Europe is set to face a tough winter after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the continent was once again the center of a Covid-19 pandemic amid an increase in cases in recent times.
Much of Europe is struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases, with Germany on Thursday reporting the highest daily number of new cases since the pandemic began.
In the latest warning of the WHO regional director for Europe, which comprises 53 countries across Europe and Central Asia, Dr. Hans Kluge said the rate of transmission across the region was alarming.
Last week, with nearly 1.8 million cases and 24,000 new deaths reported, the WHO saw a 6% increase in infections and an up to 12% increase in deaths over the previous week, Kluge said.
The region accounted for 59% of all cases worldwide and 48% of deaths reported last week, he added.
If it continues like this, Kluge, referring to a reliable projection, predicts another half a million deaths will be recorded in Europe and Central Asia by February next year and at the same time, 43 countries in the region will face high pressure to reach capacity in the hospital.
The two main reasons Kluge predicted the high numbers in Europe were because of inadequate vaccination coverage and the relaxation of public health and social measures on the continent.
The drastic surge in deaths was last week in Russia, where more than 8,100 deaths were recorded, while Ukraine was up with 3,800 deaths. Both countries have very low vaccination rates.
