'Another storm coming': WHO warns of omicron surge in Europe
ABC News
The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments to prepare for a “significant surge” in coronavirus cases across the continent with the rise of the omicron variant
VIENNA -- The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments on Tuesday to prepare for a “significant surge” in coronavirus cases across the continent due to the omicron variant, which is already dominant in several countries.
“We can see another storm coming,” WHO Europe regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said at a press conference in Vienna. “Within weeks, omicron will dominate in more countries of the region, pushing already stretched health systems further to the brink.”
Omicron has been detected in at least 38 of the WHO European region’s 53 members, Kluge added, noting that it is already the dominant variant in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Portugal.
Last week, 27,000 people died from coronavirus in the region and an additional 2.6 million cases were reported, Kluge said. Although these cases include all variants, not just omicron, he noted this figure is 40% higher than during the same period last year.
