France announced on Thursday that it would be implementing new COVID-19 restrictions in the country while loosening other restrictions beginning in February. ADVERTISEMENTHowever, other COVID-19 restrictions in the country are expected to be lifted next month. The omicron surge is expected by the government to peak around that time, according to the Times. The newspaper noted that the announcement regarding restrictions comes several months ahead of France's presidential election. The news also comes as the number of patients in intensive care units in France have recently declined, though the country has still posted high COVID-19 numbers, including 525,000 cases on Monday, the Times reported.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 21, 2022 18:50 UTC