Germany on Monday extended its current pandemic measures as the experts panel appointed by the government has warned the fast spreading Omicron coronavirus variant could bring critical infrastructure in Europe's biggest economy to a breaking point.
Several countries in Europe are still registering a record number of COVID-19 infections this week — here is our summary of the situation across the continent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that Europe was entering a new phase of the virus.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany’s 16 state governors said they were also looking into how to use PCR test capacities, which have been strained in recent days.
Although infections are rising fast, that has not been accompanied by a big increase in hospital admissions so far.
But officials worry that Germany has a high number of unvaccinated older people in comparison with some other European countries.
In Berlin, where the rate of cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last 7 days hit 1,465 - second-highest in Germany - compulsory school attendance will be suspended until the end of February, to accommodate parents worried about sending their children to classrooms amid rising infections, Mayor Franziska Giffey said.