(Switzerland = International News) Reporter Hyunseung Kim = As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) epidemic continues to rise in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 23rd (local time) that 700,000 people will die this winter if this trend continues. warned of the possibility.
According to AFP news agency, the current cumulative death toll in Europe is 1.5 million, and the World Health Organization (WHO) believes it is likely to exceed 2.2 million by March 1 next year.
The reasons for Europe becoming the center of the COVID-19 pandemic again include slowing vaccination rates in some countries, the spread of the highly contagious mutant delta virus, increased indoor activities due to lower temperatures, and easing of regulations.
This week Austria introduced lockdown again. Germany and the Netherlands are expected to issue new regulations.
In the European Union as a whole, 67.7% of the population has been vaccinated, but coverage rates vary widely across countries. Most Eastern European countries have low vaccination rates. In Bulgaria, the vaccination rate was only 24.2%, while in Portugal, 86.7% completed the vaccination.
According to WHO data, 53 countries in Europe recorded about 4,200 daily deaths from COVID-19 last week. This doubled from 2,100 at the end of September.
There is also growing evidence that the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent infections, mild to severe, is weakening, AFP reports.
