德國單日確診首破10萬 法國巴西染疫數也創新高

（中央社日內瓦19日綜合外電報導）世界衛生組織警告COVID-19疫情遠未告終之際，法國、德國和巴西通報的 過去24小時確診數創下新高。Omicron變異株在全球勢頭不減，各國祭出新防疫措施、加速施打追加劑。

世衛秘書長譚德塞（Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus）昨天在日內瓦總部告訴記者：「距離疫情大流行結束，還有很長的距離。」

歐洲正處於新一波疫情爆發的中心，德國今天通報單日確診病例飆升突破10萬起，法國昨天通報了近50萬例COVID-19（2019冠狀病毒疾病）病例。

譚德塞示警，不要將Omicron視為輕微病毒，「平均而言，Omicron（引發的症狀）可能沒那麼嚴重，但有關它是一種輕微疾病的說法具有誤導性 」。

世衛預測，一半的歐洲人在3月前會染上Omicron變異株。

德國官員今天表示，國內過去24小時確診數達到11萬2323起病例和239例死亡病例，確診者中超過70%是感染Omicron，這也是德國單日確診首次突破10萬。

確診飆升促使德國總理蕭茲（Olaf Scholz）尋求強制疫苗接種政策，以提升國內疫苗覆蓋率。

遭Omicron席捲的法國，最近平均每天約有30萬起病例。法國公衛機構發布的最新數據顯示，國內過去24小時新增創紀錄的46萬4769例確診個案。

此外，巴西昨天通報超過13萬7000例染疫個案，創單日確診數紀錄。

巴西總統波索納洛（Jair Bolsonaro）淡化Omicron嚴重性，公開發表疫苗懷疑論，他現正因防疫不力而益發遭受抨擊；民調顯示，他可能會輸掉10月的總統大選。（譯者：張璦/核稿：嚴思祺）1110119

Elsewhere in the world, Brazil registered a new record number of daily cases of more than 137,000 on Tuesday.

略 The country suffered a devastating second wave last year with deaths topping 4,000 a day, pushing its death toll to the second highest in the world behind the United States.

President Jair Bolsonaro, an avowed vaccine sceptic who has downplayed Omicron, is increasingly under fire for his handling of the pandemic, and he is on course to lose the country's October presidential election, according to polls.

略 In Asia, Japan was set to tighten restrictions across the country, including Tokyo, as it battles record infections fuelled by Omicron while China partially relaxed transport restrictions in the megacity of Xi'an where millions have been confined to their homes for weeks.

略 Japanese experts on Wednesday backed placing 13 regions "under quasi-emergency measures from January 21 to February 13" Daishiro Yamagiwa, minister in charge of coronavirus affairs, told reporters.

略 China's resumption of some inter-city train routes in Xi'an from Tuesday comes just before the Lunar New Year holiday later this month, traditionally a period of mass travel.

略 It also comes as Beijing battles multiple clusters that are testing its enforcement of a strict "zero-Covid" approach ahead of next month's Winter Olympics.