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European leaders warned of difficult months ahead, as the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic forced authorities to impose new restrictions to try to slow the spread of the disease.
The news that a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc produced immune responses in both the elderly and the young offered some positive news.
However, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the vaccine would not be widely available until next year, saying “we are not there yet.”
Elsewhere, the outlook was relentlessly bleak as a number of countries reported record increases, led by France, which recorded more than 50,000 daily cases for the first time on Sunday, while the continent passed the 250,000 death threshold.
Governments have been desperate to avoid the lockdowns that curbed the disease earlier this year at the cost of shutting down all of their economies. But the steady increase in new cases has forced them to steadily increase controls.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: “We are facing very, very difficult months.” Photograph: Christian Marquardt / Pool / Getty Images
“We are facing very, very difficult months,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a meeting of leaders of her Christian Democratic party, according to the daily Bild.
Although Germany has done relatively well compared to other European countries, it has also seen a sharp rise in cases and the closely followed Ifo Business Climate Index fell on Monday, reflecting concerns about the virus.
The sadness surrounding the virus’ resurgence hit financial markets, where oil prices fell on concerns of another drop in demand and equity markets also fell.
In Spain, which has had more than 1 million cases of the disease, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the country was facing an “extreme” situation when he announced a new state of emergency on Sunday, imposing local night curfews and prohibiting travel between regions in some cases.
Italy, the country most affected in the early stages of the crisis in March, also imposed new restrictions, ordered the closure of restaurants and bars starting at 6 p.m., closed cinemas and gyms and imposed local curfews in several regions. .
Street clashes with small groups of protesters over the weekend and angry criticism from restaurant owners and business groups about the impact of the measures underscored the increasingly tense climate facing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
The Czech government will almost certainly have to tighten its measures against the coronavirus again, as current restrictions have not stopped an increase in infections, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Sunday.
Cases have risen across Europe, but the Czech Republic has seen the steepest increases in infections on the continent in recent weeks.
A pedestrian in a protective mask passes a statue on the Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. Photographer: Milan Jaros / Bloomberg
On Wednesday, the government ordered the closure of most stores and services and tried to limit movement to essential travel only.
“The measures we have taken are still not working,” Babis said in a video message on his Facebook page.
“Next week will be the key, and unless a miracle happens, we will have no choice but to further toughen our measures,” he said.
Mr. Babis said that he wanted Christmas to proceed normally, but could not promise anything for now.
“I don’t know what will happen to the virus. I don’t know, ”he said.
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths doubled to more than 2,000 in the past two weeks. – Reuters
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