Covid Europe, fourth wave and lockdown. Record of infections in Germany

The fourth wave of Covid advances in Europe. Today the word lockdown, in different ways and degrees, is back in topicality while coronavirus infections are growing everywhere as well as hospitalizations: countries are resorting to new rules and restrictions. “The Covid challenge is still ongoing. As you can see, the numbers in Europe are numbers that must signal a great deal of attention. The WHO in recent days clearly signals that in Europe there is a phase of resurgence in the circulation of the virus”, then “We must insist on the priority investment that we have made in recent months and that was the one in the vaccination campaign” underlined Health Minister Roberto Speranza. GERMANY – Germany has recorded a new record of infections, more than 50,000 new cases ascertained in 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute reported 50,196 new infections and another 235 deaths. The seven-day incidence of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection per 100,000 population rose to 249.1. Thursday the figure was 232.1 and the bulletin spoke of 39,676 new cases and 236 deaths. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Germany 4,894,250 infections have been confirmed with 97,198 deaths. “We have to prepare for winter, the virus is still among us and threatens the health of citizens,” said Olaf Scholz, current deputy chancellor and finance minister and likely chancellor of the next German government. Scholz stressed the need for a new “major vaccination campaign” to get more people to immunize themselves against Covid. In Germany, the vaccination rate is still below 70%. AUSTRIA – Austria goes towards a lockdown for the unvaccinated. “It is now clear that winter and Christmas will not be comfortable for those who are not vaccinated,” said the Austrian Prime Minister, Alexander Schallenberg, in a further signal that the government is moving towards lockdown measures for those who have not been vaccinated. Covid. In the last 24 hours, Austria has recorded a record of 11,975 infections. The seven-day incidence has now risen to 751 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, three times more than Germany which is already in difficulty. Shallenberg called the vaccination rate in Austria at 65% of the population “shamefully low”. Given the growth in infections, in a few days the unvaccinated could be subjected to strict measures, continued the premier, urging everyone to get immunized as soon as possible. HOLLAND – Holland could be the first Western European country since the summer to restore a lockdown, albeit partial. The local TV Nos reports it, according to which this is the proposal put forward by the group of experts which advises the Dutch government on the measures to be put in place to reduce infections. The government of the interim prime minister, Mark Rutte, is expected to make a decision on this already today.Among the restrictive measures that the government is considering, the broadcaster said, are the cancellation of events, the closure of theaters and cinemas and the early closure of bars and restaurants, while schools would remain open. After a two-week partial lockdown, according to experts, entry to public places should be limited to vaccinated or recently recovered people. Last week, the Netherlands reintroduced face masks and expanded the list of places that require the Green pass to enter. The new coronavirus infections have almost doubled in the last week, with a weekly incidence rate of more than 400 per 100 thousand inhabitants. 16,364 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the Netherlands yesterday in 24 hours, never so many since the outbreak of the pandemic. This was announced by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, confirming 26 deaths from complications on the last day. The previous record dates back to 20 December, when 12,997 infections were confirmed. The daily average of infections in the Netherlands also reached a new record. In fact, in the last seven days, 86,384 people have tested positive for Covid-19, with an average of 12,341 per day. The greatest number of infections was recorded in Amsterdam, with 616 infections, followed by Rotterdam with 586 new cases, The Hague with 389 and Utrecht 263. 1,699 people are now hospitalized in hospitals due to Covid-19, the highest number from 23 May. BULGARIA – Bulgaria has asked the European Union to activate the civil protection mechanism in order to receive aid to deal with the terrible wave of Covid that is hitting the country of the Union with the worst vaccination rate. The Bulgarian Ministry of Health, stressing that we must prepare “in the event of a sudden worsening” of the pandemic, has asked to receive oxygen, respirators and beds from other EU countries. In Bulgaria in the last week there was an average of 22.8 deaths from Covid per million inhabitants, against the EU average of 3.1. This is compared to the lowest vaccination rate, just 22.8%, compared to 65.2% of the European average. GB – There are 42,408 cases of Covid-19 recorded in 24 hours in Great Britain and 195 people have died from complications attributable to the infection. This is what the latest figures from the London government report, which on Thursday reported 214 deaths and 39,329 infections. RUSSIA – Still a very high number of deaths from Covid in Russia, where another 1,237 infected patients died, just under 1,239, so far the highest number recorded the previous day. In 24 hours then 40 thousand infections were exceeded, with exactly 40,759 new infections according to the data reported on the Tass website. The Russian authorities are waiting to see if the current week of suspension of work activities for non-essential workers could have the effect of reversing the trend of infections, according to the European map of the Covid-19 situation updated every week by the ECDC , at the European level there is almost a split: all the eastern part of Italy is in dark red or red. In detail, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria are entirely in dark red, as are Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Other states in the central and northeastern bloc. Small yellow areas remain only in Sweden and Norway. On the other hand, the countries to the west and north-west of Italy have a predominance of yellow: for example France, which has a single small area in red, Portugal (entirely in yellow) and Spain which, in addition to predominant yellow has some green and red areas. Ireland stands out, totally in dark red.