Yet as New Year celebrations approach, the omicron variant is casting more gloom. Several countries are considering more restrictions to add to the patchwork of lockdowns and other measures already in place around Europe. It is the unpredictability that is keeping governments second-guessing and picking widely varying strategies to beat back the pandemic. Communal celebrations like New Year’s fireworks, which usually draw crowds of thousands in Brussels, are off. Even that staple of British holiday celebrations, the stream of English Premier League soccer games, is under threat.

Source: Egypt Independent December 28, 2021 03:33 UTC