France hit another record in COVID-19 infections on Tuesday as President Emmanuel Macron tries to contain the fast-spreading omicron variant without imposing a lockdown.
Daily COVID-19 cases totaled 271,686, according to data from the public health office, topping the 232,200 infections logged on Friday. The country reported an additional 351 deaths.
The coronavirus surge has become a headache for Macron four months before the presidential election. While he hasn't confirmed he'll be running again, his teams are working on the campaign. He vowed to contain the virus spread while attempting to "limit the restrictions" in order to preserve the economy.
France has made work-from-home mandatory at least three days a week for most of January for office workers and banned food and drinks in cinemas and theaters. The country also sent children back to school this week under new rules that lean heavily on testing.
Lawmakers are discussing a proposal to restrict access to bars, restaurants and cultural venues to people who are fully vaccinated. Current rules allow those who have been recently tested to enter those venues even if they aren't vaccinated. France has also shortened the time that people who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate to as little as five days if they are fully vaccinated and test negative at that point.
