A large proportion of public health departments in Germany have already stopped contact tracing for people infected with Covid-19 due to overload, said Ute Teichert, the federal chairwoman of public health physicians. “Comprehensive tracking is almost not happening at all right now,” Teichert told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), adding that several federal states such as Baden-Wuerttemberg, Berlin and Hamburg “even completely suspended contact searches,” a news agency reported.

Germany is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the more infectious Omicron variant, to hit the country. The Omicron wave could even worsen staff shortages in the country’s healthcare system. “Because of the Omicron variant, we are running into a situation in Germany where health departments will eventually not be able to compensate for sick staff,” she said.