Several European countries have reported record high COVID-19 cases, as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to surge across the continent, writes Al Jazeera.

France reported a record high of 179,807 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, by far the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic.

Britain reported a record 129,471 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours on Tuesday, excluding Northern Ireland and Scotland. The previous record high of daily infections was 122,186 on December 24.

Portugal also reported record-high daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday, despite having one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, as did Cyprus, Italy, and Greece.

Meanwhile, Belgian theatres and other cultural venues won an initial legal victory on Tuesday to reopen after the government ordered their closure as part of coronavirus restrictions to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.