africa's most successful radio drama series, continues them all episodes are available online. and of course you can share and this goes on d, w, africa's facebook page and other social media platforms, crime fighters, tune in now. he ah ah, this is b w. news coming to live from berlin. only crohn becomes the dominant corona virus strain in the u. s. people line up to get tested in washington as authority say the highly contagious new variant. now accounts for almost 3 quarters of all new infections in, while leaders here in germany plot this countries next steps against them all mean

cranberry and they're expected to impose contact restrictions even on those who've been doubly vaccinated or recovered from cupboard 19. but no contact restrictions with the frigid waters of lake geneva as some hearty folks go for a pre christmas dinner. ah. hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. the army kron corona virus variant is spreading rapidly just as people around the world prepare for the end of year holidays. that's why the world health organization is calling on people to consider the risk they may be taking w h o jet director general tetra, deborah, jesus said there is now clear evidence that all micron is more contagious than any other version of the buyer so far. and he warned that holiday festivities would,

in many places, drive infections to lead and lead to more deaths. all of us are seek off this bundle. all of us want to spend time with friends and family, but uneven concealed is better than life cancelled. it's better to conceal now and celebrate later zahn to celebrate to now and grieve later while career virus infections are rising in many countries in the united states, army kron is now the dominant strain, accounting for 73 percent of infections just a week ago. that figure was just 12 percent in new york virus cases are surging. just ahead of holiday season gatherings. 5. 03. 0 one. hi peter. this is just a test. new year's eve in times square has not come early by the on the chron wave

has hit the us sooner than many experts expected. nearby and new yorkers lie enough to get tested with christmas just days away and cases surging. many are worried. definitely feels like that 1st wave of the pandemic without anxiety, all these long lines around the city, people getting tested on exams or getting cancel and for people in grad school like myself. so i kind of feel like that early part of that we didn't, we didn't really know what's happening. i think we've all been affected as a new yorker. we're trying to take every single promotion that we can um got dull vax boosted regular testing. i am planning to travel for the holidays, but depending on the result of this test, i'll probably stay put in your back. americas took pandemic advisor. anthony found she though, had a hopeful message for those worried about the holidays. yes, you can go the extra mile and get tested before you have a family gathering or a group get test the day before or the day of getting together,

but vaccinated and boosted people. one of the family members of accident, it should feel very comfortable in getting together and enjoying a holiday meal or a holiday get together. i president joe biden plans to address the rapid rise in corona virus case as later on tuesday. but he's already made it clear with some of the blame lies for those who choose to remain and vaccinated. he'll issue a stark warning and make clear and vaccinate individuals will continue to drive hospitalizations and deaths. that is not trying to scare people or maybe it is trying to make clear to people in the country what the risks are here of not being vaccinated. despite the worsening situation in times square, some people was still in a festive mood bath. this might be the last time new york as see these lights in person. the mass still hasn't decided if new year's celebrations here. we'll go ahead and let's get more from peter chin hong. he is

a professor of medicine at the university of california in san francisco. good to have you back with us or tell us the doctor truong a week ago, omicron account for just 12 percent of us infections. now it's 73 percent. what does that tell you about the virus? it's tells us terry, that this virus is speeding. ahead and forward like no other variance before. and if you think about 2 weeks ago, it was one percent. so it tells us really 2 things. first of all, that probably genomic sequencing lives, what the cases really are in the community. and secondly, once you get enough people infected in a community, it's like little kernan virus bombs going off. the increase is really exponential corona, virus, bombs. what do you expect the situation to be like then 2 weeks from now in the u. s. i see continued spread. i think it started off in the east coast

really because of a lot of contact with the u. k. and with southern african countries. there are direct flights from dr berg, for example, to new york, new jersey, d. c. it's not as prevalent maybe in california yet, although it's increasing authorizations are not that high compared to the east coast, but it's spreading westward. so i see a big sweep. i see a potentially unprepared hospital systems for this deluge. how well is the u. s. prepared for what's coming? well, i think we're not as prepared as we should be. i take this took the biden administration by surprise. it came out of left field almost. and i think that in all senses, testing has been seriously under provide, in a hospital capacities are breaking points regionally. national guard is being called

out. i think probably the greatest potential casualty is not the physical beds. it's the, you know, psychological states of american people at this point. we wanted to have a christmas, why we can go to theater and see friends and family and all of a sudden this is our greatest right. first to thank you very much for talking with dr. pito chin, hong talking to us from san francisco. thanks so much jerry. well, as he all the crown variant races across the globe policy makers here in germany are plotting their next steps to attack the fresh way. a range of measures are on the table including limiting social contacts, even for those fully vaccinated or recovered from covet 19 preparing for alma chron, germany is rushing to get a vaccine booster shot to its critical workers, like these firefighters and hamburg before the new cove at 19 variant becomes dominant here, while daily cases are sinking across the country. experts more in the dreaded wave

could arrive just after christmas. info and their smell is excellent and it's a rapid exponential increase. i talked about if you take the conservative estimate that cases double every 3 days, or what scientists and britain are recording every 2 days. and if you only need a pocket calculator to see that that's extremely fast, is bombs and mitchell. while vaccines are the 1st line of defense, germany's government is preparing new restrictions for as early as next week, even for the fully vaccinated. like to send off not by to that we will have further restrictions on private contacts. so we're well prepared for the spread of the new virus mutation all over europe was them? oh, it's a huge vial in novel pals. fight it. what the new curves will look like is unclear . that still needs to be discussed with the leaders of germany states. but it seems, everything is on the table is global when the speech dated by the if experts

predictions are confirmed and what we're seeing in neighboring countries continues the allied. and we can't rule out a general lockdown, including everything from businesses to education, to private gatherings, and yet mismatched reason. for starters, that will likely mean cancelled new year's eve parties. and those making fitness resolutions for 2022 might have to postpone hitting the gym until the alma chron. waive is over. or for more on, on a college, talked out to high o z. he's a research fellow at the aliveness institute for prevention, research, and epidemiology. thanks for being with us. professor z. when are you expecting ami cross to become dominant in germany? good morning. we are a little bit behind. i guess it won't take that long. i mean, it probably will be sometime early or late as mid january, that will have only con, really as a dominant variance with us. here are the restrictions that germany has in place now sufficient to deal with this new variant. when i say the current restriction

that here, right now, i actually get towards the bill to very and still. so, i mean we're looking now towards the new restrictions coming up. this. the discussions today are going on and the ministers will sit together and decide what on wall off best. probably rhonda ball doors directly off to christmas. the expectation that especially in meeting people and contacts will be will be reduced . probably the larger meeting, the logic gatherings will probably be. the rules will be change again, and i'm wondering whether restrooms and all that and possibly close again. what are your biggest concerns about all may kron when it does become the dominant variant? here in germany? yeah, i mean we, we heard it's pretty, very fast. it will lead to a wave of new diseases definitely. and is what i love in the hospitals. that's the one. that's the one problem. so we already have

a stress infrastructure just about to know coping with delta as it is. but it will be more of that and even probably bigger numbers in the hospital. but then there's also no discussion about, you know, that this is just the con infection. we're really affect, you know, critical services will be a ton of firefighters and police and all that. so this is really something new and we haven't discussed this so far. and this is another term that's all on the agenda . really know what about the hospitals, the health care system in germany? is it prepared for this? it's it's, it's really a problematic situation. we have a good hospital system. we have a, b, r i c u interest infrastructure, but it's been stressed civilian all through the military. we had to transport patients from one place to the other and so on. and this is only those. and so now we're the only come i will. ready even stress this this morning and,

and really especially the staff in the hospital. and that's the main issue we have . but the staff is simply, you know, very much under pressure and there are a few of them. notice the last high o z a at the left unsaid stupor. prevention research and epidemiology. thank you very much for talking with us. she is catch up on some of the other stories making headlines around the world today in ethiopia. the, to grab people's liberation front, says it will withdraw from several regions that had captured in recent months, saying it was a step toward peace. the ethiopian government dismissed the announcements saying it's a cover up for recent military setbacks. ethiopia has been fighting a civil war for over a year that has killed tens of thousands in the philippines, the death toll from typhoon roy has risen to 375 with dozens of people. still missing. a military has been called in to help as entire communities were leveled, and many more left without electricity, water, or food. hundreds,

thousands have been displaced in the typhoon has triggered landslides and flash floods. japan has executed prisoners for the 1st time in 2 years. the 3 inmates were put to death at the tokyo detention house and had been convicted of multiple murders. there is wide support for capital punishment among people in japan, despite criticism from human rights groups and former u. s. president donald trump was heckled at an event when he declared he had received a coven 19th booster shot. he dismissed the hecklers as a very tiny group while on stage with conservative talk, show host bill o'reilly in dallas. got it. okay, so weather forecasters here in europe aren't offering much hope of a white christmas for most parts of the continent, but temperatures are still cold enough to live in the senses of those brave enough

to go for a winter swim in switzerland. thousands took part in a traditional pre christmas dip in frigid waters. oh, baby, it's cold outside, but for some geneva that means it's time for a swim. the brave bared their skin in record numbers at this year's christmas cup. after last year's event was cancelled due to the pandemic, over 3000 signed up for a chance at glory and frozen toes to certain moral, pre gone, manifest. this is certainly the biggest winter swimming event in the world. i saw the phenomenon of getting together and releasing your joy. the cold water takes us away from all our problems to the polar emma. the challenge begins with a splash from a bucket. while it may look sadistic helps the swimmers bodies prepare for the coming shock. once they've taken the plunge, the contestants have to swim 100 meters, while some are playing to win for others, the reward is a feeling of relief when it's all over. so i've quoted you with horrible for the

1st 10 seconds, but afterwards you feel really good. why are you doing this? huh. because we're having fun or soil for the smile afterwards. exactly, with a smile afterwards. well maybe that explains the record attendance permission once again to do something out of the ordinary. ah, you're watching dw news up next, we've got a documentary film for you looking at what the totalitarian mindset of the soviet union era is making a comeback. i'm terry martin, thanks for watching the landscape. a reflection of a turbulent history. the cities a mosaic of different people and languages. e ron's mountains reveal unparalleled beauty.