Omicron Prompts the Imposition of New COVID-19 Restrictions. According to estimations based on British health statistics, the fast-spreading variety is already the prevalent strain in the UK and will soon be in Denmark. Community-transmitted Omicron infections double every 1.5 to 3 days in 89 countries, the WHO reported Saturday.
A lockdown on non-essential stores, pubs, and restaurants was reinstated in the Netherlands on Sunday, the first in Europe.
Germany will begin banning UK visitors from Monday due to mounting Omicron infection worries.
In addition to the 8 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin announced further limitations for live performances. The government is tightening up checks for close connections and entry.
Saturday, Mr. Martin told RTE radio that he fears about Omicron. He called the severity of the variation in terms of how many individuals may need hospitalisation and critical care units “the huge unknown.”
This includes people of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and all other British overseas territories, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
Even if they test negative for the virus, are vaccinated, or have recovered from New COVID-19, Germans or other individuals with domicile in Germany are exempt from the travel prohibition.
Starting Sunday, new, less severe travel restrictions will apply to Denmark, France, Norway, and a few more high-risk countries. Those from these areas must have a negative Covid-19 test or confirmation of immunity.
It is somewhat higher than in France and the US, and roughly three times greater than in the UK. The daily mortality toll from New COVID-19 in Germany is now almost 2.5 times that in the UK.
Unlike in the UK or Denmark, the Omicron version hasn’t begun to replace the Delta type, which was responsible for the country’s November infection spike. Most scientists predict the new type to dominate in Germany within weeks.
“We can only slow its spread.” Karl Lauterbach, Federal Health Minister, told dpa. We need to hold Omicron at bay as long as possible.
Mr. Lauterbach, a doctor, said he expected a “massive fifth wave” fueled by Omicron when administering New COVID-19 doses earlier this week.
On Saturday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” following the city’s biggest daily increase in infections since the epidemic began.
Hospital admissions were growing, he claimed, with more unvaccinated patients, and staff absences rising.
More than 90,400 new cases were reported in the UK on Saturday, down from a pandemic high of Friday. The number of new cases was up 44% and the number of tests was up 19% in the last week.
Positive New COVID-19 testing at clubs suspended sports events across the nation, including many Premier League soccer games.
Faced with the new threat, the French government is not imposing any additional lockdowns or curfews. Instead, the government is urging local authorities to postpone Christmas concerts and pyrotechnics, and encouraging people to obtain vaccination boosters.
