Brussels: European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said on Wednesday that Omicron was expected to be the dominant Coronavirus variant in 27 blocks of blocks in mid-January.
The UE executive branch head said the block was ready to fight Omicron with 66.6% of the European population now fully vaccinated against the virus.
Von Der Leyen said he was sure that the EU had a “strength” and “mean” to overcome the disease, despite expressing his disappointment that once again the year-end celebration would be disturbed by a pandemic.
“Like many of you, I’m sad again this Christmas will be shadowed by a pandemic,” Von Der Leyen.
He added that the EU now faced multiple challenges, with a massive increase in cases in recent weeks because the Delta variant was combined with the emergence of Omicron, because some member countries have been faced with the number of infections.
“We see more and more people who fall ill, a larger burden in the hospital and unfortunately an increase in the number of deaths,” he said.
Von Der Leyen insisted that the increase in infection was still due “almost exclusively” to the Delta variant.
“And what I’m worried about is that we now see the new omicron variant on the horizon, which seems more contagious.” Thanks to the high level of vaccination in the block and the availability of vaccine doses, Von der Leyen said that Europe is now in a better position to fight the virus.
He said that more than 300 million people in the EU were fully vaccinated and that 62 million people got the Jab Booster.
“The initial data from Omicron shows us that Triple Jab is the best protection for the new variant,” he said.
EU Official: Omicron became the dominant variant in mid-January
