French virus infections spike over holidays

PARIS (AP) — France has reached more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time since the pandemic strike, and COVID-19 hospitalized patients have doubled over the past month as the fast-growing omicron variant complicates the government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown.

More than 1 person in 100 in the Paris state has checked positive in the past week, according to the regional health service. Many new infections are attached to the omicron variant, which government experts predict will be dominant in France in the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, a surge in delta variant infections in current months is pushing up hospital admissions. More than 1,000 people in France with the virus died in the past week, bringing the overall death toll to more than 122,000.

The government is setting emergency meetings Monday to discuss the next steps. Some scientists and educators have urged delaying the post-holiday return to school or re-imposing a curfew.