As Covid-19 infections spike to file numbers, European governments are imposing strict native measures and weighing up additional lockdowns in a bid to halt a second wave of the pandemic.
However WHO regional director Hans Kluge mentioned at a Thursday information convention that the rise in circumstances ought to function a warning of what’s to return.
“Weekly circumstances have now exceeded these reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March,” Kluge mentioned. “Final week, the area’s weekly tally exceeded 300,000 sufferers.”
Greater than half of European nations have reported a rise of greater than 10% in new circumstances previously two weeks, Kluge added. “Of these, seven international locations have seen newly reported circumstances improve greater than two-fold in the identical interval,” he mentioned.
“Within the spring and early summer season we have been capable of see the affect of strict lockdown measures. Our efforts, our sacrifices, paid off. In June circumstances hit an all-time low. The September case numbers, nonetheless, ought to function a wake-up name for all of us,” he mentioned.
“Though these numbers replicate extra complete testing, it additionally exhibits alarming charges of transmission throughout the area.”
Whereas there was a rise in circumstances in older age teams, these aged 50 to 79, within the first week of September, Kluge mentioned, the most important proportion of latest circumstances continues to be amongst 25- to 49-year-olds.
International locations throughout the continent have been easing lockdowns and reopening their economies, however governments at the moment are scrambling to avert additional outbreaks.
“This pandemic has taken a lot from us,” Kluge mentioned, citing the practically 4.9 million recorded Covid-19 circumstances in Europe and greater than 226,000 deaths. “And this tells solely a part of the story,” he mentioned. “The affect on our psychological well being, economies, livelihoods and society has been monumental.”
New restrictions
Circumstances in the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy have additionally elevated.
New restrictions have been imposed throughout England this week barring individuals from assembly socially in teams of greater than six, of all ages, indoors or outdoor. Scotland and Wales have additionally tightened their social distancing guidelines.
From Friday, even stricter measures will apply within the northeast of England amid a “regarding rise” in Covid-19 an infection charges there, UK Well being Secretary Matt Hancock introduced in Parliament on Thursday.
The measures embody a ban on socializing exterior households or “assist bubbles” and a mandated closing time of 10 p.m. for all bars, pubs, eating places and leisure facilities. They’ll apply to seven areas — together with the cities of Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham — and can have an effect on greater than 1.5 million individuals.
Hancock careworn the necessity to take “fast motion” towards the virus with winter approaching.
No less than 41,773 individuals have died with coronavirus within the UK, in keeping with JHU, the best toll in Europe and fifth-largest variety of any nation on the planet.
The UK authorities has come underneath stress over latest failings in its coronavirus testing system, with some individuals — together with well being care employees — experiencing issue in accessing exams or being directed to testing websites removed from house.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended Britain’s coronavirus testing file Wednesday, saying it in contrast favorably to different European international locations and that latest issues have been attributable to a “colossal spike” in demand.
WHO chief: We will struggle the virus again once more
Authorities within the Spanish capital of Madrid are to announce new coronavirus restrictions on Friday because the nation additionally responds to an uptick within the variety of circumstances.
Spain has now recorded greater than 30,000 deaths for the reason that begin of the outbreak, with greater than 600,000 complete circumstances.
Madrid accounts for about a 3rd of all new circumstances, in keeping with knowledge from the nation’s well being ministry.
The president of Madrid’s regional authorities, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has instructed that migrant populations are partly responsible.
“(The outbreaks are partly) because of the lifestyle of Madrid’s immigrants and the inhabitants density of those districts,” she mentioned Tuesday. “It’s a lifestyle in Madrid.”
The state prosecution service in Munich mentioned it had launched an investigation into the American who might have triggered the surge in circumstances.
New laws imposed within the city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen over the weekend imply native bars will now shut at 10 p.m. Events are restricted to 100 individuals — down from 200 — and teams consuming indoors are capped at 5, down from twice that.
In neighboring Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has warned residents that extra circumstances are on their method. ”We’re in the beginning of the second wave,” he tweeted Sunday. “We face troublesome months within the autumn and winter. The variety of infections is rising from daily.”
Kurz requested Austrian residents to proceed to stick to all virus measures and cut back social contacts.
In the meantime international locations together with Greece and Croatia, largely spared by the primary wave, noticed quick case quantity rises in August as vacationers took summer season holidays following the reopening of Europe’s inner borders in June.
Kluge urged “an amplified collective effort by all European member states for the sake of all European member states,” as he addressed the media Thursday.
“The response to the disaster has been very efficient each time the actions have been immediate and resolute however the virus has proven (itself to be) cruel each time partisanship and disinformation prevailed,” he mentioned.
“The place the pandemic goes from right here is in our arms. We’ve fought it again earlier than and we are able to struggle it again once more.”
CNN’s Zamira Rahim, Lindsay Isaac, Simon Cullen, Stephanie Halasz, Laura Perez Maestro, Ingrid Formanek, Melissa Bell and Pierre Bairin contributed to this report.
