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The World Health Organization has warned of a second ‘worrying’ wave of coronavirus in Europe, but insisted it is not as bad as the first.
Hans Kluge, head of the WHO European office, spoke after daily case totals surpassed those seen during the first wave in countries across the continent.
While the increase in cases is “very worrying,” he said it is not as worrying as the increase in March and April, because deaths from the disease have remained low.
Europe is reporting two to three times more cases daily than during the first wave due to increased testing, the WHO says, but deaths are only a fifth of its peak.
Deaths in the Czech Republic (in purple) are also piling up faster than in major Western European economies, with 66 new deaths announced today.
The Czech Republic, in purple, has the highest infection rate in Europe, ahead of worst affected countries such as the Netherlands (in red), France (in blue) and Spain (in orange), and the increase in Figures is putting pressure on hospitals in the Eastern European nation
This is because higher testability means that moderate and mild cases are now shown in the data among younger people that were missed during the first wave.
“The daily number of cases has increased, hospital admissions have increased,” Kluge said.
“Although we have two to three times more cases per day compared to the peak in April, we still see five times fewer deaths.”
The time it takes for hospital admissions to double is also three to four times longer than in April, he added.
This means that healthcare systems are less vulnerable to being overwhelmed by a surge in patients.
However, he warned that action is still needed to address the spread of the virus, or else deaths will start to escalate.
Loosening all lockdown measures, he said, would lead to death rates four to five times higher than the first wave by January 2021.
“Covid is now the fifth leading cause of death and the bar of 1,000 deaths per day has been reached,” he added.
In contrast, ‘simple measures’ such as the widespread use of masks coupled with tight control of social gatherings could save more than 280,000 lives in February.
European leaders are rushing to take new measures to curb coronavirus cases on the continent, hoping to avoid further large-scale lockdowns.
On Wednesday night, Emmanuel Macron plunged nine cities, including Paris, into a full curfew that will see all hospitality businesses close between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
France now registers an average of more than 17,000 cases a day. But deaths are only about 80 a day, thirteen times lower than their April peak.
Hns Kluge, WHO chief for Europe, said that while the second wave is “worrisome,” the continent is not in the same position it was during the first outbreak.
“We have not lost control,” Macron said in a national speech. “We are in a worrying situation and that justifies that we are not inactive or in a panic.”
The leaders of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have adopted the toughest measures, which have become the new sources of infection in Europe.
The prime ministers of both countries announced a “partial shutdown” of their economies, which has now come into effect.
In the Netherlands, all bars, restaurants and cafes must close their doors before 10pm on Wednesday and remain closed for four weeks.
In the Czech Republic, bars, clubs, restaurants and schools will close from Wednesday until at least November 3.
Italy also issued new restrictions on bars and restaurants this week, banning people from standing at the bar after 9 p.m. and banning groups of people from drinking on the streets.
All bars and restaurants must close before midnight, they set the rules, while indoor parties are also banned and wedding ceremonies are limited to 30 people.
Germany’s Angela Merkel also announced new limits on meetings, as well as stricter rules for masks at infection hot spots on Wednesday.
Under the new measures, if an area records more than 35 new infections per 100,000 people over seven days, masks will be mandatory wherever people have close contact.
The number of people authorized to meet will also be limited to 25 in public spaces and 15 in private spaces.
Merkel also announced that the rules will be tightened in places with an infection rate of 50 per 100,000, where bars are already subject to a curfew.
The new rules include limiting private gatherings to 10 people or two households, and closing restaurants after 11 p.m.
