Medical staff at the Leipzig University Hospital in Leipzig, eastern Germany, take care of patients in the Corona 19 emergency ward on the 8th. AP Yonhap News
With the onset of winter, Europe is in a state of emergency due to the re-spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). In Germany, for example, on the 10th (local time) alone, 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported. It is the largest since the pandemic. France, where the number of infections is increasing by 10,000 every day, has also declared a ‘fifth pandemic’. Eastern Europe is even more precarious due to low vaccination rates. There were even grim prospects that the death toll could rise sharply.
On the 11th, German public service Deutsche Wele (DW) reported that “50,196 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours,” citing the Robert Koch Institute, the German Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Following the record high of 39,676 the previous day, the next day, the number surged to a whopping 10,000, breaking a new record of disgrace. In a week, the number of new cases per 100,000 increased to 249.1. Virologist Christian Drosten warned that the death toll could rise by up to 100,000 more. The German federal government has joined hands with the 16 state governments and has begun discussions to develop a ‘quick and integrated response action’.
In France, the situation is no different. According to Reuters, 11,883 new cases were confirmed in France on the 10th. Since the middle of last month, the number of infections has been steadily increasing. Health Minister Olivier Verand said, “Neighboring countries are experiencing the fifth pandemic, and it seems certain that France is also entering the fifth pandemic.”
In Eastern Europe, where vaccination rates are low, the number of deaths from COVID-19 is high. In Romania, the daily death toll has not fallen below 400 since the end of last month. Compared to the same period last year, where there were 100 people, the number has increased four times. In Romania, 100 people are dying every day. According to the Wall Street Journal, the death rate in Romania and Bulgaria is 25 times higher than in Italy. Vaccination rates in the two countries are only 33% and 22%, respectively.
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) weekly epidemiological report, 63% of the 3.1 million new cases worldwide in the week from the 1st to the 7th of this month occurred in Europe. While it decreased slightly in most regions such as the Americas and Asia, it increased by 7% in Europe. It is partly due to the easing of quarantine measures as the vaccination completion rate reached around 70%, but the increase in indoor activities in winter is cited as the main cause. As winter came last year, the graph of the spread of Corona 19 rose sharply. “Recently, Europe has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic again,” said Hans Kluz, director of the WHO European office, and feared that 500,000 more people could die by February next year.
Countries in Europe are struggling to prepare countermeasures, such as expanding the target of vaccine booster shots and introducing vaccine certificates. In the UK, booster shots are given to people in their 50s and older, and the vaccine is compulsory for high-risk medical staff and nursing home staff. France has extended the validity of the vaccine certificate to July 31 next year. Italy is also reported to be actively considering ways to advance the timing of booster shot vaccination for all citizens from January next year to this year.
Kim Pyo-hyang reporter suzak@hankookilbo.com
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