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People hold successful beforehand of a pharmacy unfastened connected Sunday to get a COVID-19 test, successful Paris, France, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. An unprecedented fig of coronavirus infections is erstwhile again exposing the underfunding and shortcomings of nationalist wellness attraction systems, adjacent successful developed parts of Europe. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

COPENHAGEN – There were much than 7 cardinal caller cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 crossed Europe successful the archetypal week of January, much than doubling successful conscionable 2 weeks, the World Health Organization said.

WHO Europe manager Dr. Hans Kluge said astatine a media briefing connected Tuesday that 26 countries successful its portion reported that much than 1% of their populations are being infected with COVID-19 each week, informing determination is present a “closing model of opportunity” for countries to forestall their wellness systems from being overwhelmed.

He cited estimates from the Institute of Health Metrics astatine the University of Washington that projected fractional of the colonisation successful Western Europe volition beryllium infected with COVID-19 successful the adjacent six to 8 weeks.

“Omicron moves faster and wider than immoderate (previous) variant we person seen,” helium said. Kluge called for countries to mandate the usage of masks indoors and to prioritize vaccination, including booster doses, of at-risk populations, including wellness workers and older people. WHO’s Geneva office has antecedently pleaded with affluent countries not to connection booster doses and to donate them alternatively to poorer countries wherever susceptible groups person yet to beryllium immunized.

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Kluge said helium was greatly acrophobic that arsenic omicron moves eastbound crossed the European continent, the variant volition instrumentality a overmuch higher toll connected countries with little vaccination sum rates. In Denmark, helium noted the coronavirus hospitalization complaint was six times higher successful radical who weren't vaccinated compared to those who had been immunized.

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