Russia and the Czech Republic are closed again due to the spread of the virus before winter
Countries that wear masks and adopt booster shots are stable
Protesters against vaccination against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) hold a rally at Parliament Square in London, the capital of England, on the 19th (local time). Even though the number of confirmed cases in the UK is about 50,000 a day, concerns are growing about the spread of Corona 19 as all restrictions are lifted from today. 2021-07-20 London AFP Yonhap News
The number of new infections is rapidly increasing again in European countries where they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and have taken off their masks. As winter approaches, some countries have announced that they will implement lockdown measures again as COVID-19 spreads again.
On the 21st (local time), the UK recorded 50,09 new confirmed cases per day. It surpassed 40,000 for eight days in a row and surpassed 50,000 in three months. It is unique compared to other European countries.
This seems to be the effect of the easing of quarantine regulations. The UK lifted most of the quarantine regulations, such as wearing a mask and keeping distance, on July 19, but the number of infected people increased as the virus spread mainly to children who did not receive the vaccine. In the midst of this, as a cold wind began to blow, voices in the medical community insisted on wearing a mask and recommending working from home.
However, while the British government is wary of the number of confirmed cases, it is still drawing a line on strengthening quarantine regulations. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was looking at the numbers very carefully every day. Instead of tightening regulations, the authorities are emphasizing booster shots targeting people over 50 and vaccinations between 12 and 15 years old.
Infectious diseases are also spreading rapidly in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark, which have greatly eased or lifted quarantine measures after vaccination. In the case of Belgium, as of the 18th, there were about 6,500 daily confirmed cases, the highest since November last year, when the second wave was in full swing. The number of hospitalized patients also increased by 53% from the previous week to an average of 88 for one week from the 14th to the 20th.
In the Netherlands, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 44% compared to the previous week, and the number of hospitalized patients also increased by more than 20%. Most of the hospitalized patients were people who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These countries have also recently eased restrictions, such as lifting masks in shops and allowing clubs to operate, and introduced vaccination certificates.
▲ Sweden cheers for “distancing is lifted”… Korea extended by two weeks
People in Stockholm gather in the streets and enjoy freedom on the 29th (local time) when most of Sweden’s restrictions on movement related to COVID-19 have been lifted. Sweden lifted restrictions on the number of adults at private gatherings and recommendations for telecommuting as the primary vaccination rate reached 69.8% and the complete vaccination rate reached 63.9%. On the 30th, one day before the announcement of the distance adjustment plan, the Korean government started to discuss the ‘step-by-step recovery of daily life’ (with Corona) in the strand of extending the distance by two weeks. As of 00:00 on the same day, the primary vaccination rate in Korea was 76.0% and the complete vaccination rate was 49.0%.
Stockholm AFP Yonhap News
In Russia and Eastern Europe, where vaccination rates are relatively low, new cases are spreading at the fastest rate in the world and are entering into lockdown. In Russia, as the number of new infections reached 37,000 a day, most businesses and commercial facilities in Moscow were ordered to close for 11 days. School made me go on vacation.
Latvia will also close movie theaters and beauty salons, except for essential shops, until the 15th of next month. During this period, curfew will be enforced from 5 pm to 5 am the next day, and only takeout is available at the restaurant. In Latvia, the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past two weeks was 1,406, the fastest rate in the world compared to the population.
The Czech Republic has introduced lockdown measures, including movement restrictions, until the 3rd of next month. Citizens should not leave their homes except for reasons such as commuting to work or purchasing daily necessities. Poland, where the daily number of new infections exceeds 10,000, is also planning to introduce stricter lockdowns.
On the other hand, Italy, which maintains social distancing and wearing masks indoors, maintains a daily range of 2,000 to 3,000 new confirmed cases. In France, where a strict vaccine pass is applied, the number of new cases is around 5,000.
Israel lifted quarantine regulations, but as the number of new infections increased, it introduced minimal quarantine measures and introduced a booster shot for the first time in the world at the end of July. Since then, the infection index in Israel has returned to a clear stability, and the number of confirmed cases per day is around 1,000.
By Kim Jung-hwa, staff reporter clean@seoul.co.kr
