There are now suspected cases of the new Omikron variant of the corona virus in North Rhine-Westphalia as well.
There are first suspected cases in Essen and Düsseldorf that are now being checked using sequencing, said Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) on Sunday, according to the announcement.
The "Rheinische Post" (Sunday / print edition Monday) reported about it first.
Dusseldorf - A spokesman for the ministry said on dpa request that it could probably only be said on Monday how many suspected cases there are. Laumann also announced: "We will continue to monitor the new variant and its spread as well as the overall infection rate very closely." And: "One thing makes the current situation clear: We must continue to be very attentive."
The state has tightened the measures to slow down the spread of the variant: "We have already informed the health authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia that quarantine should also be ordered for completely vaccinated people if there was contact with a person with the Omikron variant.
The aim is to stop the spread of the virus variant or at least to slow it down, ”said a ministry spokesman for the“ Rheinische Post ”.
also read
Another torn pony reported: investigation in Gelnhausen
A broken pony has been reported in Hünxe (Wesel district).
Investigations of samples at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Gelnhausen (Hesse) should now show whether it is possibly a wolf tear.
“The incident was reported to us on Wednesday morning.
It's always the same procedure.
We have the samples analyzed in Gelnhausen.
Another torn pony reported: investigation in Gelnhausen
Fatal truck accident in parking lot on the A8
A man was killed in an accident involving several trucks in a parking lot on Autobahn 8.
The 55-year-old drove his tractor-trailer to the parking lot near Sindelfingen (Boeblingen district) on Saturday evening and crashed into another truck, as the police announced on Sunday.
The trailer then hit two other parked trucks.
Fatal truck accident in parking lot on the A8
Climate Protection Index: Germany a little better in comparison
The Scandinavians shine in a new global ranking for climate protection, China and the USA are weak.
And Germany?
You crawl up.
Climate Protection Index: Germany a little better in comparison
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the variant, which was first discovered in southern Africa, as "worrying".
The EU health authority ECDC speaks of serious concerns that Omikron could significantly reduce the effectiveness of corona vaccines and increase the risk of reinfection.
The exact effects of the mutant have not yet been determined.
dpa