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The second wave of coronavirus is spreading faster than the first outbreak of the spring, a leading French scientist warned, amid a growing resurgence of the virus in Europe.
“The virus is circulating faster … the resurgence of the pandemic began in August,” French government scientific adviser Arnaud Fontanet told BFM TV on Friday.
He said France had managed to get the virus under control at the end of June, and because the number of people who were taken to the hospital remained low until the end of August, authorities received a false sense of security even though cases were already increasing. in the time.
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“And then there was a cold week in September and all the indicators went wrong again across Europe. The virus spreads better in the cold because we live further inside,” said the epidemiologist.
“Hospitals and medical personnel will find themselves in a situation that they already knew about,” he said.
“We have many tools to protect ourselves against the virus, but we are facing a difficult period,” he added, echoing Prime Minister Jean Castex, who warned of a “tough November” when the French government extended a curfew imposed last week. . in Paris and eight other cities to dozens of other areas.
The 9:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew takes effect at midnight tonight and 46 million people, almost two-thirds of the country’s 67 million inhabitants, will be affected.
“A second wave of the coronavirus epidemic is underway in France and Europe. The situation is very serious,” Castex said at a press conference.
On Thursday, the country reported a record 41,622 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Parisiens with face masks near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where a stricter curfew is in effect
The national figure now stands at more than a million infections and more than 34,200 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the outbreak.
Countries in Europe, such as the United Kingdom, are re-adopting restrictive measures after an increase in cases.
Belgium, one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe, further tightened restrictions on social contacts on Friday, banning fans from sports matches, limiting the number of people in cultural spaces and closing theme parks.
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Although infection rates in Germany have been much lower than in other COVID hot spots in Europe, cases have accelerated and reached a record 11,247 on Thursday.
Across Europe, 20 countries set new daily case registries on Wednesday, including the UK, which saw an increase of 26,688.
The Czech Republic, which is experiencing the largest increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe, ordered the closure of most stores and services to curb the spread of the virus.
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The Netherlands has also returned to partial lockdown, closing bars and restaurants, but kept schools open.
And Spain this week became the first Western European country to register a million cases of coronavirus, doubling its count in just six weeks.
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