Europe struggles with sharp rise in Covid-19 despite vax

The unprecedented increase in Europe, say experts, is due to insufficient vaccination rates and the relaxation of public health and social measures

Europe is once again at the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic after 1.8 million new cases and 24,000 new deaths have been registered in the region last week, the WHO has warned. The transmission rate across the 53 countries of the WHO European Region is of “grave concern” and Europe is now “at another critical point of the resurgence of the pandemic,” Hans Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, said.

During the past four weeks, the WHO’s European region has experienced a startling 55-plus per cent increase in new Covid-19 cases, and it now accounts for 59 per cent of all cases globally and 48 per cent of all reported deaths. Several countries have seen daily infections reach record highs over the past few days. Germany on Friday recorded an all-time high of 37,120 new infections within one day. The country’s seven-day Covid-19 incidence rate rose to 169.9 cases per 1,00,000 inhabitants from 154.5 cases on Thursday and 139.2 cases one week ago.

“We are now noticing that this fourth wave is coming with full force, that it has clearly picked up speed with record infection figures for Germany in the last 18 months,” Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn said after a conference with the federal state Health Ministers.

Australia hits 80 per cent vaccination milestone

Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout has hit a “magnificent milestone”, with 80 per cent of the adult population fully inoculated against the virus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Saturday. “That’s four out of every five, how good is that? This has been a true Australian national effort,” he said. Before the announcement, Morrison said in a statement that National Cabinet noted the successful reopening of international borders with no quarantine into New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria for fully vaccinated international arrivals, as the country gradually reopens to the world.

France to extend health pass till July

French parliament passed a draft bill on Friday that extends the use of health pass to July 31, 2022, as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country. The bill would allow the French PM to issue a decree mandating the health pass in certain places depending on the epidemic situation.

24,99,93,643
TOTAL Number OF CORONAVIRUS 

CASES IN THE WORLD

50,56,975
Number OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE 

22,63,14,533
Number OF RECOVERED PATIENTS

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