Countries across Europe are continuing to impose measures to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, as cases rise further in several EU states. 

France, which recorded a national and European record of 208,000 new infections on Wednesday, took extra precautions by announcing that Britons are now considered "third- country citizens" and can therefore no longer transit France by road to reach their country of residence in the EU, unless they hold French residency.

READ MORE: 

Prosecco producers toast success of China-EU trade deal

The top five animal moments of 2021

The tragic lasting legacy of Greece's wildfires

It meant that officials at the Eurotunnel, which connects the UK and France, were having to respond to the rule change by turning away British nationals trying to cross the border, according to testimony shared on social media. 

A spokesperson for rail operator Eurostar, which runs trains through the tunnel, said its service remained unaffected. 

The French government initially tightened restrictions on the UK on December 18, with the country only allowing travel from Britain for "compelling reasons."

In a bid to tackle the highly contagious Omicron strain, French supermarkets have also begun offering rapid coronavirus antigen tests.

Tests shortage

Across the Channel, a shortage of lateral flow tests in English pharmacies is causing frustration in the run up to New Year's Eve. 

The British government advises citizens to take these tests to prove their negative status to leave isolation or to attend large events. No new curbs have been imposed in England before the new year. 

Meanwhile, in Italy, the high demand for self-tests has resulted in a bottleneck, as Italians face hours-long waits. But quarantine there has been scrapped for close contacts of a positive case, if the contact is vaccinated. 

Spain is also reducing the isolation period for people with the coronavirus from 10 to seven days, in order to ease pressure on staffing.

Many businesses have raised concerns that employees being forced to isolate, as positive cases or contacts, is causing severe disruption to services. Even though scientific studies suggest Omicron is milder than preceding variants, causing fewer hospitalizations and deaths, it is potentially much more transmissible. This has led to labor shortages, especially in the hospitality sector.

Yet the World Health Organization warns the "overall risk" related to Omicron is still "very high." 

Two years on from the discovery of this virus, and a year since the first coronavirus vaccine was administered in Belgium, the health agency's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is urging Europeans to boost their protection by getting jabbed. 

However, only a handful of the EU nations have adopted mandatory inoculation, with most instead opting for COVID-19 passports to access venues.