Why Europe is in COVID-19 crisis again
Europe has once again become the epicenter of the global COVID-19 pandemic. European countries from the Baltic to the Mediterranean are preparing for the harsh winter ahead.
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| Christmas markets in Austria are only open to people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. Photo: Getty Images |
According to the Guardian (UK), the pandemic seemed to have never happened when in Cologne (Germany), thousands of people crowded together in a packed crowd to count down to the start of the annual festival season at 11am on November 11. In the French capital Paris, bars and clubs were still open late, packed with customers on November 10. In Amsterdam (Netherlands), business went on as usual in the cafes around Leidseplein.
But instead of being the start of a festive season with Christmas and New Year, those nights could be the last of the crowded celebrations as a fourth wave of COVID-19 sweeps across Europe.
“You cannot imagine standing at the market drinking mulled wine while hospitals are full and fighting for the last resources,” warned Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer last week.
The Netherlands on November 13 became the first Western European country since the summer to impose a partial lockdown, while Berlin banned unvaccinated people from eating in restaurants and France raced to improve its booster shot campaign.
“What we are experiencing seems to be the beginning of a fifth wave,” French Health Minister Olivier Véran said last week. President Emmanuel Macron said that from December 1, the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be extended to people over 50.
Europe is once again the epicenter of the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 cases across Europe increased by 7% and deaths by 10% over the past week. This makes Europe the only region in the world where cases and deaths are steadily increasing.
The WHO said on November 10 that nearly two-thirds of new COVID-19 cases - about 1.9 million cases - were in Europe, marking the sixth consecutive week of rapid spread of COVID-19 across the continent. Some European countries are even facing a fourth or fifth wave of the pandemic.
Experts say the current situation is due to low COVID-19 vaccination rates, waning immunity in those vaccinated early, and growing complacency among people about masks and social distancing after the government eased restrictions over the summer.
But except in Central and Eastern Europe, where COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower than in other regions, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Europe remain much lower than they were a year ago.
“Vaccines are doing what they promised: preventing severe disease and, in particular, reducing the risk of death,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge. “But vaccines are our most powerful asset only when used in conjunction with prevention measures.”
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| People in Cologne, Germany, show off their vaccination certificates on their phone screens on November 11. Photo: AFP |
According to data from OurWorldInData, the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates are in southern Europe, with Portugal, Malta and Spain all having vaccinated more than 80% of their populations with two doses, and Italy at 73%. The seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases in these countries is the lowest in Europe, at around 100 cases per 1 million people.
The Netherlands, France and Germany, with vaccination rates just a few percentage points lower than southern European countries, are also starting to see a spike in new cases, reflecting in part the challenges facing governments.
With the lowest vaccination rate (62.8%) and the highest COVID-19 infection rate (1,000 cases per day/million population) among Western European countries, Austria decided to impose a "lockdown" on people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the two regions most affected by the pandemic and plans to expand this program nationwide.
In Western Europe, the question now is whether countries can contain the latest wave of infections without resorting to widespread lockdowns. Experts say the answer is probably yes — measures like social distancing, wearing masks and only allowing vaccinated people into enclosed spaces are crucial.
European authorities need to ramp up vaccination programmes, including for young people and for high-risk groups, said Hans Kluge, adding that social distancing and public health measures are also important. “These measures do not take away people’s freedom, they actually secure their freedom,” he concluded.