Christmas get-togethers may need to be downsized as Omicron is now “very likely” to increase the death toll in Europe even if it proves to be less severe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.
The risk assessment, published on Wednesday, advises governments they urgently need to reintroduce Covid restrictions, with one option being to advise families and friends to avoid mixing over the festive season. “In the current situation, vaccination alone will not allow us to prevent the impact of the Omicron variant, because there will be no time to address the vaccination gaps that still exist.”Beyond ensuring that masks are worn and public spaces and buses and trains remain uncrowded, Ammon said governments “should also consider advising reduced inter-household mixing”.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, tweeted: “We are facing another Christmas in pandemic mode. But we are more prepared to fight the virus than ever. Over 66% of Europeans have received two shots. And 62 million people already had their boosters, which is the best currently available protection against Omicron.”