Omicron, a highly contagious variant of coronavirus, has become a new terror around the world. So in the days ahead, before Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the French authorities are urging people to get vaccinated. With the onset of infections, more emphasis is being placed on vaccination to prevent a new lockdown. Khabar Al Jazeera.
At a news conference on Friday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the fifth wave of corona had arrived and that it was spreading the virus with full vigor. He also mentioned that the Omicron variant of the Corona is spreading rapidly in Europe at the speed of light.
Castex added that the fast-spreading and highly contagious variant might spread to France by early January.
The government has banned concerts during the New Year holidays to prevent the spread of the virus. Fireworks have also been banned for New Year’s celebrations.
Large gatherings of people during the Christmas festivities and large gatherings with family members are advised.
The French prime minister said the fewer people there were, the lower the risk. France has imposed travel restrictions on various countries, including the United Kingdom. Infections have been on the rise in the UK in recent times.
Authorities have announced some restrictions on travel from Britain to France. French authorities are also monitoring the current situation in the UK with deep concern.
Educational institutions around the world have long been closed due to the coronavirus epidemic. This has severely damaged the educational life of the children. Their health and family have been badly affected. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that another school closure would be catastrophic.
Henrietta Four, executive director of UNICEF, said in a statement on Friday (December 16th) that infections caused by the coronavirus omikron type were on the rise again worldwide. Health experts and scientists are working to understand this new type of concern. As uncertainty grows, many governments are considering whether to keep schools open. One thing we know for sure in this situation: another wave of mass school closures will be catastrophic for children.
In his words, the evidence is clear: prolonged, nationwide school closures; Limited resources for students, teachers, parents; Lack of distance learning opportunities has erased decades of progress in education. Child labor, child marriage and mental health problems have taken the form of shadow epidemics.
Henrietta Four said that in addition to losing educational opportunities, children have also lost school security, daily physical contact with friends, access to healthcare and in many cases the only nutritious food of the day.
Judging by the financial value of the losses incurred by this generation of students during the Corona period, the total amount will exceed 16 trillion US dollars. The UNICEF official said that they could have earned this money for the rest of their lives. That is why the closure of schools across the country should be stopped as long as possible. According to him, if coronavirus infections increase and strict public health measures become urgent, schools must be closed at the end and reopened first.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says in a statement, “We know that infectious disease control measures work in schools.” So we have to use this knowledge as much as possible to keep the school open. We must increase investment in digital connectivity to ensure that no child is left behind. 2022 cannot be another interrupted academic year. It needs to be where education and the best interests of the children come first.
