European nations have reimposed tough Covid rules in the runup to Christmas – Copyright AFP Vasily MAXIMOV European nations reimposed tough rules and China locked down millions Thursday, as countries scrambled to contain surging coronavirus infections driven by the Omicron variant. Early studies from England and Scotland said infections of the Omicron strain appeared less likely to result in hospitalisation than the Delta variant. But despite that initial data, scientists have warned that Omicron is highly contagious and could still lead to more overall severe cases. As families across Europe prepared for Christmas, governments announced a raft of new measures…