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French health authorities said on Monday the number of people requiring hospital treatment for Covid-19 and those treated in intensive care units stood at the highest levels in more than two months.
Daily new infections increased by 5,166 over 24 hours, but were down by 11.4 per cent compared with last Monday, as the Delta variant of the disease puts a renewed strain on the health system.
And the seven-day moving average of daily additional cases decreased to 21,130 from 23,783 10 days ago.
“Regarding ICU patients, the peak of this fourth wave could be reached in the days to come,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said.
Mr Veran said he was wary of what would happen after pupils returned to school in a week.
He said France's main independent health authority would soon recommend a third Covid-19 vaccination for people older than 65 years.
The number of people in hospital with the virus rose by 356 over 24 hours to 11,007. It was the first time the figure exceeded 11,000 since June 17.
The number of patients treated in intensive care units for the disease increased by 87 to 2,215, the highest since June 10.
The Covid-19 death toll went up by 108, to 113,496, with the seven-day moving average at an almost three-month high of 109.
With more than 6.6 million cases since the outbreak of the disease, France has the fifth-highest total of infection globally.
The rising case numbers were released after France on Sunday experience a sixth successive week of protests against coronavirus restrictions.
Thousands of demonstrators in cities across the country voiced opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's new “health pass” system, which would require customers at theatres, restaurants and other venues to present their vaccination status.
Officials in other European countries have expressed concern about their stubbornly high rates of infections.
On Monday, authorities in the UK announced 31,914 new cases, raising the tally to more than 230,000 in the past week alone.
Excess deaths in England and Wales have also risen to their highest level since February, after 10,372 deaths were registered in the week ended August 13, the UK's Office for National Statistics said.
“Excess deaths” are the number of deaths above the average for the corresponding period in the non-pandemic years of 2015-19.
Meanwhile, new Covid-19 cases in Greece jumped in the past week, exceeding 4,000 on Wednesday, compared with about 2,800 in the previous week.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
