Omikron continues to spread: Dozens of suspected cases at a company in North Rhine-Westphalia

Created: 12/16/2021 Updated: 12/16/2021, 6:58 PM

From: Patrick Huljina, Martina Lippl

Omikron spreads in Europe.

Great Britain reports record values.

A company in Germany now has dozens of suspected cases.

All information in the news ticker.

• Omikron is spreading rapidly in Europe.

  (see first report)

• Great Britain reports new records for the second day in a row.

  (see update from December 16, 6:25 p.m.)

• There are 38 suspected Omikron cases at a company in North Rhine-Westphalia.

  (see update from December 16, 6:55 p.m.)

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from December 16, 6:55 p.m.:

Omikron is also spreading in Germany.

38 employees of a company in North Rhine-Westphalia are suspected of being infected with the Omikron variant.

This was announced by the company concerned, the caravan manufacturer LMC in Sassenberg, Münsterland, on Thursday.

A spokeswoman said that it was not yet possible to provide any information as to whether the cases were suspected or even confirmed.

In the evening it was still unclear whether the so-called whole genome sequencing had taken place.

Only then can Omikron be unequivocally proven.

A corona infection had been detected in a total of 90 employees, and Omikron was suspected in 38 of them.

So far, only mild courses are known.

Omikron: Great Britain reports another record

Update from December 16, 6:25 p.m.:

Great Britain has recorded a peak in new corona infections for the second day in a row.

The UK authorities reported 88,376 new cases in one day on Thursday amid the spreading omicron variant of the virus.

The number of deaths rose by 146.

On Wednesday the previous record of January 8th of this year was exceeded with 78,610.

The United Kingdom is one of the countries most affected by the corona pandemic in Europe.

The highly contagious omicron variant is now widespread there

Omikron: "Vaccination alone will not be enough"

First report

London - Already with the first message about Omikron (B.1.1.529) the alarm bells rang for some Corona * researchers. Others, however, warned against panic-mongering. That was almost a month ago. The extent of Omikron is becoming clearer and clearer: Omikron challenges the world. The new coronavirus variant is highly contagious - more contagious than the Delta variant. Omikron outsmarts antibodies. Those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated can become infected. A vaccination protects against a severe course of Covid-19 *, experts agree. A booster - a booster vaccination - increases the immune defense by 75 percent. But even then, the protection against Omikron diminishes. Europe should prepare for Omikron, warned the European health authority ECDC on Wednesday.

"Vaccination alone will not be enough," said the director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Andrea Ammon, on Wednesday.

The time is too short to sufficiently increase the vaccination rate in Europe, which is still too low.

The authority classified the public health risk from Omikron as "very high".

Omikron: take precautionary measures at Christmas

It is "very likely" that the new virus variant will lead to additional hospitalizations and deaths beyond the extent already predicted because of the currently still dominant delta variant. In order to avoid overloading the health system, restrictions must be quickly reintroduced or tightened, warned the ECDC. Employees should return to work from home if possible, and precautionary measures should be taken when celebrating and traveling around the holidays.

The data from Great Britain and Denmark are worrying.

The countries are seen as role models when it comes to genome sequencing.

In Denmark, the number of Omicron cases has risen to 6,047 and is increasing day by day.

"This confirms that the Omikron variant will be a major challenge for our society this winter," says Henrik Ullum, head of the Serum Institute (SSI), about the situation.

The Danish institute worries about its health system.

Omikron: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promotes vaccination.

© LEON NEAL / afp

Great Britain - Omicron wave sweeps across the country

The number of infections is skyrocketing in the UK. "The Omicron wave continues to sweep across the UK," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference at Downing Street on Wednesday evening. He almost pleaded with the British to get a booster vaccination.

The UK recorded the highest number of new infections ever recorded in a day, with 78,610 cases on Wednesday.

The number of cases with the omicron variant is now doubling in less than two days, Johnson continued.

There has also been an increase in hospital admissions.

Chief medical advisor to the government, Chris Whitty, added the country is currently facing two different coronavirus epidemics, one with the Delta variant and a second, much more rapidly progressing, Omicron variant.

Omikron: Great Britain is reintroducing stricter corona measures

The British government had parliament approve stricter corona measures against massive opposition from the conservative ruling party on Tuesday.

These include mask requirements in shops and public transport and 3G rules for discos and certain major events.

France tightened travel restrictions for Great Britain because of the Omikron variant

France is reacting to the high numbers of infections and Omicron cases on the island and tightening travel restrictions for Great Britain.

Unnecessary trips to or from the Kingdom will be prohibited from Saturday, the government announced on Thursday.

Further measures are to be discussed in a crisis meeting on Friday.

When will the Omikron wave come to Germany?

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach is also relying on further broad booster vaccinations with a view to the more contagious Coronavirus variant Omikron.

But there is a lack of data on how Omikron is currently circulating in Germany.

There is an unreported omicron number.