The president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is questioning Canada’s new round of COVID-19 restrictions put in place to stop the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, despite reports that the variant causes less severe illness than its predecessors. “If #omicron continues to result in very few admissions to hospitals/ICUs, how long will…
COVID-19 Restrictions Questioned as Omicron-Related Hospitalizations Remain Low
Greece, Italy, Spain Reimpose Outdoor Mask Mandates, Increase Restrictions, Citing Omicron
The governments of Greece, Italy, and Spain have reimposed outdoor mask mandates and introduced some new COVID-19 rules ahead of Christmas, citing the spread of the Omicron variant. Greece announced new restrictions on Thursday that include requiring people to wear masks for all outdoor and public areas. Meanwhile, double-masking or more protective filtering facepiece (FFP2) masks will…
Montreal Enters State of Emergency, Several Provinces Tighten COVID Rules Due to Omicron
The city of Montreal declared a state of emergency on Dec. 21, while Quebec and several other provinces are once against tightening COVID-19 restrictions in efforts to address the spread of the Omicron variant. Following Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé’s Dec. 20 announcement of tougher COVID-19 measures, the largest city in the province announced a state…
Ontario Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions, Social Gathering Limits
The Ontario government is ramping up social gathering and other COVID-19 restrictions in face of the new Omicron variant. “Like many jurisdictions around the world, Ontario is facing a serious threat from the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. The situation continues to evolve rapidly and the modeling that was released yesterday is clear: unless action is taken quickly…
More Small Businesses Felt ‘Significantly Impacted’ by COVID-19 Restrictions This Year
Many small businesses in Australia and New Zealand felt that this year had been more disruptive than the last, according to a new report. Financial advisor Findex surveyed over 500 businesses and found that one-third had been “significantly impacted” by COVID-19 restrictions this year, up from one-quarter in 2020. Business confidence for the year ahead…
Proof of Vaccination Mostly No Longer Required in Australian State
The New South Wales (NSW) government has substantially lifted restrictions for everyone, including people who are not fully vaccinated, as the state nears a 95 percent vaccination rate—the last milestone of its reopening roadmap ahead of Christmas holidays. Proof of vaccination will no be longer required for public activities but businesses can still choose to require…
Hawaii Bars and Restaurants to Lift Capacity, Social Distancing Restrictions
Hawaii is lifting its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing restaurants and bars in certain regions to return to service with full capacity, Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday. The governor explained to media at a press conference the next phase COVID-19 measures for states and counties ahead of the Nov. 30 expiration of the current emergency proclamation. As…
Germany, Greece Impose New Restrictions for Unvaccinated People
Germany and Greece officials have rolled out new restrictions on people who have not opted to be vaccinated against the CCP virus, joining officials from several other countries across the globe in backing policies that differentiate by vaccination status. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that in places where hospitalization rates have exceeded a certain threshold, the…
Hong Kong to Tighten COVID-19 Rules, Hopes China Reopens
HONG KONG—Hong Kong will tighten COVID-19 restrictions despite a lack of local outbreaks to better align with China’s policies and increase chances of quarantine-free travel between the territory and mainland, leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday. It will step up contact tracing, such as requiring the use of its LeaveHomeSafe app in government premises to record…
Ford Announces Plan to Lift Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions in Coming Months
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced plans to gradually lift all COVID-19 public health restrictions over the coming months, including masking requirements by March 2022. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Ford and other officials said the first step in the exit plan is to remove capacity limits in settings where proof of vaccination…
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