional health agency (ARS) of Ile-de-France asked the Ile-de-France health establishments “To deprogram as much of the surgical and medical activities as possible” from Monday January 3, due to the influx of Covid-19 patients. The Omicron variant is responsible for the majority of infections in the country, Public Health France announced.
→ READ. Covid-19: the Omicron variant now the majority in France
With 4,044 Covid patients hospitalized Thursday evening, including 732 in critical care, “The situation is very worrying”, underlines the ARS in a message sent to all hospitals and clinics in the region. To make matters worse, establishments also suffer “Very strong tensions on human resources”, especially nurses, and the “Flu epidemic peak”.
→ READ. Masks, tests, distance… Is Omicron forcing a review of the strategy?
So many reasons which therefore led the ARS to request deprogramming, while preserving ” for the moment “ certain specialties such as oncology, transplants, cardiac surgery, pediatrics and nephrology.
► “It will rock” in January, warns Martin Hirsch of the AP-HP
“It will rock”, warned in a interview at Échosos Martin Hirsch, director general of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), while the Delta variant continues “To lead to many admissions” and that the Omicron wave, more contagious according to the WHO, is gaining momentum.
→ EXPLANATION. Covid: in the hospital, the return of the “white plans”
If the shapes are rather “Light”, “We are seeing that it is already hitting a large number of caregivers, (…) the rate of absenteeism is increasing sharply, with more and more sick leaves and no full team”, Martin Hirsch alert.
► Ski resorts require the wearing of a mask outside in the city center
After Savoie and Haute-Savoie, wearing a mask is now compulsory in the town centers of most ski resorts in Isère and Hautes-Alpes, from this Friday December 31st to fight against degradation of the health situation, indicated the prefectures of the two departments.
In Isère, the obligation to wear a mask outdoors from the age of eleven has been extended until further notice to the resorts of Deux-Alpes, Alpe-d’Huez, Chamrousse and Villard-de-Lans , where the crowd is “Strong (…), especially at this time of the year”, specifies the prefecture in a press release. In the Hautes-Alpes, the prefecture has decided to extend this same restriction to “Snow fronts and in resort centers from December 31 and for a period of one month”.
► Vaccination: Israel begins administering the 4th dose to vulnerable people
A year after launching a first anti-Covid vaccination campaign, Israel on Friday began administering a fourth dose of the vaccine to vulnerable people in hopes of mitigating the effects of a new wave of contamination linked to the spread of the virus. Omicron variant. Health authorities on Thursday gave the green light to this new campaign for immunocompromised people following the booster dose campaign in the summer of 2021.
“Israel is leading the way by administering a 4e dose to its population. Our strategy to face Omicron is clear: the stronger the wave, the more protection we will need to face it ”, said the Ministry of Health, also reintroducing the use of sanitary masks in outdoor gatherings of more than 50 people.
→ READ. Pfizer’s anti-Covid pill cleared in US
Israel has also received a first shipment of anti-coronavirus pills from Pfizer as the number of infections continues to rise.
► In South Africa, an Omicron wave but no peak in deaths
South Africa, where Omicron was first detected last month, announced on December 30 that it passed the peak of the wave due to this variant, with only an increase “Marginal” deaths.
→ READ. Covid-19: the Omicron variant could be dominant in Europe from “mid-January”
“According to our experts, Omicron has reached its peak without translating into a significant or alarming change in the number of hospitalizations”, commented the minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele, assuring that the government would remain vigilant to the slightest development to the contrary. The nighttime curfew, in place for almost two years, had been reduced to hours between midnight and 4 a.m. On the eve of the New Year’s celebrations, he is finally up.
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