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Europeans reimpose restrictions as omicron sweeps continent

  • By Danica Kirka/AP
People walk for their vaccination into Stamford Bridge Stadium, at Chelsea, in London, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. Sporting venues, shopping centres and Christmas markets are being transformed into Covid vaccination sites this weekend as NHS staff seek to protect as many people as possible from the powerful new Omicron strain.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

 Frank Augstein / AP

People walk for their vaccination into Stamford Bridge Stadium, at Chelsea, in London, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. Sporting venues, shopping centres and Christmas markets are being transformed into Covid vaccination sites this weekend as NHS staff seek to protect as many people as possible from the powerful new Omicron strain.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

(London)  —  Nations across Europe are moving to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible omicron variant, triggering calls for protest from Paris to Barcelona.

As case numbers escalated, alarmed ministers in France, and Austria tightened travel restrictions.

Denmark closed theaters, concert halls, amusement parks and museums.

Ireland imposed an 8 p.m. curfew on pubs and bars and limited attendance at indoor and outdoor events.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin captured the sense of the continent in an address to the nation, saying the new restrictions were needed to protect lives and livelihoods from the resurgent virus.

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