Norway has an Omicron contagion bomb and, if effective measures are not taken, there is a risk of seeing 300,000 Covid-infected people every day. The variant threatens to devastate Europe.
This dire warning prompted Norway’s Prime Minster Jonas Gahr Stoere, to declare that the country will tighten its restrictions this week to stop the spread of Covid.
The situation is very serious. Stoere stated that the spread of infections is alarming and that action must be taken to stop it from happening, as reported by NTB.
The situation in Denmark is getting worse as scientists warn that Omicron could be dominant within days. This would mean Europe will face a new Covid invasion.
Denmark has the second highest number of Omicron-positive cases, only behind the UK. The two countries also have extensive sequencing capabilities to rapidly detect variants.
Denmark recorded an average of 3,437 Omicron case as of Monday. However, the UK recorded almost twice that amount with a total 4,713 Omicron infection. As of Sunday, Norway had 958 Omicron cases.
Boris Johnson, British prime minister has said that Omicron could be a major threat to the UK after the discovery that at least one Omicron-positive person has already died in Britain.
Denmark has recorded a total of 3,437 Omicron cases as of Monday, while the UK has recorded nearly double that figure with a total of 4,713 Omicron infections. As of Sunday, Norway had 958 Omicron cases. Omicron has caused the Omicron variant to explode in cases across the three countries.
Danish health authorities announced Monday that the third dose of Covid vaccine will be available sooner for everyone older than 40 in an effort to stop the spread. Pictured: 11-year-old girl in Amagar receives her vaccination.
A leading French hospital executive said that France, across the Channel, will experience a sixth Covid Wave in January, due to Omicron variant.
RTL Radio’s Martin Hirsch said that he had not spoken a word about the sixth wave which was Omicron.
France has only 59 Omicron case reports so far, while Germany has reported 77. That’s much less than Denmark and the UK.
The reason is that Britain, Denmark and other countries are carefully tracking the spread and modeling it using genome sequencing. They may be reporting on what’s happening in Europe elsewhere.
Norway has set new records in hospitalisations and Covid-19 infection rates, partially due to Omicron.
FHI, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, issued Monday’s dire warning. It warned that further restrictions must be imposed by the government to stop the spread of the variant.
“The Omicron variant” will cause an epidemic with many people, many hospitalsisations in December. [putting a]The FHI noted that widespread sickness absence is a major burden to society’s health care system.
They stated that without effective solutions, the nation with 5.4 million inhabitants could see between 90,000-300,000 Covid cases every day for the next three week. Additionally, they warned of 200 potential hospital admissions per day.
According to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Monday saw 358 Covid-infected people in Norway. This is the most hospitalized during the whole pandemic.
Norway’s Prime Minster Jonas Gahr Stoere plans to make an announcement that his country will increase restrictions in the coming weeks to reduce the spread and abuse of Covid.
In the UK, Mr Johnson said on Sunday that two vaccine doses would not be enough to contain it as her urged Britons to get their booster jab.
Omicron appears to be spreading faster than Delta, which makes vaccines less effective and causes less severe symptoms. The World Health Organization stated Sunday that Omicron is more common than Delta, but stressed that data remain incomplete.
Indeed, data from Denmark’s research institute Staten Serums Institute shows that of the 2,471 people infected with Omicron so far, 74.6 per cent – or 1,843 people – were double vaccinated.
To stop this variant spreading, the Danish health officials announced on Monday that they would offer a third dose to anyone over 40 of the Covid vaccine.
The health authority stated in a statement that ‘Due the more contagious Omicron variety, the Danish Health Authority decided to push for the third jab to everyone over 40, so they receive the vaccine approximately four and a half months after receiving the first jab.
Director Soren Brostrom stated that by reducing the time between doses, “we’ll be able enter winter with improved protection for people at higher risk of serious disease and greater immunity,”.
According to the European Medicines Agency, (EMA), a third dose can be administered within three months of the completion of the original vaccine course.
Boris Johnson, the UK’s Prime Minister, told his country that Omicron is coming as he increased the booster drive in order to reach his goal of 1 million vaccinations per day. Above, the PM poses at Westminster’s vaccination center in London.
After the UK had reported 1,239 additional confirmed Omicron cases, the UK Covid alert level has been raised to level 4.
Denmark’s population, which is 5.8 million strong, has had a very high rate of vaccine adoption. 80.6 percent of people over five years old have received two jabs.
Denmark introduced new restrictions in response to an increase in the number of cases. This included closing colleges and schools, curbing nightlife, and encouraging remote working.
It comes as Mads Albertsen, a professor at Aalborg University, said the Omicron variant could be dominant within days.
At 8 pm tonight, the Prime Minister of Norway will host a press conference to announce additional restrictions that are intended to stop the spread and expansion of this variant.
Dec. 7th, the government established a maximum number of people allowed to visit private homes. It also reduced hours that bars and restaurants may serve alcohol. But additional regulation is required.
Line Vold (FHI’s chief of emergency preparedness and infection control), stated that the situation “concerns us more than ever before.”
“We feel Omicron is the most dominant variant within the next days… We have to fast introduce more restrictions.
According to newspaper VG, new regulations might be introduced on Monday.
The health ministry asked Norway’s armed forces and pharmacies for help in the vaccination campaign in order to speed up the delivery of booster doses.
It comes after it emerged earlier this month that a business trip to South Africa may have sparked the world’s biggest Omicron outbreak after between 50 and 60 vaccinated people were infected at a Christmas party in Norway.
After returning from South Africa, the Scatec staff enjoyed a dinner at Louise Restaurant. & Bar in Aker Brygge Oslo’s waterfront
The Christmas party was held in a closed room but the guests reportedly mingled with other people in the restaurant after 10:30pm, when it turned into a nightclub (pictured, inside Louise Restaurant & Bar)
50 people had positive PCR tests and 10 others with lateral flows after the party. But, no one has been diagnosed as being seriously ill.
Oslo officials confirmed one Omicron positive case after the Christmas party of the company and stated that more were “expected”.
Scatec insists that only employees who have been vaccinated were permitted to join the party. They must also submit a negative result from a previous test.
Norwegian epidemiologists previously ruled out that the infection could be Delta variant and stated there was an ‘high likelihood’ it was Omicron.
While the party was in closed rooms, the attendees reportedly enjoyed mingling with each other in the restaurant at night.
Two other restaurant guests who were not part of the Christmas party tested positive later. It is unclear if the two infected people contracted the disease at the event, or through a contact.
The party saw ten of the waitstaff serving the tables being tested, with none finding positive. However, one of the company’s top-spreaders had been drinking in an Irish pub in the same city the night before. There are fears that other people may be infected.