Friday, November 19, 2021
COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in various parts of Europe as the cold weather has affected the spread of the virus.
Around 60% of people in Western Europe are fully immunised against COVID-19, but only about half as many are vaccinated in Eastern Europe.
The World Health Organization reported on Tuesday (November 16) that coronavirus deaths in Europe rose 5% in the previous week, making it the only region in the world where COVID-19 deaths increased.
Here is a run-down of the latest situation in some of the European countries.
Austria
The announcement comes a few days after the country implemented a nationwide lockdown for people who are unvaccinated, which came into force on November 15.
Germany will introduce tighter COVID-19 restrictions on unvaccinated citizens, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.
The Swedish government announced on Wednesday that from December 1 a health pass will be required to attend any event of more than 100 people.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has announced additional measures as new cases hit the highest level to date.
Slovakia is planning new restrictions on unvaccinated people in an effort to tame the latest surge of coronavirus infections
New COVID-19 restrictions come into force in Ireland from midnight on Thursday (November 18) due to high rates of infection that have put pressure on hospitals.
Mask wearing is to become compulsory in public places. Anyone over 10 years old must wear one on public transport, in bars and restaurants, theatres and cinemas, and at public events including those held outdoors.
Italy
Italy has tightened its green pass rules in an attempt to slow down the infection rate before the December holiday season.
Ukraine
As the daily death toll in the country reached a record-breaking 832 on Tuesday, those who receive two jabs of the vaccine will be given a payment of 1,000 hryvnia, or about 33 euros in an attempt to alleviate vaccination reluctance.
The Netherlands
In response to a spike in those testing positive for COVID-19, forcing bars and restaurants to close at 8 pm.
Switzerland
About 64.9% of the alpine country’s population is fully vaccinated according to the latest figures.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria has topped the list of countries worldwide in the number of COVID-related deaths. With the latest figure reaching 283.68 deaths per one million inhabitants, the wave in this Balkan country has still not relented.
Romania
Although the cases seem to be on a downward trajectory, the current bi-weekly average of 724.42 citizens testing positive for COVID-19 is still considered to be grave in a country of 19.29 million.
Serbia
In Serbia, the rate of fully vaccinated citizens has slowed down significantly since May and remains at 43%, despite the country’s initial success in procuring a large number of vaccines by several different producers as early as January.
Croatia
Soaring infections appear to have been a wake-up call to some extent in Croatia, which saw unusually large lines of people waiting for vaccines in recent days.
Greece
The Mediterranean country has entered a new, fifth wave of the pandemic, brought on immediately after the fourth one caused by tourists from around the continent flocking to its shores during the holiday season.
North Macedonia
Health experts in the country are warning that North Macedonia might be headed towards a major peak in the upcoming weeks, especially considering a relatively low vaccination rate of 37% and the ongoing waves in neighbouring countries like Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Latvia
Restrictions are still in place for the unvaccinated, who can as of Monday only do basic things outside of their homes, such as grocery shopping or travel with public transportation.
Denmark
On Friday (November 12), Denmark reintroduced its digital pass as it declared COVID-19 “a socially critical disease” once again amid an increase in cases.
For the next month, a valid pass is mandatory in order to enter nightclubs or cafes or to be seated indoors in restaurants.
France
The country is going through its fifth wave with the number of infections steadily climbing. There were 20,294 new cases confirmed on Wednesday (November 17), the highest daily tally since late August.
The rest of Europe
The list of countries that have registered the biggest acceleration rate in the number of positive cases an indicator that the country might be nearing a spike includes Hungary, Poland, France, and Spain. All of the countries are currently considering different measures to prevent the spread.
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