From fines for negligent airlines in Ghana to fake health passes in France, and extended restrictions in Israel to, well not much of anything in Russia, here is a look at the latest COVID considerations around the world as omicron and delta duke it out for supremacy of the variants.

Ghana

Ghana will now fine airlines $3,500 for each passenger who arrives in the West African country without being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The penalties are the latest deterrent taken by the country with some of the strictest restrictions in the region. Airlines also will be penalized the same amount for passengers who did not fill out a health declaration form before boarding their flight to Kotoka International Airport.

While Ghanaians who fly in without meeting the requirement will be allowed to enter the country and undergo a 14-day quarantine, foreigners may be refused entry, the airport authority announced.

The new penalties come a day after Ghana began requiring all passengers over the age of 18 to provide evidence of full vaccination against the virus, saying that about 60% of the total new cases recorded in the country had come from the airport during a recent two-week period.

Ghana, with about 31 million people, has one of the best COVID-19 testing programs in West Africa and has had 132,000 confirmed cases and 1,243 deaths since the pandemic began.

Russia

The speaker of the State Duma on Monday announced the withdrawal of a bill restricting access to domestic and international flights and trains to those who have been fully vaccinated, have recently recovered from COVID-19, or are medically exempt from vaccination.

The bill, along with another outlining similar restrictions in many public places, had been expected to go through the first reading on Thursday, but speaker Vyacheslav Volodin cited “a joint decision by the State Duma and the government” to withdraw it from the parliament’s agenda for now. The other bill is still going forward.

“We need to be balanced when working out these decisions so that the opinion of the people is taken into account,” Volodin said.

UK

Starting this week, Brits have been told to begin working at home again if possible. Tighter restrictions announced by PM Boris Johnson last week also include the legal requirement to wear a face mask widened to most indoor public places in England, including cinemas, and vaccine passports mandated to enter nightclubs and places with large crowds. The tighter restrictions are seen as a way to buy the government time to put booster jabs into more arms. Officials have set the target of offering booster shots to all adults by the end of January.

France

France has opened 400 investigations into networks providing fake COVID-19 health passes, including some “connected to health professionals,” as virus-related hospitalizations rise sharply across the country. Authorities have identified several thousand fake COVID-19 health passes in use around the country.

The case of a woman with the virus who died in a Paris regional hospital after showing a false vaccine certificate has drawn attention in French media in recent days. The hospital’s intensive care chief said they would have given the woman immediate antibody treatment had they known that she wasn’t vaccinated.

Austria

Restrictions for vaccinated people across most of the country ended on Sunday, three weeks after strict rules were reimposed to combat a rising wave of coronavirus infections. The rules, which vary by region within the country, largely allow for the reopening of shops, theatres, museums, hotels, and other cultural and entertainment venues. Chancellor Karl Nehammer called the move an “opening with a seatbelt,” giving each of Austria’s nine regions the ability to loosen or tighten restrictions based on the local situation.

Slovakia

Slovakia’s government has decided to ease the country’s current lockdown for vaccinated people and those who have recovered from COVID-19. In place since Nov. 25, people had only been allowed to leave home for specific reasons and only stores selling essential goods were open. Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky said all shops and some other venues, like ski resorts, can now reopen for vaccinated or recovered. The country’s hotels will restart services on Christmas Day. Nothing has changed, however, for the unvaccinated, who are not eligible to use the stores and services.

Romania

Romania has introduced new travel restrictions and isolation measures for people entering the country. In effect through Jan. 8, measures include proof of a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine for unvaccinated travellers. From Dec. 20, passenger location forms will also be implemented to improve the traceability of infections.

Brazil

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice ruled that all travellers arriving in Brazil must present a vaccine passport documenting they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The decision challenges a more lenient rule announced last Tuesday by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro, who has opposed mandatory immunization against the virus that can cause COVID-19. The ruling will be reviewed by all 11 judges of the Supreme Court this week.

Israel

Israel decided to extend its tough travel restrictions including its entry ban on all foreign nationals for a further 10 days (until Dec. 22), in a bid to stop further cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus entering the country.

Under the current requirements, all Israelis returning from abroad must self-quarantine until they receive confirmation of a negative coronavirus PCR test result, while those arriving from high-risk countries are required to isolate at a state-governed quarantine hotel until they receive a negative PCR test result.

The statement also said additional restrictions and incentives for vaccination may be imposed in the coming days.