Brussels, France on Tuesday reported the maximum number of new COVID-19 cases in Europe even as the continent struggled to contain spread of the Omicron variant, BBC reported on Wednesday.
France, reported 179,807 cases on Tuesday, which the maximum by one country. Others like Italy, Greece, Portugal and England also reported record numbers of new cases.
On Monday, French Health Minister Olivier Véran warned that France could see as many as 250,000 cases a day by the start of January, while the French Hospital Federation has said that the "most difficult weeks are yet to come", even as the WHO warned that despite the chances of people ending in hospitals due to the Delta variant a surge across the continent could very well push the health systems on the brink of collapse.
France's Prime Minister Jean Castex announced new restrictions earlier this week including at least three days a week mandatory working from home for those who can from early January.
Some believe that the number of new cases in Europe could be higher due to the reporting delays over Christmas.
Countries across the world have reported rising number of cases especially during the festive period, driven by the more contagious Omicron variant.