Hospitalizations in France have reached a new high: 10 global updates on Covid

Key Takeaways:

• The more infectious Omicron BA.2 variant was thought to be spreading quickly in some parts of Europe and China, raising new concerns about a global Covid outbreak.

In March, the BA.2 variant of the more infectious Omicron was thought to be spreading quickly in some parts of Europe and China, raising new concerns about a global spike in Covid cases. This month has seen an increase in Covid cases in France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. 

In Asia, the situation in Hong Kong, the financial capital, appears to be stabilizing. Shanghai is the new hotspot for mainland China, with numbers hovering around 4,400. Some businesses in the United States, where warnings have already been issued about an impending spike, are gearing up for back-to-work mode.

The following are the most recent updates on the global increase in Covid cases:

1. According to Reuters, Hong Kong reported 7,685 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, as infections in the global financial hub gradually stabilized for the first time following the recent Omicron drive surge.

2. According to Reuters, over 4,400 new cases were registered in mainland China's most important international city, Shanghai, on Monday, a new high. With a new lockdown, the city sees the strictest curbs in nearly two years.

3. According to a Bloomberg report, the Shanghai government is allowing some manufacturers to operate 'closed-loop systems,' in which employees continue to work as long as they are confined to or near the factory campus and follow mitigation measures.

4. India has seen a downward trend while the rest of the world is dealing with a new spike. On Monday, the United States lowered its Covid-19 travel ratings for India and a few other countries. The Centers for Disease Control and also Prevention (CDC) announced that it had changed its Covid travel recommendation for India from 'Level 3: High risk' to 'Level 2: Low risk.'

5. According to French health officials, the number of patients hospitalized for Covid in the last 24 hours has increased from 467 to 21,073. According to reports, this is the highest daily increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations in France since February 1.

6. As the country fights an Omicron-driven surge, Italy has registered more than 90,000 new patients in just two days. According to Reuters, Italy's health ministry reported 30,710 Covid-19-related cases on Monday, down from 59,555.

7. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was found to be positive for Covid-19. His office stated, "He feels well as well as will work while self-isolating at home."

8. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that he does not agree with a scheduled intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines, stating that patents are a critical tool for encouraging companies to pursue new research.

9. According to some experts, vaccine inequity is to blame for the recurring Covid outbreaks.

10. The World Health Organization has repeatedly stated that the pandemic is far from over.