There is a first case with the omicron variant of the coronavirus in Freiburg. The local health department announced this on Thursday afternoon.
The health department of the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which is also responsible for the city of Freiburg, has recorded the first case with the Omikron variant. “This is a person in the city area who was in contact with a traveler returning from southern Africa,” says press spokesman Matthias Fetterer. So far, there are no indications of a severe course of the infection.
The health department expects the omicron variant to become more widespread in the Freiburg region as well. The authority points out that the virus variant Omikron is probably even more contagious than the delta variant widespread in Germany because of the unusually large number of mutations. The Robert Koch Institute had therefore already declared Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa to be virus variant areas.
People who enter Germany from these countries are obliged to quarantine for two weeks. This cannot be shortened and also applies to those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. The quarantines are monitored by the local police. All people who have entered the country since November 28, 2021, should report to the health department, primarily using the contact form on the district office’s homepage in the area of the health department’s information on the coronavirus or at Tel. 0761 / 2187-3003. Tests are required during the quarantine; the test authorization is issued by the health department.
In the event of symptoms of illness within the quarantine, the family doctor should be informed by telephone and advised of the return from the areas of southern Africa, according to the health department.
At the beginning of the week, an Omikron case had already been reported in Emmendingen.
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