“All of the evidence so far points to Omicron being the most transmissible COVID-19 variant yet,” he said.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases on Tuesday recommended that “maximum contact restrictions” be imposed at once.
Federal and state leaders were due to meet later in the day to decide on new measures, which were likely to include contact restrictions even for the vaccinated and those who have recovered from an infection, but a nationwide lockdown seemed to be off the cards.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all kinds of measures to keep Omicron under control.
Finance minister Rishi Sunak announced 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) of extra support for businesses hit hardest by Omicron, which is hammering the hospitality sector and other businesses.
He said he was confident the measures would help hundreds of thousands of businesses. But he added that he would “respond proportionately and appropriately” if the government were to impose further restrictions to slow Omicron, which would further hit the economy.
Sweden will urge all employees to work from home if possible and impose tighter rules for social distancing.
“We must now take joint responsibility and we need adapt to the new reality,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference. “I understand that many are tired of this – so am I – but we now have a new virus variant, which means we are in a new situation.”
In neighbouring Denmark, Omicron is now the predominant variant, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said.
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