German health minister expects ‘massive’ fifth coronavirus wave

Parts of Germany were devastated by a fourth wave of the virus in November

A ‘Covid-Check’ inspector checks digital vaccination certificates on smartphones of people in Cologne, Germany, 22 November 2021 (EPA-EFE)

Germany should prepare for a “massive fifth wave” of coronavirus, its health minister has warned amid rising numbers of the new Omicron variant in the nation.

New health minister Karl Lauterbach, a former epidemiology professor, said the nation would have to prepare for a challenge “that we have never seen before.”

Speaking during a visit to the region of Lower Saxony, the minister, known for his somber coronavirus forecasts, stirred anticipation of further restrictions being introduced to curb the spread of Omicron.

Following in France’s footsteps, Germany could place new travel restrictions on British travellers. Under new rules that could be announced on Friday, travellers to Germany from Britain would be required to quarantine for two weeks, a German health ministry spokesperson said.

Germany experienced a devastating fourth wave throughout November where the coronavirus rate reached as high as 452.2 people per 100,000 according to The Robert Koch Institute.

In Saxony, the region hardest hit by the fourth wave, new daily infection increased 14-fold in November prompting then Chancellor Angela Merkel to restrict access to sports events and restaurants to people who had been vaccinated or recently recovered from coronavirus.

Earlier this week, police arrested five people suspected of planning to assassinate Saxony’s prime minister who has pushed for mandatory vaccinations and hard lockdowns to slow a virulent surge in Covid-19 infections in the state.

The EU’s public health body had earlier said that the Omicron variant may become the dominant variant in Europe by next year and may lead to increased hospitalisations. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had reiterated a similar view on Wednesday.

European Union governments agreed to order over 180 million doses of an adapted version against Omicron of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, the head of the European Commission said.

The Omicron variant has driven infections in Britain close to peak levels seen in early 2021, although hospitalisations and deaths remain much lower. European countries and the United States have also seen infections spike in December.