France has announced new COVID-19 measures in a bid to stem a surge in infections across the country.
From January 3, working from home will be mandatory for at least three days per week.
Public gatherings will be also limited to 2,000 people indoors, and to 5,000 people for outdoor events.
The new measures came as concern rises worldwide over the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The new rules will be in place for at least three weeks, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
However, there will be no curfew for New Year’s Eve and schools will reopen as planned in early January.
Last Saturday, France has recorded more than 100,000 COVID-19 infections in a single day for the first time since the pandemic erupted.
Over the past weeks, angry protesters took to the streets across France in rejection of the new coronavirus health pass measure.
French authorities had earlier declared an intention to relieve Covid-19 restrictions by August 9, 2021, in France.
Health pass measures will mainly target those vaccinated or who have tested negative for Covid-19.
Targeted segment will have access to public venues, including long-distance transport, restaurants and cafés – even France’s famed outdoor terraces.
Hence, the protests, which continued for the fourth weekend in a row, came just two days before the new rules come into force.
