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Millions of Europeans faced tough new coronavirus restrictions as governments stepped up efforts to curb the rise in infections, after the World Health Organization reported a “very worrying” 44% increase in cases Europeans for a week.
Starting Saturday night, Paris and several other French cities go through a night curfew that will last at least a month. England is banning co-ed family gatherings in the capital and other areas, and Italy’s most populated region is limiting the opening of bars and suspending sporting events.
The need to act on France was underlined as the country reported another record of new cases, with more than 32,000 registered in 24 hours.
Global cases of the disease, which has killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide, have skyrocketed beyond the levels seen in the first wave earlier this year, when many countries resorted to national closures. to control the crisis.
In addition to the death toll, the pandemic has caused social and economic havoc around the world.
the United States, which has suffered the worst death toll with more than 218,000 deaths, on Friday revealed a record deficit of $ 3.1 trillion in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
He also announced that the number of cases had exceeded 8 million, while global daily infections also hit a new record.
In an attempt to stem the worrying rise in infections and in hopes of preventing a return to full closures, many governments have tightened measures to control the spread of the pandemic, even if some dissidents are fighting in court.
Around 20 million people in the Paris region and eight other French cities were facing a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew starting Saturday after cases spiked in what has once again become one. of the main critical points of Europe.
Many restaurant owners are unhappy with the blow to their businesses.
“Closing at 9 pm will have no effect (on the epidemic),” said Gerard, a manager of a Toulouse restaurant. “They are not attacking him in the right way.”
Brittany It is the most affected country in Europe, with more than 43,000 deaths out of almost 700,000 cases.
But as the government increased restrictions, banning indoor gatherings between members of different households in London and several other English cities, there was mounting criticism from some quarters.
Under the new measures, around 28 million people, half of England’s population, are now subject to strict social restrictions.
Some North West England officials have opposed their cities being placed at the highest level of a new three-tier alert system.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that local restriction policies cannot be “painless”.
But the hope is that these measures are enough to avoid another total lockdown.
North Ireland meanwhile it closed pubs and restaurants on Fridays for a month and extended school holidays.
GermanyChancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens to stay home whenever possible after 7,830 cases emerged in 24 hours.
“What will determine winter and our Christmas will be decided in the coming weeks,” he said in his weekly podcast address.
But on Friday, a Berlin court struck down an order for the early closure of restaurants and bars, the latest legal setback for efforts by Germany’s national and local governments to restrict the transmission of the coronavirus.
In Italy, the wealthy northern Lombardy region, hardest hit by the first wave of the virus in February, has ordered all bars to close at midnight.
Slovakia announced Saturday that it would screen everyone 10 and older for the virus, as infections increased there.
“The tests will be free,” Prime Minister Igor Matoviche told reporters in the country of 5.4 million people, without specifying whether it will be mandatory or voluntary.
Poland, he Czech Republic Y Belgium all have announced a daily record volume of cases.
In the Czech Republic, the government has asked the army to establish a 500-bed field hospital on the outskirts of Prague.
Belgium will impose its own curfew, from midnight to 5 a.m., starting Monday, and will also close cafes and restaurants for four weeks.
And Poland has closed schools and colleges in major cities, while restaurants will have to close from 9 pm
In other developments:
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Austria, Slovenia Y Hungary All have announced an increase in cases: in Slovenia, on Saturday the mandatory use of masks in public outdoor spaces came into force.
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The death toll in Iran it has crossed the 30,000 mark, the Health Ministry announced on Saturday.
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Israel It is preparing to ease some lockdown restrictions starting Sunday in the first phase of the reduction measures imposed last month.
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Saudi Arabia allowed its citizens and residents within the kingdom to perform prayers at one of Islam’s holiest religious sites, the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, for the first time in seven months, state television reported early Sunday.
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New Zealand, which has twice cleared the virus, reported its first local case in 22 days.
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The French community of Wallis and Futuna in the South Pacific it registered its first case for the entire pandemic.
With Agence France-Presse
