German health minister: Omicron cases to rise sharply over Christmas

Health minister Karl Lauterbach has warned Germans to take precautions to avoid infection over Christmas (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Germany’s health minister said on Friday that the proportion of coronavirus infections with the new Omicron variant will increase sharply in the days ahead, and he appealed to people to take steps to avoid infection during Christmas festivities.

German authorities are anticipating another wave of Covid-19 cases as a result of Omicron, though so far the delta variant remains dominant in the country and case numbers have drifted downward after spiking last month.