Thousands of Haitian migrants who had lived in South America for years are crossing into Mexico, overwhelming that country’s capacity to process them. Many say their ultimate destination is the U.S.
Seven people were detained in Austria’s capital, Vienna, after opponents of strict Covid-19 restrictions broke through police barriers and clashed with the officers. The country is due to make vaccination compulsory in February.
Up to 2,000 people gathered for a demonstration in Vienna on Saturday. They chanted “Freedom” as they marched, with some carrying signs that said, “People are locking up people, not the virus.”
A number of protesters bypassed police barricades by taking detours, while several groups broke through them. Officers were filmed using metal barriers to push people from the streets. At one point, police dispersed a gathering of between 150 and 200 protesters, confiscating flags, drums, and loudspeakers.
Seven people were arrested, Austrian media reported, citing police. More than 100 additional charges were brought for violating the law on public assembly. An officer was slightly injured.
Similar rallies were held in Klagenfurt, Innsbruck, and Leibnitz. Austria relaxed its most recent lockdown last week, but only for vaccinated citizens. A general nationwide vaccine mandate is due to take effect starting from February 1, 2022.
The government extended the lockdown for unvaccinated people for another 10 days on Friday, but agreed to temporarily ease some restrictions on private gatherings during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is working with local communities in Indonesia’s Kalimantan forests to protect biodiversity and generate sustainable livelihoods.
Thousands of Haitian migrants who had lived in South America for years are crossing into Mexico, overwhelming that country’s capacity to process them. Many say their ultimate destination is the U.S.
Bars, cafes, and all but the most essential stores will close in the Netherlands until mid-January, as the country goes into hard lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
The new restrictions were announced by the government on Saturday evening, after an emergency meeting of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet that afternoon. The lockdown was recommended by the government’s Outbreak Management Team.
“A sudden press conference on Saturday, four days after the last one, does not indicate anything good,” Rutte said during a televised briefing, before delivering the bad news: “The Netherlands goes back into lockdown, it shuts again.”
As of Sunday morning, all stores, services, and hospitality venues will close until January 14, save for a few essential outlets like supermarkets and pharmacies. Bars and cafes will shut, and restaurants will provide take-out meals only. Schools, many of which are already finished for Christmas, will close their doors.
Officially, those celebrating Christmas at home will be subject to restrictions, too. Throughout the lockdown, a maximum of two visitors per household will apply. Exceptions will be made for Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the latter a day typically celebrated in the Netherlands with drinks, parties, and home fireworks.
The Netherlands has been under partial lockdown since late November, with face masks required in most settings and “non-essential locations” forced to close between 5pm and 5am. However, the new restrictions mark the sharpest curbs on freedom and socialization since the country entered a hard lockdown this time last year.
While the average number of new cases reported every day has fallen from a record 22,450 in late November, the country is still clocking an average of 15,000 new infections every day, up from just under 10,000 the last time the country went into hard lockdown. Deaths, however, have not increased to match the caseload, with 50 deaths reported on Saturday, around the same daily figure as a year ago.
And while the new measures are ostensibly being taken to curb the spread of the highly transmissible and apparently vaccine-resistant Omicron variant of Covid-19, early data suggests that this new variant causes significantly milder symptoms than previous strains.
The Netherlands is not the only European country to reimpose restrictions over the variant, however. In the UK, ministers will reportedly propose a post-Christmas lockdown to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and in Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced a raft of new restrictions on stores and hospitality venues. In Ireland on Friday, the government announced earlier closing times for pubs and restaurants to last until the end of January.
