the only criteria is what we'll hook people. we shed light on the opaque world who's behind the benefits. and why are they a threat to whistle opaque wolves this week on d w? ah, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, omicron tidal wave headed for europe. the world health organization predicts that half of europe population could become infected with the contagious corona virus

variant. by the end of this winter, also coming up, british prime minister boris johnson is facing mounting pressure of allegations that he and his staff broke locked down rules by holding a party in 2020. now they are revelations of email invitation to the evict. ah, i'm jarrett great, thank you very much for your company. we start the show, we the dye, a warning from the world health organization and europe's pandemic future. the w white joy predicts that over half of all europeans will become infected with the army kron very into the corona virus. by the end of wind tip, here's what the w i chose europe director hands clue good. had to say 50 of the 50 countries in europe and central asia have no reported cases of omicron. it is

quickly becoming the dominant virus in western europe. and this no spreading into the balkans at this rate, the institute for health metrics and evaluation forecasts that more than 50 percent of the population in region will be infected with mcclung. in the next 6 to 8 weeks . let's go to washington d. c and speak to epidemiologist, doctor eric fy golding, doctor, it's great to have you back on t w with her today that more than half of europeans will likely get infected with on the chrome in the next 6 to 8 weeks. what should people here do with the stipend, like that? do they just need to sit back and accept the inevitable? why think, sitting back and doing nothing is actually really risky. what they need to go out and get the booster. what they need to do is where and 95 for f, a p 2 f,

a p 3 mass. what they need to do is ventilate their building, their school office. what they need to do is disinfect the air anywhere they gather with filters. what they need to do is test and prepare the test and in potentially, according teen, if others around them are positive, what they need to do is stop transmission. because even if it's slightly milder, which is not miles or by that much, the overwhelming exponential increase was thinking. and then more people are hostile, as we've seen in the k, the us and even south africa where south africa is already running 30 percent excess. that over their normal 3000 excess deaths per week in the last 4 weeks of december got is what is the head of overwhelming hospitals? and therefore, if you have other conditions,

you don't want to get sick. so the best way is the slow transmission as much as you can stay safe. interest mentioned, there will be many, many more people in hospitals. what's that going to mean for health systems here in europe? i think it's going to overwhelm health systems in europe, just like through wellman completely overwhelming health systems and hospitals in the us. i think people do i have been misled by the it's mild mis information too much. it's only slightly milder, but it's been shall increase. we'll definitely send way more people to the hospital . if you have to go to hospital for a car accident heart attack, stroke, or cancer, you may not get the share that you need because the high schools are full. and therefore, other diseases may also access. and this is why, you know, not getting infected and or at least spreading out the period of infection to

a longer period is so much important. the flattening the curve. we talked gotten 2020. we have to do that again. where else many other people will be hurt? not just co. you've mentioned this a few times now that people seem to think that on the chronic, milder could you to spill some of these myths about a micron comic con is slightly milder than delta. but i want to remind you that delta is $2.00 to $3.00 times more the year than the original part. so at best, we're just slightly above on in severity. and we'll hon original covey strain that was not mild in any way. it's just, we're comparing to the most severe strain delta that we've seen to date. and also a lot of cases are great through infections and re infections in those obviously those who have breakers reinspection have miles or illness because of their partial

previous immunity. but that in itself is not really encouraging, given that people who have previous alpha, beta, or delta of varying infection have almost no cause neutralization again and altogether this mild is intrinsic mild. this is only about 10 to 20 percent lower, but you have doubling of cases every $2.00 to $3.00 days. and so that is easily swamped out easily swamped out by exponential rise in case the exponential. now, will you send more people to the hospital in strict and more people with long code? so we should not going through this mile in the, in any way, especially when the health minister yesterday says there one in 2 people could actually expect to be in one for example. and that is not a number that we want our health system, not just the next 60 weeks, but long term the next year or decade to be suffering. and absolutely, it's

a very serious warning there. epidemiologist dr. eric cycle doing in washington dc . thank you very much for your time. while europe battles, the wave of on the con, infections, british prime minister bars johnson is battling a wave of political outrage. he's under pressure of allegations that he and his staff flouted, locked our rock down rolls in 2020 to hold a garden party. but now there are media revelations of an email invitation to that gathering, sent to more than 100 people. it allegedly asked attendees to bring their own booze . it was particularly warm and sunny in britain in may. 2020 presenting, a stark contrast to the troubled times. as the 1st corona virus wave brought death lock downs and social restrictions, the u. k. it depends all of us the entire country to follow the advice. there will be penalties for those who break these mandatory measures. this public service

announcement made clear that residents can only meet with people. they don't live with outside and individually. ah. then there's what happened in downing street on may 20th martin reynolds boars. johnson's private secretary invited 100 employees round for drinks in the garden in order to enjoy the sunshine during these troubled times, as he wrote, attendees must provide their own beverages. 30 came including the prime minister and his wife. that's according to witnesses. and this isn't the only pandemic party that's putting johnson under pressure several christmas parties. and this meeting for whining, cheese, for example, a raising eyebrows. and the open alcohol consumption is blowing holes and the claims that they were work meetings. i think he should go. i mean there's no,

it's no excuses and it will come as no surprise that i don't think bosh, johnson is up for the job. but more importantly, i think he's lost the confidence that the british public now with his lies is to see and his breaking of his own rules. yes, we are. johnson is also losing support in his own party. after series of scandals, mistakes, and course corrections. this idea that, you know, the people are telling us about all these restrictions our lives. what we're all having, you know, gin and tonic in the back garden. it's, you know, it is beyond me that is indispensable. johnson is a prime minister who loves headlines with the last several weeks have only brought bad news. and it's getting uncomfortable for him now that many britons have started to turn their back on the jovial johnson. i quite like boris. but i'm very disappointed, modest me. i don't believe most of the things it has now because of it even sniff, hope it's still an any speed on the news. i just think it flies you and when

asked if he was at the party himself, johnson remained k g o. all that, as he knows the subject of a proper investigation by chagrin, the lead investigator will publish her finding soon and will know if this was one party too many for boris johnson. let's get a round up of some other world headlines now. north korean state media says leader kim jong own over saw the successful taste of a hot, the sonic missile. the report comes the day after authorities in south korea and japan detected the suspected launch which drew condemnation from all around the world. according to north korea, it was its 2nd taste over hypersonic missile in less than a week. the united nations is appealing for $5000000000.00 in aid to save millions of afghans from starvation. since the taliban take over last summer,

most countries have cut their funding to afghanistan that plunged the country into our humanitarian crisis. conditions have been made worse by a long drought, and the arrival of winter vigil has been held in new york city for the victims of a deadly high rise apartment building fire in the bronx, residence brave the cold. to remember the victims fire officials believe a malfunctioning electric space heater caused sunday's blaze that killed 17 people, including 8 children or germany's new government has pledged to drastically rampart renewable energy projects in the coming years. berlin wants to set an example of how to fight global warming, and it said some lofty climate protection goals that the country's 1st economy and climate minister says that so far things haven't been so good more renewables, less fossil fuel. and at the same time,

more electricity generation overall, in the coming years, germany will need to change how it hers itself. the man at the helm of germany's super ministry for the climate and the economy says he knows how it can be done. it's just what we're setting out to do is extremely ambitious, but achievable. if everyone works together, we can do this for the kind of suffering. there have been other we can do this moments in recent german politics. but the scale of the challenge identified by her back is as he put it gigantic business denise, in the next few years, we must become more efficient and faster the pace of change and the consistency needs to increase. basically, we need to be 3 times better than we are now. in all areas, why am i in one huge task is to increase the amount of wind generated power in the makes. the target is to use 2 percent of germany's land area for on shore wind. currently only a quarter of that is available. in some cases,

the problem is nimby ism, people often say turbines are fine in principle, but not if they mother landscape where they live. solar energy to is to be ramped up panels will be required on all new commercial buildings and on most homes as well when there is no wind and no sun. germany needs another solution in a transition phase. that will be natural gas and in long term hydrogen. now we are focusing on whitman and the solar, but in the 2030. so we need huge amounts of green hydrogen for our industry of our power plants we have and now running on natural gas than switching over to hydrogen. the government will fast track change by both easing planning rules and providing financial incentives. climate activists can see positive things in the plan, but worn. there will be more today. we need to end cold in the year 2030 by the

latest. and this can only be done if the capacities for renewable energy are significantly increased. and for this package that was presented today is the very 1st step, but the energy sector is only one of the sectors where we need to catch up and kind of politics. we need to simulate, emergency packages, also for the sector of agriculture, and also been a team. in many ways, robert ha, bank carries the hopes that have brought germany's new government into office, combining concern for the planet with care for the countries industry. the minister says we can do it and he also knows that what the charts and projections show right now is how difficult the transformation will be. this doesn't, that's not a meant for you. and just before we go, you might not believe it, but a pink dolphin has been seen airborne over columbia. the country's armed forces helped a rescue team transport a peak river dolphin tracked in

a shallow river in the east of the country. in a 20 day operation, the army joined conservationists and vets. to capture the aquatic mammal and air lift it to a large part of the orinoco river. with you're watching dw news up next in business. the world bank issues a stock warning about the global economy in 2022 can stay up to date on our website, t w dot com and on instagram and twitter to handle there is at t w news. i'm jared read. thank you for watching. the battle against cove.