‘Another storm coming’ as Omicron surges in Europe

Omicron has been detected in at least 38 of the WHO European region’s 53 members, Dr Kluge added, noting that it is already the dominant variant in the UK, Denmark and Portugal

Children wait with their father as they wait in a line spanning several blocks in order to be tested for COVID-19, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, at a Curative testing kiosk outside an elementary school in northwest Washington. The Washington family said they were testing the children as a precaution due to cold symptoms. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The World Health Organisation’s leading official in Europe has urged governments 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.