Citizens walk near the pedestrian zone in Guetersloh, western Germany.
Ina Fassbender | AFP | Getty Images
Germany and Spain have both recorded their highest respective daily rates of coronavirus infections since April, with other countries in the region also reporting a sharp rise in new cases.
Several European countries have imposed travel restrictions, social-distance measures and mask-wearing procedures to prevent the spread of the virus.
However, the World Health Organization cited a relaxation of public health measures, in addition to allowing people to “save themselves”, as possible explanations for the resurgence in the number of new Covid-19 infections in the region.
Germany registered 1,707 new cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, reflecting its highest daily toll since April. The country has now reported 228,261 cases of the virus, with 9,253 related deaths, according to data compiled by the Robert Koch Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Spain has seen another 3,715 new cases of the virus confirmed in the past 24 hours, with an additional 127 dead. As in Germany, the daily infection rate of Spain since late April is not so high.
Elsewhere, Italy reported 642 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, noting its highest jump in new infections since late May. The country has recorded a total of 255,278 cases, with 35,412 deaths.
Meanwhile, France’s health ministry on Wednesday reported 3,776 new Covid-19 infections, with the daily tally rising above 3,000 for the third time in the last five days. France has reported a similar number of cases to Italy, with 30,434 deaths.
Europe ‘on its own’
Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe at the WHO, said on Thursday that the “epicenter” of the pandemic was now in the United States, but the European region was “on a trajectory of its own”, showing a different trend compared to the rest of the world. “
The United Nations Health Agency estimates that approximately 3.9 million people have contracted the coronavirus in the European region, representing 17% of the global total.
Passengers wear protective face masks as they board a Metro train in Madrid, Spain.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
To date, more than 22.4 million people have contracted the coronavirus worldwide, with 788,015 related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
“The risk of recurrence was never far away. In the last two months, new cases have gradually increased in the region. There were 40,000 more cases in the first week of August, compared to the first week of June, when the cases were at their lowest, “Kluge said in an online press release.
“The European region now reports an average of more than 26,000 new Covid-19 cases. This is due in part to the relaxation of public health and social measures, where authorities have lifted some of the restrictions and people are waiting for them. have smitten, “he added.
No one is irreplaceable and if you do not die from Covid, it can stick with your body like a tornado with a long tail.
Hans Kluge
WHO Regional Director for Europe
Earlier this week, the WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific, Dr Takeshi Kasai, warned that the pandemic was now being waged by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who are “unaware” that they are infected.
The WHO has advised governments to encourage the public to wear non-medical dust masks to slow the spread of the virus. It also recommends that people wash their hands regularly, keep a distance of at least one meter from others and avoid going to crowded places.
The agency recommends that those with mild symptoms, such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but if possible go ahead by phone and follow the instructions of your local health care provider.
“No boy wants to miss a summer. But I am very worried that more and more young people will be counted among reported cases,” Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said on Thursday.
“According to a recent study, worldwide between the ages of 15 and 24, cases of Covid-19 increased from a rate of 4.5% at the end of February to 15% in mid-July. Low risk means no risk , “he went on. “No one is irreplaceable and if you do not die from Covid, it can stick with your body like a tornado with a long tail.”
Kluge said that although younger people are less likely to die as a result of the virus compared to older people, they can still be “taken very seriously.”
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