Low-vaccinated Eastern Europe braces for omicron surge

By STEPHEN McGRATH
Associated Press

SIBIU, Romania (AP) — Officials and experts in low-vaccinated Eastern Europe are anticipating a post-holiday explosion of COVID-19 cases in much of the region. Many countries in Eastern Europe only recently emerged from infection waves that put a catastrophic strain on their health care systems. Now, as the fast-spreading coronavirus variant omicron rages through Western Europe, public health officials are predicting that Romania, the Balkans and other countries to the east will see a sharp virus surge in the coming weeks. The  director of Romania’s National Center for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases warned Wednesday that the European Union’s second-least vaccinated member nation country could see 25,000 new cases a day during the expected next wave.