COVID-19 surge turns all EU into a red zone, Omicron variant detected in 13 countries

The Omicron variant has been detected in 13 EU states, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported on Thursday as Europe battles a COVID-19 surge.

The ECDC said there have been 70 confirmed cases in 13 EU and EEA countries with the majority having a history of travel to southern African countries.

However, the ECDC said the information so far shows that people who are infected with the Omicron variant have experienced mild symptoms.

“All cases for which there is available information on severity were either asymptomatic or mild. To date, there have been no severe cases and no deaths reported among these cases,” the EU watchdog said.

The concern over the Omicron variant comes as Europe battles a surge of COVID infections. The ECDC travel advisory map is all painted red or dark red, apart from a handful of regions in Italy that are still yellow.

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All of the EU and EEA are now considered travel red and dark red zones by the ECDC

Germany bans unvaccinated from public places

The update from the ECDC comes as Germany announced new restrictions on unvaccinated people in a bid to curb the surge in new cases that is putting pressure on the health service.

Unvaccinated people will be barred from many public places, including non-essential shops and events.

Hospitalisations in Germany are driven by unvaccinated people with many regions experiencing a strain on health resources.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, unvaccinated people will be barred from many public places unless they have recently recovered from COVID.

"Culture and leisure nationwide will be open only to those who have been vaccinated or recovered," Merkel said.

"We have understood that the situation is very serious and that we want to take further measures in addition to those already taken," she added.

The outgoing chancellor said a nationwide vaccination mandate could be imposed from February 2022, after it's been debated in parliament.

She delivered the press conference alongside Olaf Schulz, who will be taking her place next week.

Meanwhile, the UK on Thursday recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases since 17 July.

‘Few months’ before Omicron takes over

The ECDC’s briefing on Thursday added that current evidence on transmissibility, severity, and immune escape is highly uncertain for the Omicron variant.

However, preliminary data from South Africa suggest that it may have a substantial growth advantage over the Delta variant. Mathematical modelling indicates that Omicron is expected to cause over half of all COVID infections in the EU/EEA “within the next few months”.

“The greater Omicron's growth advantage over the Delta variant and the greater its circulation in the EU/EEA, the shorter the expected time until the Omicron variant causes the majority of all SARS-CoV-2 infections,” the ECDC said.

Omicron has multiple mutations, which scientists believe could made it immune to antibodies induced by infection or current vaccinations. However, research on the matter is still underway.

The ECDC said: “The full extent to which the Omicron variant evades or erodes existing vaccine- or infection-derived immunity remains uncertain in the absence of in vitro neutralisation data, vaccine effectiveness data, and further data on reinfection in populations exposed to different SARS-CoV-2 variants during previous pandemic waves.”