France to ban nonessential UK travel

France is imposing a ban on all nonessential travel to and from Britain as the United Kingdom reports an increase in its omicron caseload.

The government said in a statement on Thursday that there would be a "requirement to have an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated [...] People cannot travel for touristic or professional reasons." 

The measure will come into effect from Saturday starting at midnight (2300 UTC Friday).

The government added that French citizens, people residing in France, and EU nationals would still be able to return to France.

Here's the latest on coronavirus from across the globe:

Asia

Malaysia has tightened its coronavirus measures as the country logged its second case of the omicron variant.

The new restrictions, imposed on Thursday, include a ban on mass gatherings and mandatory booster doses for high-risk groups who wish to retain their vaccinated status.

Authorities are also looking into 18 more suspected cases of the variant, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said. The country recorded its first case of the virulent variant in a traveler from South Africa earlier this month.

Indonesia on Thursday reported its first case of the omicron variant in a cleaning staff member at a hospital in the capital Jakarta. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday that the case was found a day earlier and advised people to continue following COVID-19 protocols.

South Korea said stricter social distancing rules will come back into effect from Saturday for 16 days amid a surge in new infections and serious cases of COVID-19 that has made December the deadliest month of the pandemic so far.

The country eased many curbs six weeks ago under a "living with COVID-19" policy.

Under the reinstated measures, gatherings will be limited to four people, while restaurants, cafes and bars will have to close by 9 p.m. and movie theaters and internet cafes by 10 p.m. Schools in the capital, Seoul, and nearby metropolitan areas will also go back to remote learning after fully reopening in November.

Europe

Sweden has made vaccine passes compulsory for visitors from other Nordic countries crossing the border, in a bid to combat spiking cases of the omicron variant, the government announced on Thursday.

"We see an increase in infections in Europe, but also in our neighbors," news agency TT quoted Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson as saying. "For visitors from any country except the Nordics, we have a requirement for a COVID pass. Today, the government is going to take the decision that there will be the same requirement also for the Nordic countries."

The new mandate will take effect from December 21, according to TT.

Germany on Wednesday issued a single-day record number of inoculations, almost 1.5 million in total, government data released on Thursday showed. According to government figures, at least 70% of the country's entire population is now fully vaccinated, with 22.9 million booster shots also administered. 

Germany's public health institute, the Robert Koch Institute, announced 56,677 new cases on Thursday, at a seven-day incidence rate of 340.1 per 100,000 people per week. That figure has been dropping steadily in the last few days, after hitting an all-time peak at the beginning of December at what appears to have been the crest of the country's fourth wave. 

France says some 110,000 fake passes showing proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID or a recent negative test result are in circulation. The passes are required to be able to use public transport, go to restaurants or attend cultural events.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said police who are investigating both the forgers and the users of the documents have found that medical personnel are sometimes complicit in the fraud.

Russia's lower house of parliament has approved legislation in a first reading that will require people to show health passes to access public places like bars and restaurants.  A draft bill that would have required people to show such passes to use public transport has been shelved after widespread public protest. The measure, which would go into effect from February to June, still needs approval from the upper house and to be signed into law by the president.

People in Russia have shown great skepticism about vaccination, with only 43% having had the jab despite there having been a Russian-made vaccine available for free since last year.

Denmark has become the first country in the EU to recommend the anti-COVID drug molnupravir from US pharma company Merck for at-risk patients with symptoms. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the drug for emergency use in mid-November. Since then, individual EU countries have been free to use the pills in such cases even without formal authorization.  

The drug, marketed under the name Lagevrio, has been approved since November in the UK and is in the process of being approved in the US.

tj,dvv/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)