German MP tests positive for omicron as concerns grow over new variant

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) – A German lawmaker tested positive for the omicron variant of the coronavirus after attending a defense committee meeting, local media reported on Wednesday.

Several lawmakers who attended the meeting received a red alert through the coronavirus warning app after the incident, German news agency DPA said, without revealing identity of the infected lawmaker.

Lawmakers are wearing masks during the parliamentary meetings, but they often take them off while they are speaking.

German health authorities have been warning that the omicron variant is highly transmissible and spreading faster than any previous strain, and the country is likely to see a surge in infections within a few weeks.

The Robert Koch Institute, the country's disease control agency, confirmed 45,659 new coronavirus infections and 510 related fatalities on Wednesday.