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Coronavirus cases in Europe have exceeded five million, with more than 300,000 new infections reported last week alone across the region.
Between September 7 and 13, Europe reported 323,536 new cases of COVID-19, according to the latest Thursday report from the WHO.
Several European nations are imposing tighter restrictions and discussing new security measures to be introduced to combat the recent increase, from higher limits on public gatherings to local closures.
Fears about a second wave of the outbreak in Europe emerged as WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, warned on Thursday: “We have a very serious situation before us.”
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Kluge confirmed that weekly case totals had exceeded levels seen during the first peak of the outbreak in March.
“Although these numbers reflect more comprehensive tests, they also show alarming transmission rates in the region,” he warned, adding that the latest figures “should serve as a wake-up call for all of us.”
Noting the effectiveness of lockdown measures implemented in previous months during the spring and summer, Kluge said: “In June, the cases reached a record low.
“We have fought it [the outbreak] before and we can fight again, “he added.
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Kluge’s latest comments follow his warning earlier this week, which noted that the death toll in Europe is expected to worsen in October and November.
“It’s going to get more difficult. In October, November, we are going to see more mortality,” he said.
Below are some of the latest restrictions that are being imposed in some parts of Europe to slow the spread of the infection.
UK
The UK has reported a 127 per cent increase in new cases per 100,000 people every fortnight, according to the latest WHO report on Friday.
The country has drastically lowered its maximum limit for public gatherings of no more than 30 people to six as of Monday.
“The limits on the number of people you can see socially have changed. Since Monday, September 14, when you meet friends and family with whom you do not live (or with whom you have not formed a bubble of support) you should not meet in a group of more than six, indoors or outdoors, “announced the UK government.
“Is [violating the new rule] It is against the law and the police will have the powers to enforce these statutory limits, including issuing fines (notices of fixed fines) of £ 100 [$130], doubling for new offenses up to a maximum of £ 3,200.
“The rule applies throughout England and supersedes the existing ban on participating in gatherings of more than 30 people and the current guidance on allowing two households to meet indoors.”
In parts of England’s Lancashire, Merseyside, Midlands and West Yorkshire regions, new rules were announced prohibiting people from different households from gathering in private homes or gardens, as well as reduced opening hours in pubs and restaurants.
British Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Across the country, we have all made enormous sacrifices in the fight against coronavirus. However, the recent surge in cases makes it clear that more needs to be done to stop the spread of coronavirus. this sickness”.
France
Weekly case totals in France have risen steadily each week since the end of June, according to the latest WHO figures.
Last week, 32 schools were closed in the country and students from 524 classes were reportedly sent home due to the spread of the virus, the French Ministry of Education confirmed to Euronews.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced last week that new measures would be introduced to combat the recent surge in cases. Castex said: “Our strategy does not change. Fight the virus without neglecting our social, cultural and economic life, the education of our children and our ability to live normally.”
This week several stricter measures were announced in Bordeaux, including a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people in public parks, along the city’s river and on beaches. Private family gatherings, including weddings, were also limited to a maximum of 10.
Public alcohol consumption was also banned in Bordeaux, while cafes and restaurants can no longer serve permanent customers. Venues are also prohibited from playing music outdoors. Dancing is also prohibited in public places, even during weddings.
Large public gatherings were limited to no more than 1,000 people, while amusement fairs, antiques fairs, and block parties were also prohibited.
Similar restrictions were also imposed in Marseille this week, and any bars and restaurants that violate the night curfew or that serve standing customers will be closed.
School trips were suspended and student parties were banned, while events and shows in public halls, tents and sports stadiums were restricted to 1,000 people, who must be seated and socially distanced.
Tighter measures were introduced in France since the beginning of this year amid a surge in cases.
From July 21, it is mandatory to cover your face in closed public spaces. From August 10, people over the age of 11 in Paris are also required to wear a mask in crowded outdoor areas.
This week, more than one hundred riot police officers were deployed to the Marseille region of southern France to enforce mask mandates, which are now issued for outdoor areas in various parts of the country.
Oli Scarff / AFP via Getty Image
Spain
The new restrictions in Spain are expected to be announced on Friday and are likely to take effect from Saturday or Monday.
Several districts in the south of Madrid and some areas on the outskirts of the Spanish capital have reported more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, well above the national average of 285.
The country was reported to have seen 20,987 new infections and 138 deaths from the virus in the past seven days.
It was reported that the Spanish government is working on the introduction of several new measures “to restrict mobility and reduce activity in certain areas … where the virus is more widely transmitted,” according to Madrid’s regional health chief, Antonio Ruiz. Squire.
Escudero said: “The reality of the epidemic in the Community of Madrid is getting worse and we need to make greater efforts.
“We are in a situation of sustained growth (in the cases),” he said, noting that it is “necessary and urgent for the Spanish government to get involved, and that means decisively, in the control of the pandemic.”
The Spanish Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, added: “We have to do everything necessary to control the situation in Madrid.”
The Netherlands
New measures are expected to be announced in the Netherlands on Friday for parts of the country, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Delft and Leiden.
New cases per 100,000 people in the country were reported to have risen by 111 percent in the past 14 days, according to the latest WHO report on Friday.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to reduce the number of infections. We want to attack the virus hard, but keep the impact on society and the economy to a minimum.”
Some of the new measures reportedly under discussion include a curfew in Amsterdam and restrictions on opening hours in cafes and bars, where student patrons were reported to be a source of recent outbreaks.
The government may reportedly reduce the size of meetings from the current 100-person limit for indoor gatherings and the 250-person limit for outdoor gatherings where social distancing guidelines can be followed.
Microbiologist Marc Bonten, a member of the Dutch government’s coronavirus advisory team, told Dutch broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) that with the virus spreading rapidly among 18-25-year-olds in social settings, “it would be logical to step up. the application there or introduce new measures to limit them. “
The bigger picture
The new coronavirus has infected more than 30 million people worldwide since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, including 6.6 million in the US. More than 946,700 people have died after the infection, while more than 20.5 million have reportedly recovered, as of Friday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The following charts, also provided by Statista, illustrate the spread of COVID-19 cases in counties around the world.
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The chart below, provided by Statista, illustrates the US states with the most COVID-19 cases.
