Omicron: in Germany, experts advising the government recommend emergency measures

Towards a new turn of the screw in Germany? While the country recently put in place drastic restrictions for people not vaccinated against the virus, new health measures could be taken in the coming weeks. In any case, this is what the group of experts advising the German government recommended this Sunday, December 19, in the face of the new epidemic wave.

“If the spread of the Omicron variant in Germany were to continue in this way, a significant part of the population would simultaneously fall ill and / or be quarantined”, warn the experts in their report. There would therefore be a high risk of disturbances in the functioning of “critical infrastructure” (hospitals, security, emergency services, telecommunications, electricity and water supply).

The 19 scientists and practitioners of the group, among the most recognized in the country, do not detail the necessary measures and do not mention containment. However, they call for new decisions “as soon as possible”, in “the coming days”. They are particularly in favor of “strong reductions in contacts” within the population. “The protection of critical infrastructure in our country requires full and immediate preparation”, further urge researchers who believe that Omicron is bringing the pandemic into “a new dimension”.

However, they underline, it is necessary to show pedagogy on the potential decisions, “the Omicron wave affecting a population exhausted by nearly two years of pandemic and the fight against it, and in which massive tensions are evident on a daily basis”.

According to several local media, an emergency meeting of Olaf Scholz’s government and regional presidents is scheduled for Tuesday. The gauge of indoor and outdoor gatherings could, on this occasion, be lowered. On the other hand, the Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, ruled out confinement on Sunday “before Christmas”, of the type established in the Netherlands, also deeming this measure unlikely after the holidays. For now, many restrictions already apply in Germany, mainly on non-vaccinated people who are prohibited from entering most public places.

Since the beginning of autumn, a virulent resumption of the epidemic linked to the Delta variant has affected the population across the Rhine. The number of new cases has declined slightly since the return to many restrictions, but the level of contamination remains high, with between 30,000 and 50,000 additional cases every 24 hours. In addition, the rate of complete vaccination in Germany, still considered insufficient, this week reached 70% of the total population.