European countries consider new curbs on movement, with German scientists urging maximum, immediate restrictions
\n LONDON
\nCountries across Europe were considering new curbs on movement on Tuesday, with German scientists urging maximum and immediate restrictions on social contacts as the Omicron variant swept the world days before the second Christmas of the pandemic.
\nOmicron infections are multiplying across Europe, the United States and Asia, including in Japan, where a single cluster of COVID-19 cases at a military base has grown to at least 180.
\nGermany, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Korea are among countries to have reimposed partial or full lockdowns or other social distancing measures, in recent days.
\nNew Zealand COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said his country, which imposed some of the world\u2019s toughest COVID-19 measures, was delaying the start of a staggered reopening of its border until the end of February.
\n\u201cAll of the evidence so far points to Omicron being the most transmissible COVID-19 variant yet,\u201d he said.
\nGermany\u2019s Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases on Tuesday recommended that \u201cmaximum contact restrictions\u201d be imposed at once.
\nFederal and state leaders were due to meet later in the day to decide on new measures, which were likely to include contact restrictions even for the vaccinated and those who have recovered from an infection, but a nationwide lockdown seemed to be off the cards.
\nBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all kinds of measures to keep Omicron under control.
\nFinance minister Rishi Sunak announced 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) of extra support for businesses hit hardest by Omicron, which is hammering the hospitality sector and other businesses.
\nHe said he was confident the measures would help hundreds of thousands of businesses. But he added that he would \u201crespond proportionately and appropriately\u201d if the government were to impose further restrictions to slow Omicron, which would further hit the economy.
\nSweden will urge all employees to work from home if possible and impose tighter rules for social distancing.
\n\u201cWe must now take joint responsibility and we need adapt to the new reality,\u201d Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference. \u201cI understand that many are tired of this – so am I – but we now have a new virus variant, which means we are in a new situation.\u201d
\nIn neighbouring Denmark, Omicron is now the predominant variant, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said.
\nMany countries in the West are pinning their hopes on third, booster vaccine shots to keep the new variant at bay amid reports that two shots may not be enough.
\nThe European Union\u2019s drug regulator is prepared for the possibility that vaccines may have to be tweaked to fight Omicron, although there is no evidence yet, the agency\u2019s chief said.
\n\u201cThere is no answer whether we will need to adapt vaccines,\u201d European Medicines Agency executive director Emer Cook said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
European countries consider new curbs on movement, with German scientists urging maximum, immediate restrictions LONDON Countries across Europe were considering new curbs on movement on Tuesday, with German scientists urging maximum and immediate restrictions on social contacts as the Omicron variant swept the world days before the second Christmas of the pandemic. Omicron infections are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234228,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[388,721,959,650],"class_list":{"0":"post-234211","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-covid","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-omicron","11":"tag-world"},"yoast_head":"\n