Tuesday

6th Jun 2023

Christmas travel disrupted by Omicron variant

  • Globally, more than 2,500 flights scheduled for Christmas Day had to be cancelled (Photo: rudlavibizon)
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The spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus has triggered a flurry of flight cancellations, hampering Christmas plans for millions of people, while holiday sales rose at the fastest rate in 17 years in the US.

Globally, more than 2,500 flights scheduled for Saturday (25 December) were cancelled because of crew members calling in sick with Covid-19. 

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But disruptions dragged into Sunday, driving thousands of flight cancellations and delays. Almost one-third of affected flights were from or within the US.

Lufthansa, Delta, JetBlue, United Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Air China and others were forced to cancel services.

But despite the new variant, American consumers spent generously over the holidays, according to a report by Mastercard released on Sunday.

Retail sales jumped by 8.5 percent over the holiday season, compared to last year, especially for clothes, jewellery and electronics. While online sales increased by 11 percent, as many consumers switched heavily to online purchases as a result of the pandemic.

"When people feel a little bit uncomfortable, you'll see a little bit of a pickup in online and a little bit of a slowdown in store performance," said Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former CEO of Saks Inc, according to AP.

Omicron, first detected in November, has been now identified in 110 countries worldwide. It accounts for nearly three-quarters of cases in the US.

In the UK, where Omicron is the dominant variant, the government is mulling further restrictions as the country reported record national highs in the number of new infections.

The British cabinet of prime minister Boris Johnson has previously shown reluctance to impose further legal restrictions

But the surge of infections is putting healthcare systems under pressure all across Europe, with France recording 100,000 infections in a single day for the first time ever.

The French government is expected to meet on Monday to discuss further restrictions, as experts call for delaying the post-holiday return to school, or re-imposing a curfew.

In neighbouring Belgium, new measures for the closure of cultural venues such as cinemas, theatres, and concert halls entered into force on Sunday, triggering fresh protests which accused the government of double standards.

New rules came despite a steady decline in the number of infections and hospital admissions in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the Dutch approach remains one of the strictest in Europe, as the nation is back into lockdown since mid-December amid concerns over the spread of Omicron.

EU leaders divided over Omicron travel rules

EU leaders failed to guarantee a coordinated approach to travel measures for the Christmas holiday season during their summit meeting. Instead they stressed that boosters shots are "crucial" and "urgent" to curb the new wave of Covid-19 infections.

EU's entry-exit system for travellers hit with delays

Europol, the EU's police agency, has cited a number delays and "major risks" when it comes to hooking up to Etias - an upcoming entry-exit system aimed to automate the screening of travellers to the EU.

EU and UK frustrated at US travel ban extension

The US remains closed to tourists from the EU and the UK - a situation that has prompted frustration and urgent calls for the reopening of international travel to vaccinated individuals by industry and countries.

WHO 'good news': more proof of milder Omicron symptoms

A World Health Organisation official said hospitalisations and death rates linked to the spread of Omicron tend to be lower than with previous strains. The more transmissible variant appears to affect mostly the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms.

WHO: Omicron to infect over half of Europeans in two months

The World Health Organization said Omicron is likely to infect more than half of the population in Europe within the next two months, threatening healthcare systems. It warned that it is too early to consider Covid as an endemic virus.

Adapting to Southern Europe's 'new normal' — from droughts to floods

Extreme weather events in recent months have worsened agricultural production in southern Europe, prompting concerns for authorities in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. As countries will likely face dryer conditions, experts urge adaptation measures for the 'new normal'.

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