WHO: Omicron cases doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in places with local spread

State of play: COVID-19 cases detected with the newest variant are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in areas where there is community spread, WHO said.

“Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity,” said the organization, adding: “given current available data, it is likely that Omicron will outpace Delta where community transmission occurs.”

The big picture: Coronavirus cases are surging across Europe, largely driven by the Omicron variant, leading many countries to impose tighter restrictions in an effort to curb the virus.