WHO Warns of 700,000 More COVID-19 Deaths in Europe by March

Nov. 24, 2021 -- Countries crossed Europe are facing different surge successful coronavirus cases, which could pb to different 700,000 deaths by March 1 if existent trends continue, the WHO announced connected Tuesday.

More than 1.5 cardinal radical person already died from COVID-19 successful the 53 countries that marque up the World Health Organization’s European region. That means the decease toll could apical 2.2 cardinal by aboriginal 2022.

Europe “remains firmly successful the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the WHO said, noting that the coronavirus is the starring origin of decease crossed Europe and Central Asia. Between present and March, intensive attraction units successful 49 of the 53 countries volition look “high oregon utmost stress.”

The WHO reported much than 2.4 cardinal caller cases crossed the portion past week, which made up 67% of each COVID-19 cases worldwide during that time. Deaths accrued to astir 4,200 per day, doubling the 2,100 regular deaths reported astatine the extremity of September.

France reported much than 30,000 caller COVID-19 infections connected Tuesday, marking the archetypal clip since August that the state had truthful galore cases successful 24 hours, according to Reuters. Daily cases are up 54%, compared to past week, and the week-over-week summation has been astir 50% for 11 days straight.

“That is simply a precise large summation successful the corruption rate, which shows that we truly are, unfortunately, successful a 5th question of the epidemic,” Olivier Veran, the country’s wellness minister, told lawmakers connected Tuesday.

Germany besides acceptable a pandemic grounds connected Monday with a 7-day mean of much than 51,000 regular caller cases, according to CNBC. Russia reported a grounds precocious of much than 1,200 regular deaths for the week that ended Monday.

The WHO said the latest question is being fueled by respective things: the much contagious Delta variant, radical moving indoors owed to colder weather, the easing of restrictions, and dilatory vaccine uptake successful immoderate countries.

About 53% of the colonisation is afloat vaccinated successful the WHO’s European region, but rates alteration from 10% to much than 80% crossed countries. Many eastbound countries person little rates, with 24% of the colonisation afloat vaccinated successful Bulgaria, arsenic compared to astir 87% successful Portugal, 78% successful Demark, 71% successful Germany, and 65% successful Austria.

“As we attack the extremity of 2021, let’s bash everything we tin by getting vaccinated and taking idiosyncratic protective measures to debar the past edifice of lockdowns and schoolhouse closures,” Hans Kluge, WHO’s determination manager for Europe, said successful the WHO statement.

Some countries are putting strict measures into spot again to incorporate the dispersed of the virus, which has sparked protests, according to The New York Times. On Monday, Austria returned to lockdown for astatine slightest 10 days, closing shops, restaurants, and vacation markets. The Netherlands besides began a partial lockdown during the weekend, and Germany whitethorn denote caller restrictions this week.

In addition, much countries are approving booster shots for afloat vaccinated people, including France, Germany, and Greece, according to the BBC. More grounds is showing that vaccine extortion is waning and breakthrough cases are becoming much common, according to the WHO, which encouraged countries to o.k. booster doses for susceptible groups, wellness attraction workers, and radical implicit property 60.

Europe and Central Asia look “a challenging wintertime ahead,” Kluge said. He called for a “vaccine plus” approach, which includes getting vaccinated, pursuing carnal distancing guidelines, and wearing masks.

Face masks trim coronavirus transmission by 53%, the WHO said, which could forestall much than 160,000 deaths by March 1.

The U.S. State Department has responded to the European surge by adding Denmark and Germany to its “Do Not Travel” list, which is the highest-risk class for travel, according to The Washington Post.

The Level 4 designation means that some the CDC and State Department urge against traveling to those countries, adjacent if radical are vaccinated. Other European countries were added to the Level 4 database past week, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Iceland.