Top German health body recommends ‘maximum contact restrictions’

Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s national disease control body has recommended “maximum contact restrictions” be observed until at least mid-January as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the country.

The announcement from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) comes despite it also reporting a drop in Germany’s seven-day incidence of new infections per 100,000 people, dropping from 375 a week ago and from 316 on Monday to 306.4 on Tuesday morning.

The institute’s recommendation will add further urgency to an emergency meeting of German federal and state leaders on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting was convened on the urging of the new government’s Coronavirus Expert Council, which called on the government to implement stricter measures to contain the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

According to the council, Omicron’s rapid spread threatens a “new dimension” of the pandemic in Germany.

The focus of the meeting between Germany’s 16 state premiers and Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be how best to reduce social contacts for the entire population, including those who are double vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19. Closures of night clubs are also being discussed and appear likely.

Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger said that she hoped to avoid fresh school closures “at all costs,” however. “Children and young people have already borne a great burden in the coronavirus pandemic … The learning gaps must not be allowed to increase,” the pro-business Free Democrat politician told dpa on Tuesday, adding: “As long as we can still go to the football stadium, no school should close.”

Celebrating Christmas with family members would still be possible this year, said North Rhine Westphalia’s premier – and chair of the Tuesday leaders’ meeting – Hendrik Wuest. But at the same time, contacts would have to be reduced, he warned.