Last week, Europe registered a 5% increase in the number of new deaths by Covid-19, while other regions of the planet are stable or are decreasing in the number of victims, according to a bulletin released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In response to the outbreaks, European countries have taken stricter measures to try to contain the virus, including lockdowns only for those not vaccinated against Covid-19 and immunization certificate requirements at certain facilities and events.
“Dramatic” situation in Germany
Germany has faced the worst infection rates since the start of the pandemic and, for the ninth day in a row, set a record for new daily Covid-19 cases on Thursday. The country registered 65,371 new cases and 264 deaths from the disease in the previous 24 hours. In total, about 98,000 people have died from the infection in the country.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the incidence of infections also broke a record, with 336.9 new cases per 100,000 people. However, hospitalizations and deaths remain at levels below those seen in previous waves – although the health system in some German regions is already overloaded.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said the “dramatic” situation was the result of the fourth wave “hitting our country with full force”.
Merkel and the heads of government of 16 German states decided on Thursday to implement new restrictions. The leaders agreed to introduce mandatory vaccinations for hospital and nursing home workers, in addition to imposing restrictions on the unvaccinated in regions that exceed certain rates of hospitalizations.
In Berlin, only people who have completed the coronavirus vaccination are allowed to enter restaurants, cinemas, gyms, among others. The states of Saxony and Bavaria had also started stricter measures at the beginning of the month, allowing free movement only for those vaccinated and those who recently recovered from the disease.
The federal government has also decided to return to offering free coronavirus tests to those who are not vaccinated, reversing a decision a month ago.
About 33% of Germany’s 83 million people have yet to complete the coronavirus vaccination schedule. This is one of the reasons indicated by specialists for the discharge in cases. Also contributing to the scenario are the circulation of the delta variant, which is more contagious, the relaxation of restriction measures and the drop in the protection provided by vaccines over the months.
“Our vaccination rate is still below 75% of the German population,” said Christine Falk, president of the German Society for Immunology, to the Deutsche Welle. “Combined with the lack of contact restrictions, this is allowing the virus to spread almost exclusively among the unvaccinated,” he said.
According to the RKI, the rate of hospitalizations for Covid-19 among patients ages 18 to 59 is now about four times higher among unvaccinated than among vaccinated. For patients over age 60, this rate is about six times higher.
Lockdown for unvaccinated in Austria
The government of Austria determined, on Sunday (14), the partial confinement of the approximately 2 million people who did not complete vaccination against the coronavirus in the country. According to the Austrian Prime Minister, conservative Alexander Schallenberg, the situation is serious and action is needed.
Under the new rules, since Monday, those who are not vaccinated can leave the house just to work, buy essential products, practice physical activities or receive medical care. The authorities will carry out traffic controls to ensure that the determinations are complied with and the fine for violating the rules is up to 1,450 euros (BRL 9,000). The effectiveness of the restriction measure will be evaluated after ten days.
The announcement sparked a rush of population to vaccination centers since Monday.
Two states in Austria decided to go further and announced on Thursday that they will enter into a generalized lockdown starting next week. Upper Austria and Salzburg have an average seven-day incidence of around 1,600 new cases per 100,000 population, well above the national rate, which is 989.
This Thursday, the number of new infections in Austria reached a record 15,145 in 24 hours. Almost 40% of new cases were registered in Upper Austria and Salzburg.
In the country, about 65% of the population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a rate lower than the average in Europe.
Belgium resumes remote work
Belgium toughened measures on Wednesday to try to combat a fourth wave of coronavirus infections, with a return to mandatory teleworking four days a week and the reintroduction of widespread use of masks. Remote work should ease public transport congestion and prevent contagion, the government said.
On the other hand, the Belgian government avoided, at least initially, the closing of trade and services and the confinement of population segments, as some neighboring countries did recently.
The country’s authorities have also confirmed that a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be given to the entire population. There was also agreement at the federal level on compulsory vaccination in the health sector as of January 1st.
The other main measure is the extension of the use of masks, which will become mandatory within entertainment establishments or places. They will be required even if a so-called “Covid passport” has been presented for entry, which proves that a person has been vaccinated, tested negative on a PCR test in the past 48 hours, or has recovered from the illness.
The measure will affect restaurants, cinemas, museums, concert halls, theaters and other cultural establishments, as well as public or private events with more than 50 people indoors or 100 people outdoors.
In addition, the minimum age of attendees who must wear a mask has been reduced from 12 to 10 years, although regional and local authorities can decide how to proceed in schools.
Between November 7 and 13, an average of 10,283 new Covid-19 cases were detected per day, an increase of 27% from the previous week, while deaths increased by 11% to 25.6 on average, according to Sciensano Public Health Institute figures updated on Wednesday.
“Covid-19 Passport” in Sweden
The government of Sweden announced that the vaccination certificate will be mandatory, from December, for events with more than 100 people. The certificate, which certifies that the person is vaccinated, tested negative in the last three days or recovered from Covid-19 in the previous six months, was only required in Sweden for travel.
Sweden had lifted almost all restrictions against the coronavirus at the end of September, when the epidemic situation was better.
Record of cases in the Czech Republic
Faced with record numbers of Covid-19 cases, the Czech Republic has announced new measures to curb coronavirus infections. In one day, the country registered more than 22,000 new cases, a number much higher than previous records of 5,000 in January and 8,000 a week ago. The infection rate rose to 813 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the country.
As of Monday (22), the majority of unvaccinated people will no longer be able to attend public events, bars, restaurants and hotels only with the presentation of a negative test for Covid. Only those vaccinated and those who have recently recovered from the disease will have access to these places.
Slovakia
Slovakia is also planning restrictions on the unvaccinated, Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced on Monday. Your government will decide on Thursday whether to approve new measures to address the critical situation in hospitals in the country.
Among the proposed measures, which would be valid for three weeks, is the ban on the entry of non-vaccinated people in non-essential stores, gyms, hotels, sporting events, among others. Unvaccinated people may enter their workplaces with a negative test.
Data this week indicate that 81% of hospitalized patients in the country were not fully vaccinated. About 45% of the 5.5 million inhabitants of Slovakia have already completed the vaccination schedule.
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