What the Germans were warned about has arrived; "Tsunami" spreads at lightning speed

What the Germans were warned about has arrived; "Tsunami" spreads at lightning speed

World Health Organization announced on Saturday that omicron has been registered in 89 countries, and that the number of infected people has doubled in some areas in the last few days, Blic reported.

Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with a high level of population immunity, so it remains unclear whether it is due to the ability of the virus to evade immunity, its natural increased portability or a combination of both traits, the WHO said in a statement.

State of emergency in Britain

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at the beginning of the week that "the tsunami omicron is coming", according to the rapidly growing numbers, it seems that it has already arrived. The United Kingdom has recorded more than 90.000 new infections in the last 24 hours, while 125 people have died.

The British Health Safety Agency announced that a total of almost 25.000 cases of omicron infection have been registered so far, which means that the number of infectious diseases has increased by more than 10.000 in the past 24 hours.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declared a state of emergency in the capital due to the sudden spread of omicron. Khan also said that omicron is now the "dominant variant" in London.

A group of British scientists warned earlier that the number of hospitalizations could reach a peak between 3.000 and 10.000 a day, and deaths between 600 and 6.000 a day. Scientists also said that there are now hundreds of thousands of infections every day and that the daily number could reach between 600.000 and two million infected by the end of the month if new restrictions are not introduced immediately.

Ireland locks down by January

In Ireland, where omicron accounts for about 35 percent of all registered infections, bars and restaurants in Ireland will close tomorrow at 8 p.m., and will continue to do so during the holiday season, until the end of January, based on new government measures.

"The new measures are valid from today until January 30, and they refer to pubs, restaurants, sports events, theaters, cinemas and cultural gatherings", as Prime Minister Michael Martin said in his address on Friday.

The Netherlands faces lockdown

The Dutch government has announced that it is introducing strict quarantine measures across the country in an attempt to curb the sudden increase in omicron infections. As of Tuesday, the measures from November have already been extended until January 14, which include the closure of catering facilities and most stores in the period from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Interim Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the introduction of the new measures was "an inevitable move due to the fifth wave caused by the omicron that hit the Netherlands" and that they would build on the partial lock that is already in force.

Primary schools in the Netherlands were previously ordered to start the winter break prematurely due to the high rate of infection in children, and Rutte then announced that omicron could become the dominant strain in the country by January.

The new strain is spreading rapidly in Italy

Italy's National Health Institute said on Saturday that the omicron was spreading rapidly and that new cases had been registered in the north and south of the country. So far, 84 cases have been identified, which is a "strong acceleration" compared to 55 days earlier.

The Italian government is considering new anti-COVID measures in order to avoid an increase in the number of cases during the upcoming holiday period, Italian media reported today. The daily Corriere della Sera writes that Prime Minister Mario Draghi, after a meeting with ministers scheduled for December 23, could promulgate a rule where all vaccinated citizens will have to take a negative test to access places with large numbers of people, including discos and stadiums, Reuters reported.

According to that provision, negative tests would also be needed to enter cinemas and theaters, and a mandatory rule of wearing masks outdoors would be introduced.

Austria introduces new rules

Due to the appearance of omicron, the Austrian Ministry of Health has adopted new rules for entering the country, which will come into force on December 20.

The new regulation stipulates that only persons who have a valid 2G proof, i.e. a certificate of vaccination or recovery from COVID, can enter Austria. If they want to avoid 10-day quarantine, passengers must have a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours or proof of a booster dose.

On Saturday, the Austrian government made a decision on the establishment of a body for state coordination, and the Deputy General Staff of the Austrian Army, Major General Rudolf Striedinger, and the Director General for Public Health, Katerina Reich, were appointed to head it.

Germany facing a challenge

Germany, which suspected omicron at the end of November, has suspended air traffic with the Republic of South Africa, and is preparing for, as the Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach said, a "massive fifth wave" of the pandemic.

On December 14, the country recorded more than 30.000 newly infected and 423 deaths, and only two days later, almost 57.000 newly infected and more than 500 died.

Lauterbach said on Friday that Germany must prepare for a challenge "we have never seen in this form before."

New measures in Denmark

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Saturday new restrictive measures to combat the coronavirus and a new omicron variant that now accounts for a fifth of all cases registered in the country.

New measures include the closure of theaters, cinemas, amusement parks and conference centers. A ban on serving alcohol after 10 p.m. is also proposed, and Danish are urged to limit their social contacts. A record number of new infections was registered in Denmark on Saturday, more than 11.000, but the death rate and hospitalization are below last year's level.

France is also introducing measures

French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned that omicron is likely to become the dominant strain in the country by early next year and that the new strain is spreading at lightning speed. Paris has introduced strict travel restrictions for those coming from Britain, as part of a series of measures being introduced to stop the tide of infections.