Europe Is Under The Grip Of A Second COVID Wave, It Is A Warning For Us To Not Be Complacent

Countries across Europe are seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after successfully slowing outbreaks early in the year. The vast majority of countries are declaring more cases each day now than they were during the deadly first wave early in 2020.

Putting that into perspective, more than 5.3 million people across Europe have contracted the disease and over 2,04,000 have died, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. That compares with 8.4 million cases in the United States and 7.7 million in India. Currently, Germany lies second on the high-rise scale from second wave, right after France which has topped the list.

AP

France, Germany, Spain and Italy

France reported a record 42,032 new cases, the health agency said, taking the total to 1.041 million. Deaths increased by 298 to 34,508, the most since May, while hospitalizations jumped by almost 1,000 patients, rising above 15,000 for the first time in about five months.

France extended curfews to around two thirds of its population on Thursday and Belgium¡¯s foreign minister was taken into intensive care with Covid-19, as the second wave of the pandemic surged across Europe. French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a curfew imposed last week on Paris and eight other cities would be extended to 38 more departments, confining 46 million out of the country¡¯s 67 million population to their homes from 9 pm to 6 am.

Reuters

Germany and Spain risk losing control over the coronavirus, health officials warned, as new infections climb to records across Europe and governments scramble for an adequate response.

COVID cases in Germany also on the rise

Underlining the challenge, Germany registered 12,331 new infections in the 24 hours through Thursday morning, the first time daily infections exceeded 10,000. Italy¡¯s 15,199 new cases reported late Wednesday were well above the previous high of 11,705, while France and Spain both passed the grim milestone of 1 million infections, behind only Russia in Europe, which has more than 1.4 million. The country of Spain registered 6,114 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,005,295.

Reuters

Measures taken

The resurgence of the disease on the continent has prompted officials from Ireland to the Czech Republic to impose tougher restrictions to try to check the spread without having to resort again to nationwide shutdowns that could scupper still-tentative recoveries.

France has already imposed a nightime curfew in Paris and eight other major cities, extending it to around two thirds of its population on Thursday.

Reuters

Several Spanish regions toughened their coronavirus restrictions. Authorities in the northern region of Castile and Leon announced on Tuesday nigh that they sealed off the city of Burgos and nearby Aranda de Duero to all but essential travel. Another region Aragon, which was at the centre of several outbreaks linked to migrant agricultural workers over summer, introduced capacity limits at bars and restaurants and banned the sale of alcohol in shops between 10 pm and 8 am. And Catalonia, which last week ordered a 15-day shutdown of bars and restaurants, told 24-hour businesses they must shut at 10 p.m. and cannot reopen until 7 a.m.

AP

Italy's Milan, the hardest-hit area, started a night-time curfew Thursday. Italy¡¯s government may enact a national curfew as early as 9 p.m., possibly within seven days, if current virus trends are unchecked, talian daily Corriere della Sera reported Friday. Italy¡¯s three most populous regions -- Lombardy around Milan, Lazio, around Rome and Campania around Naples -- have already imposed overnight curfews.

Germany warned on Thursday against travel to neighbouring countries. Some cities like Frankfurt have a curfew in place for restaurants and bars, with new rules saying they must close at 10pm. But in Berlin, a similar curfew was scrapped after a court ruled it was illegal.