Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron
Omicron has become the dominant coronavirus variant in the Netherlands, the public health agency said on Tuesday, warning of increased hospital admissions.
Despite daily infections decreasing, with 9,213 positive tests reported on Tuesday compared to 11,495 the day before, the highly contagious strain "will lead to additional infections in the coming period", the National Institute for Public Health said.
The Netherlands announced a Christmas lockdown 10 days ago to try to stop surging cases of the Omicron variant, closing all non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and museums until January 14.
The decision seemed to have a positive effect, with hospital admissions declining from 256 patients a week before to 191 patients this week, the institute said.
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A health centre employee performs a coronavirus test in the Kurfuerstendamm shopping street in Berlin, Germany. AP Photo -
People present their vaccination status as they queue in front of the famous department store 'KaDeWe' in Berlin. AP Photo -
A coffin which contains a person who died with the coronavirus, and is labelled "Covid-19", in a crematorium's cold room in Meissen, Germany. AP Photo -
A quiet retail precinct during the introduction of lockdown measures in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Bloomberg -
A vast Covid-19 vaccination centre set up inside the France's national Velodrome near Paris. EPA -
A medical technician administers nasal swabs at a mobile testing site in Paris. AP Photo -
Children are vaccinated at a centre in Selestat, eastern France. AP Photo -
People queue up outside a pharmacy to have swab tests in Turin, Italy. EPA -
A crowd wearing face masks in downtown Madrid, Spain. AP Photo -
Nurses take care of a Covid-19 patient at the Basurto Hospital in Bilbao, Spain. EPA
"The real impact of the measures is expected to be visible in early January," it said.
More than 20 per cent of the Dutch adult population received vaccine boosters by Tuesday, the agency said.
