Omikron wave in Europe: Drosten reports on the Oslo outbreak and draws a bitter conclusion

Created: 12/20/2021Updated: 12/20/2021, 05:13 AM

Creators: Richard Strobl, Patrick Huljina

Omikron is spreading further and further in Europe - in some countries already at breakneck speed.

The rules are tightened and there are lockdowns.

The news ticker.

• Christian Drosten draws a bitter conclusion from the Omikron outbreak in Oslo.

  (see update from December 19, 11:53 a.m.)

• Denmark is tightening its Corona * rules from Sunday, the Netherlands are in lockdown.

  (see first report)

• After Scotland, Omikron is now also dominant in England.

  (see update from December 19, 11.25 a.m.)

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from December 19, 3 p.m.:

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a crisis meeting for this Wednesday (December 22) due to the rapidly increasing corona numbers.

It should be about measures to contain the pandemic, said Sánchez in a TV address broadcast nationwide on Sunday.

Omikron is also circulating in Spain and, according to experts, will soon be predominant.

Sánchez warned that the danger posed by the virus was “real” in Spain, despite the high vaccination rate of 90 percent of all citizens over the age of twelve.

The seven-day incidence has risen to nearly 320.

“We cannot accept this incidence.

We have to increase our efforts, ”stressed the head of government.

However, a new emergency or other drastic measures such as a lockdown were not expected because the situation in the hospitals has not been as dramatic as last year.

Omikron: Drosten reports on the Oslo outbreak and draws a bitter conclusion

Update from December 19, 11:53 a.m.:

Many details about the new Omikron variant are still not revealed. How contagious is the mutant? And does it lead to less severe illnesses? The omicron outbreak at a Christmas party in Oslo, Norway * before the end of November now provides new indications. Virologist Christian Drosten spoke up on Sunday based on an investigation into the case: "The Oslo outbreak. Practically all infected people were double vaccinated and still symptomatic, half with fever. The oldest case 61 J (median 36), after almost 2 Where no one has been in the Krh. "Nobody boosted."

However, statistics professor Christoph Rothe from the University of Mannheim also speaks directly in the comments.

He notes that currently sometimes contradicting definitions of “mild courses” are being used.

While some would speak of a “mild course” when no hospital admission was required, others used this term for asymptomatic courses.

This can lead to confusion, he notes.

Omikron is already dominant in England: the prognosis predicts up to two million infections per day

Update from December 19, 11.25 a.m.:

Omikron is now dominant in England. The variant accounts for 60 percent of all cases in the country, said British Health Minister Sajid Javid in an interview with

on Sunday

. On Saturday alone, 10,059 new Omicron cases were reported in the UK - three times as many as the day before. In Scotland, too, the variant is already dominant.

Scientific advisors are calling for the corona measures to be tightened as quickly as possible in order to prevent the health system from being overloaded.

It is "almost certain that there are currently hundreds of thousands of new Omicron infections per day" in England.

According to

the

,

some modelers warned

that without more stringent measures, there could be up to two million new infections a day by the turn of the year.

Omikron ensures increasing corona numbers in Europe

First report from December 19:

Amsterdam / Copenhagen / London - increasing numbers of infections, the classification of European countries as virus variant and high-risk areas, lockdowns - it feels like a déjà vu. In spring 2021, the delta variant of the corona virus * caused a new wave in Europe. Now it's omicron. Vaccinations are now crucial, but forgeries of vaccination certificates * are also becoming more and more common.

In Germany, the new variant still plays a subordinate role.

However, experts agree that this will change in January at the latest.

Some models show a rapid increase in new corona infections this year.

Virologist Christian Drosten fears “massive illness-related absences from work” * - also in essential professional groups.

Among other things, he refers to current developments in Great Britain.

Omikron: Great Britain becomes virus variant area

The corona situation there has worsened again due to Omikron.

The country reported multiple daily records in the number of new infections * in the past week.

On Saturday (December 18) there were around 90,000 - more than 10,000 of them Omicron cases.

Three times as many as on Friday.

The capital London therefore declared a disaster.

As of Monday (December 20), the United Kingdom will be considered a virus variant area, as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Saturday evening.

People entering Germany then have to be quarantined for 14 days - regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or have recovered.

This period cannot be shortened by taking a test.

“We cannot prevent the spread, we can only delay it.

The longer it takes for Omikron to have a grip on Germany, the better, "said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) of the dpa.

Omikron: Stricter corona rules in Denmark

With the exception of Luxembourg, all German neighboring countries are in future on the list of high-risk areas.

The RKI announced on Friday that France and Denmark would also be classified as such from Sunday (December 19).

There, the corona numbers have recently increased rapidly - also because of Omikron *.

On Friday, the number of daily Corona cases * in Denmark reached a record level of around 12,000.

More than a fifth of them are Omikron, said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

The result is stricter rules until at least mid-January.

Theaters, cinemas, zoos, amusement parks and sports facilities have to be closed since 8 a.m. on Sunday.

According to government regulations, restaurants are only allowed to open until 11 p.m. in the evening.

Omikron: Netherlands are going into lockdown

The Netherlands go one step further.

Because of the spread of Omikron * there has been a new lockdown since Sunday at 5 a.m.

This should initially apply until January 14th.

"It is inevitable," said Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday evening in The Hague.

"We have to intervene to prevent worse."

On the last Saturday before Christmas, the shopping streets in Amsterdam were full.

© Peter Dejong / dpa

Almost all shops, restaurants, cultural and sports facilities, schools and hairdressers must remain closed.

The only exceptions are shops such as supermarkets and pharmacies, which are important for the supply.

As a rule, each household is only allowed to receive two guests.

Exceptionally, up to four visitors are only allowed over Christmas and at the turn of the year.

There will be no curfew for the time being, promised Rutte.