Covid today Europe, fourth wave and contagions: between lockdown, curfew and 2G rule

The fourth wave of Covid with infections on the rise continues to scare Europe where the situation, as in Central Asia, “is very serious. A challenging winter awaits us”. So on Twitter Hans Kluge, director of the World Health Organization for the European region. Countries are trying to stem the pandemic amidst lockdown, curfew and 2G rule. But the forecasts do not bode well. “We can expect hospitals to be under stress due to hospitalizations in 25 countries and intensive care in 49 of the 53 countries” in the European region “between now and March 1, 2022”. Not only. “Cumulative reported deaths are expected to reach over 2.2 million by spring next year, based on current trends” is the alarm launched yesterday by the World Health Organization for Europe. Read also “Last week, reported deaths from Covid-19 – WHO Europe listed – increased to nearly 4,200 per day, doubling from 2,100 deaths per day at the end of September. Meanwhile, the cumulative reported deaths for the virus they exceeded the threshold of 1.5 million for the 53 countries in this region. Today, Covid-19 is the leading cause of death in Europe and Central Asia, as reported by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation “. Then there is the question of the use of masks. “Today only 48% of the residents in the region wear a mask when they leave home” remarked WHO Europe. Experts from the World Health Organization recall how a recent study established that “the use of a mask reduces the incidence of Covid by 53%”. So, if to date “coverage of the use of masks of 95% of the population were achieved, it is estimated that by March 1, 2022, more than 160 thousand deaths could be prevented”, underlined the agency. VON DER LEYEN – “Many Member States are facing a new wave” of Covid-19, but “we are in a better situation” than last year “thanks to vaccination. The data show that the possibility of becoming seriously ill, ending up in hospital or dying is much lower “if you are fully vaccinated, remarked the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Von der Leyen cited “Spain and Portugal” as examples, because in the Iberian Peninsula “between 80 and 90% of the adult population” is vaccinated and, therefore, “the risk of death is up to 40 times lower than in other countries. “members who have the” lowest “vaccination rates. We are facing, he concluded, a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” and “vaccination remains the priority”. GERMANY – Faced with the dizzying increase in cases of contagion in Germany, some Laender yesterday announced the introduction of the 2G rule, the adoption of a curfew and the use of distance learning. The Berlin regional government, the Dpa announced, has agreed to resort to the restrictions imposed by the 2G rule, which limits access to retail businesses only to vaccinated or cured, with the exception of shops that sell goods of first necessities and pharmacies. The Hamburg government has decided to extend the same rule to hotels, theaters and cinemas. “We will remove compulsory attendance in the school sector,” announced the head of Education in Brandenburg, Britta Ernst, explaining that many parents do not want their children to attend given the increase in cases. In North Rhine Westphalia, the 2G plus rule will apply, i.e. entry into discos and clubs only to vaccinated or cured people in possession of a recent negative test. Thuringia goes further and closes clubs, bars and discos, bans Christmas markets and now imposes a curfew starting at 10pm for the catering sector and between 10pm and 5am for the unvaccinated, to which rules will also apply. restrictive in contacts. The owner of the Health of the Land, Heike Werner, announced that Germany has marked a new record in the weekly incidence rate of infections from Covid: according to the Robert Koch Institute, 399.8 cases were recorded yesterday for every 100 thousand inhabitants, against 312.4. of the previous day. There were 45,326 new infections and 309 deaths, for a total of 5,430,911 infections and 99,433 deaths respectively from the beginning of the pandemic. HOLLAND – In the face of the spread of Covid-19 infections, the Netherlands once again imposes the obligation to maintain a social distance of 1.5 meters, which had been abolished in September. Violators will be punished with a fine of 95 euros, announced the Ministry of Justice announcing the new measure. In the last seven days, about 154 thousand infections have been recorded in the Netherlands, 40% more than the previous seven days, the highest level of growth since the beginning of the pandemic. The incidence exceeds 880 infections per 100 thousand inhabitants over seven days. Hospitals are in collapse and many are forced to cancel surgeries. There are currently 2,540 Covid patients hospitalized, of which 488 are in intensive care. The 1.5 meter distance obligation does not apply in public places where you can enter only with the Green pass – such as restaurants, cinemas and museums – from the hairdresser and on public transport. In early November, the government has already imposed a partial lockdown with the closure of shops at 6 pm and restaurants and supermarkets at 8 pm. In closed places it is mandatory to wear a mask. FRANCE – In France the latest bulletin reports 30,454 infections and 84 deaths. Tuesday’s data often shows an upturn, after Monday’s lower numbers due to lower weekend registrations. But it should be emphasized that last Tuesday the bulletin reported 19,778 infections. Meanwhile, hospitalizations are on the rise: in hospitals there are 8,338 Covid patients (300 more) of which 1,455 in intensive care. On the vaccine front, 75.2% of the population received two doses of the vaccine and 5,824,035 also received the third dose. CZECH REPUBLIC – The Czech Republic is evaluating the imposition of the obligation of the Covid vaccine over the age of 60 and for some professional categories. “This is the age group at greatest risk,” outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Babis said, explaining that the vaccination requirement for seniors was suggested by the health commission that advises the government. The announcement comes as the country is grappling with a serious wave of Covid, which has brought the incidence over seven days to 1,029 infections per 100 thousand people. The health ministry, Babis said, is working on the bill, which will also oblige health workers, police, military and firefighters to be immunized. The premier has instead ruled out for now the proclamation of a state of emergency. SLOVAKIA – The president of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova has asked the government to immediately impose a general lockdown as in neighboring Austria to cope with the spread of Covid-19 infections. “We are the worst country in the world for the number of infections compared to the population. Hospitals are at the limit of capacity and must limit treatment. The health personnel are exhausted and beg for our help. But instead of thanks they get threats and insults”, Caputova said in a passionate speech after visiting a hospital in Bratislava. The choice of lockdown is unfair to those who are vaccinated, but unfortunately there is no choice, he stressed. Caputova’s intervention comes while the country of 5.4 million inhabitants has registered 6,739 new infections and 66 deaths. 3,182 Covid patients are hospitalized in hospitals. Only 47% of the population received two doses of the vaccine. Caputova does not have the power to enforce the lockdown, but he is the most popular politician in the country and his words carry weight. So far the four-party coalition that governs the country has failed to impose strong measures against the contagion. SWITZERLAND – The current situation in Switzerland on the Covid-19 front “is critical and the outlook is unfavorable”. The alarm was raised by Patrick Mathys of the Federal Office of Public Health (USP), according to whom “all indicators are moving in the wrong direction”. Tanja Stadler, president of the Swiss Covid-19 task force, warned that in mid-December the situation of the pandemic could be similar to that of Austria, where the authorities have now imposed a lockdown. The UFSP recorded 6,354 new infections, 18 deaths and 95 hospitalizations in Switzerland. Over the span of two weeks, the total number of infections is 62,894. The cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days are 722.14. Just over 65% of the inhabitants of Switzerland are vaccinated with a double dose. Both Mathys and Stadler urged the population to get vaccinated, wear masks and respect distances. GREAT BRITAIN – 42,484 new infections and 165 deaths from complications from Covid have been recorded in Great Britain. Local health authorities reported this, underlining the important increase compared to the 45 victims of coronavirus complications the day before.