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Moscow, like many other European capitals, is struggling to contain the virus
Several European countries tightened restrictions on Wednesday, as Germany set a record for daily deaths and the United States broke its own daily record for infection numbers.
The toughest measures came when EU countries agreed to implement the vaccines on the same day.
“To reach the end of the pandemic, we will need to vaccinate up to 70 percent of the population,” the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told MEPs.
Pressure has been mounting on the bloc since Britain and the United States began their programs, using a vaccine developed in the EU by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The European wing of the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday of a resurgence of the virus on the continent early next year, urging special precautions during the Christmas season.
“It can be uncomfortable to wear masks and practice physical distancing around friends and family, but doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe and healthy,” the health agency said.
Pressure for vaccine approval
Germany, which faced its first wave relatively softly, closed non-essential shops and schools on Wednesday when its daily death toll soared to 952.
The country has struggled to contain a surge in recent months and has joined calls for the European Union health regulator to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine “before Christmas.”
In Bogotá smoke comes out of the mouth of a mannequin to show how the virus can spread
China is also looking to source the Pfizer vaccine and one company has agreed to buy 100 million doses subject to local approval; the country is mixing its vaccination strategy between locally developed drugs and imported drugs.
The British government said on Wednesday it had dealt the first blows to 137,000 people, but high infection figures still forced London to join much of England under strict restrictions on Wednesday.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues will close, as will theaters and other entertainment venues.
“The hospitality business needs this week and it’s devastating. It’s devastatingly terrible,” said Lesley Lewis, owner of The French House, a London pub.
“But if this is what it takes to save lives, this is what we have to do.”
Denmark, France, Turkey, and the Netherlands have tightened their coronavirus restrictions, and Spain’s prime minister voiced alarm at rising infection figures there.
New American measures
Hopes of ending the pandemic have been fueled by positive evaluations of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine.
Covid-19: Total deaths vs. deaths per million
The US Food and Drug Administration issued an optimistic report on Moderna on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of experts on whether to grant it emergency approval.
The United States has already begun using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and on Tuesday the FDA also approved the country’s first rapid home test for COVID-19.
The United States remains the hardest hit country, setting a record for new daily infections Tuesday with more than 248,000 cases.
The Washington National Cathedral rang its bells 300 times Tuesday in memory of the more than 300,000 people who have lost their lives to the coronavirus.
In California, officials ordered an additional 5,000 body bags as Los Angeles was left with fewer than 100 intensive care beds available for a county of 10 million people.
“I don’t want … to scare people,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “But this is a deadly disease and we must be aware of where we are.”
President-elect Joe Biden has said he will be vaccinated in public.
In France, shops close at 8:00 pm as part of a new nightly curfew
The poorest nations are left behind
Worldwide, more than 73.4 million infections and more than 1.6 million deaths have so far been recorded.
But with wealthy nations booking more than half of next year’s potential doses, there is fear that the poorest parts of the world will be left behind.
Even if all drug manufacturers produce safe and effective vaccines and meet their maximum global manufacturing targets, a study published Wednesday by Johns Hopkins University warned that “at least a fifth of the world’s population would not have access” until 2022.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday that he would be the first person in the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the hits would be free for all.
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© 2020 AFP
Citation: Europe Tightens Virus Restrictions As Fears Of Christmas Surge Increase (2020, December 16) Retrieved December 16, 2020 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-europe-tightens- virus-curbs-christmas.html
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