Germany rules out Christmas lockdown but warns of 'unstoppable' fifth COVID-19 wave

BERLIN: Germany`s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has ruled out a Christmas lockdown but warned that a fifth COVID-19 wave could no longer be stopped amid rising cases of Omicron variant.

Lauterbach also stressed that mandatory vaccination is the only way to stop the pandemic.

"There will not be a lockdown before Christmas here. But we will get the fifth wave - we have crossed a critical number of Omicron infections," Lauterbach said, speaking on broadcaster ARD. "This wave can no longer be completely stopped."

In another interview with BILD, Lauterbach added that he did not expect there to be a "hard lockdown" after the holidays either.

Germany banned unvaccinated people from entering non-essential establishments at the beginning of the month in an attempt to control rising cases amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

The government still needed to make clear to the populace what would and would not be allowed during the holiday season, Lauterbach said, without specifying what measures were under discussion.

Nearly 70% of the population is fully vaccinated against the virus, according to data from Dec. 17. The country reported 29,348 new cases on Sunday and 180 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. 

The number of new daily cases rose significantly in October and November but have been slowly falling since the start of the month.

Lauterbach reiterated his call to make vaccination compulsory in Sunday`s interview with ARD, a policy which parliament is due to debate early next year and which Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he supports.

"I believe we can defeat this if we close the gaps in vaccination with mandatory vaccines. That is my clear conviction," Lauterbach said.