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Transmission of the coronavirus in Europe has returned to “alarming rates” this month and the large increase in cases is a “wake-up call,” says a senior official at the World Health Organization.
In the last week, more than 300,000 new confirmed infections were registered on the continent, and more than half of its countries reported an increase of more than 10% in cases during the last fortnight.
Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “We have a very serious situation before us.
“Weekly cases have now exceeded those reported when the pandemic peaked in Europe in March.”
Dr. Hans Kluge has issued a severe warning about the pandemic in Europe.
These statistics should be “a wake-up call for all of us,” Dr. Kluge said.
He said the largest proportion of cases were still adults between the ages of 25 and 49, but he also noted an increase in coronavirus infections among older age groups, who tend to be more vulnerable to the disease.
He said: “This pandemic has taken a lot from us in Europe: 4,893,614 cases of COVID-19 226,524 deaths have been recorded. “
France has reported a record 10,593 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, and the seven-day average has risen to a high of nearly 8,800.
Spain reported 239 more deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, the highest number of fatalities during the second wave of the crisis in the country.
It also reported 4,728 new daily infections, including 1,854 in Madrid.
The Madrid region plans to announce movement restrictions on Friday that could include targeted closures at virus hot spots, a senior official said.
Emergency teams treat a patient in Madrid, where new closure measures could be introduced
In the UK, cases are increasing rapidly, with New local restrictions are being introduced in North East England. – including a 10pm curfew for bars and pubs and a ban on people mingling with other people outside their home.
They will take effect from Friday in Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham.
There are also local closures in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly in South Wales, and Lancashire It is expected to face tighter restrictions this weekend.
On Thursday, another 3,395 cases were recorded in the UK and 21 more deaths.
In Italy, the Health Ministry said there were 1,583 new cases and 13 more deaths.
Germany has recorded its biggest single-day increase in new infections since April, with 2,194.
This is well below the figures of more than 6,000 seen at the height of the first wave of the pandemic in early April, but new cases were a few hundred a day between May and July.
Last week, France cut its quarantine time from 14 days for people possibly exposed to someone with COVID-19 to seven days, saying that many people do not observe the full two-week period.
But Dr. Kluge warned national governments against reducing isolation time, as it is based on the incubation period of the virus.
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He also admitted that the “fatigue” from COVID-19 is beginning, but said that “even a slight reduction in the length of the quarantine” could have a significant effect on the spread of the virus.
The French government’s decision to make COVID-19 testing free has led to long lines at the centers and the tests have increased six-fold since the peak of the first coronavirus wave.
There has also been long lines at test sites in the UK.
