00:00Today, the Omicron variant represents a new west-to-east tidal wave,
00:07sweeping across the region, on top of the delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021.
00:17At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts
00:22that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron
00:29in the next six to eight weeks.
00:32Fifty of the fifty countries in Europe and Central Asia have now reported cases of Omicron.
00:39It is quickly becoming the dominant virus in Western Europe and is now spreading into the Balkans.
00:47Data collated in recent weeks confirms that Omicron is highly transmissible
00:53because the mutation it has enabled it to adhere to human cells more easily.
01:01And it can infect even those who have been previously infected or vaccinated.
01:07Allow me to reiterate that the currently approved vaccines do continue to provide
01:13good protection against severe disease and death, including for Omicron.
01:18-a jack-o, moving out of the line between the three counties for the left of April 10.
01:19Grazie.
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