Europe in meltdown as Covid death tolls soar and progress unravels
Europe is in meltdown again as daily Covid death tolls reach record highs and countries scramble to expand testing and rescue hospital systems that are buckling under the pressure.
Health experts warn that despite hopeful news with a vaccine rollout starting in the UK, drastic action is still needed to save lives as coronavirus tears through nations attempting to regain some semblance of normality.
Germany reported its deadliest day of the pandemic on Friday, with 598 fatalities in a span of 24 hours, according to the country's center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute.
The nation also added a record 29,875 new infections on Friday, roughly 6,000 more than the day before.
German lawmakers are set to meet in the coming days to tighten lockdown measures in a bid to get the surge in infections under control. Chancellor Angela Merkel this week made an impassioned plea for Germans to limit their social contacts ahead of the holidays and called for more restrictions.
Despite the country's much-vaunted health system and success in containing the virus earlier in the pandemic, its recent partial lockdown has failed to stop the second-wave surge.
"Germany clearly is very worried and you can see their numbers are absolutely going in the wrong direction," Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh.
A German Red Cross worker at a rapid test station in Tübingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg on Thursday.
She said that was probably down to fewer restrictions and "the fact that their testing and tracing system has been under real strain."
Bauld said countries such as Spain and France had made some progress thanks to recent lockdowns, but while the UK had taken some steps forward, areas including Wales were moving backwards.
"In a number of parts of Europe, there have been restrictions that are now being loosened, and when they get loosened, people really take advantage of that and that's exactly what's happened in Wales," she added. "It's just human behavior.
"I think January is going to be really difficult, and probably February as well."
Germany reported its deadliest day of the pandemic on Friday, with 598 fatalities in a span of 24 hours, according to the country's center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute.
The nation also added a record 29,875 new infections on Friday, roughly 6,000 more than the day before.
German lawmakers are set to meet in the coming days to tighten lockdown measures in a bid to get the surge in infections under control. Chancellor Angela Merkel this week made an impassioned plea for Germans to limit their social contacts ahead of the holidays and called for more restrictions.
Despite the country's much-vaunted health system and success in containing the virus earlier in the pandemic, its recent partial lockdown has failed to stop the second-wave surge.
"Germany clearly is very worried and you can see their numbers are absolutely going in the wrong direction," Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh.
A German Red Cross worker at a rapid test station in Tübingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg on Thursday.
She said that was probably down to fewer restrictions and "the fact that their testing and tracing system has been under real strain."
Bauld said countries such as Spain and France had made some progress thanks to recent lockdowns, but while the UK had taken some steps forward, areas including Wales were moving backwards.
"In a number of parts of Europe, there have been restrictions that are now being loosened, and when they get loosened, people really take advantage of that and that's exactly what's happened in Wales," she added. "It's just human behavior.
"I think January is going to be really difficult, and probably February as well."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
