The Paper's reporter Wang Zhuoyi
The World Health Organization warned on Nov. 4 that COVID-19 cases in Europe are surging and vaccination efforts in some areas are slow, with 500,000 people likely to die from the outbreak this winter.
The increase in cases in Europe is the fastest in the world
According to Agence France-Presse on November 4, who defines "Europe" also includes several Central Asian countries, covering a total of 53 countries and regions, and currently has a total of 78 million confirmed cases, with a cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths exceeding the sum of Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Pacific and Africa combined.
Official statistics show that in Europe, there are currently about 250,000 new confirmed cases and 3,600 deaths every day. The number of new daily cases has risen for nearly 6 consecutive weeks, and the number of new daily deaths has also risen for 7 consecutive weeks.
According to CNN reported on November 4, most parts of Europe have now ushered in a peak of infection. WHO's latest weekly update shows a 6% increase in the number of cases in Europe compared to the previous week, the highest number among all regions of the world, while other regions have seen a "downward or stable trend".
Hans Kluge, who is the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, called the speed of transmission in Europe a matter of "grave concern." He said in a statement that Europe was once again the epicenter.
"We are at another critical point in the resurgence of COVID-19." Kruger said. He blamed the arrival of the outbreak in Europe on two factors: the easing of measures to prevent and control the epidemic, and the low vaccination rates in Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries. "Hospitalization rates are significantly higher and are rising faster in countries with lower vaccination rates than in countries with higher vaccination rates," he said. ”
Krueger said cases have increased "across all ages." Citing a "credible projection", he said that if the outbreak continues along its current trajectory, "500,000 people in Europe and Central Asia will die from the coronavirus by February 1 next year." He also added that 43 of the 53 countries and territories under his jurisdiction will likely face "high" or "extreme" hospital bed pressures.
Many of europe's surge in infections are infected with the Delta variant, making some countries that intend to ease restrictions even more hesitant. Many medical experts worry that as the rate of COVID-19 infection rises further, coupled with seasonal winter colds, it may put european health workers under uncontrollable pressure during the Christmas and New Year periods.
The UK still refuses to make masks mandatory
The outbreak is particularly severe in Eastern Europe, where the highest number of new deaths in the past week was in Russia with 8,162, followed by Ukraine with 3,819 and Romania with 3,100, according to official statistics.
According to the news of the Russian epidemic prevention command on October 28, in the past 24 hours, there were 40,096 new confirmed cases in Russia, and the number of new confirmed cases in a single day exceeded 40,000 for the first time since the outbreak of the epidemic. Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, also implemented new quarantine measures on November 1.
On November 4, 33,949 new confirmed cases were confirmed in Germany in a single day, breaking the record set in December 2020 and reaching a new high since the outbreak of the epidemic. Fortunately, hospitalization and mortality rates in Germany remain well below pre-vaccination peaks.
German Health Minister Jens Span said at a press conference on the 4th that he was asked to show his vaccination certificate more often in one day to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Rome, Italy, than in four weeks in Germany.
Span also said on Nov. 3 that stricter restrictions are needed for those who refuse to be vaccinated. He is unhappy with the vaccination situation in Germany: "If everyone can be vaccinated, then there will be many fewer COVID-19 patients in [intensive care]." ”
Since autumn this year, the UK has also witnessed a worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 18 October, there were 49,156 new cases in the UK, more than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined, and a new three-month high. But the UK still refuses to enforce measures such as mandatory wearing of masks and vaccine passes.
Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Wuwei
Proofreader: Liu Wei