France sees new high in hospitalisations: 10 global updates on Covid

In what has led to fresh concerns over a global spike in Covid cases, the BA.2 variant of the more infectious Omicron was believed to be spreading fast in March in some parts of Europe and China.

France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom have registered a rise in Covid cases this month. In Asia, the situation seems to be stabilising in the financial hub of Hong Kong. For mainland China, Shanghai is the new hotspot where the numbers hovered around the 4,400-mark. Some firms in the United States – where warnings have already been issued over an anticipated spike – are preparing for back-to-office life.

Here are top updates on the global surge in Covid cases:

1. Hong Kong reported 7,685 new Covid-19 cases on Monday as infections in the global financial hub gradually stabilised for the first time after the recent Omicron drive surge, news agency Reuters reported.

2. In mainland China’s most important international city – Shanghai – over 4,400 fresh cases were registered on Monday in a new high, Reuters reported. The city is witnessing the strictest curbs in nearly two years with a fresh lockdown.

3. The Shanghai government is allowing some manufacturers to run ‘closed loop systems’ where employees keep working as long as they’re confined in or close to the factory campus and adhere to mitigation measures, a report by Bloomberg said.

4. While the rest of the world is battling a fresh spike, India has seen a downward trend. The US has eased Covid-19 travel ratings for India and some other countries on Monday. Top regulator body CDC said it had changed its Covid travel recommendation for India from ‘Level 3: High risk’ to ‘Level 2: Low risk’.

5. French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for Covid over the past 24 hours has jumped by 467 to 21,073. This marks the highest daily rise in Covid-19 hospitalisation in France since February 1, according to reports.

6. Italy has logged more than 90,000 new patients in just two days as the country battles Omicron driven surge. Italy reported 30,710 Covid-19 related cases on Monday, against 59,555 the day before, Reuters reported quoting the country’s health ministry.

7. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. “He feels well and will work while self-isolating at home,” his office said.

8. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he did not agree with a planned intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines as patents are a crucial way of encouraging companies to continue pushing ahead with new research.

9. Some experts have said that vaccine inequity is to blame for the recurring surge in Covid cases.

10. The WHO has been repeatedly warning that the pandemic is far from over.