Europe lifts restrictions to save summer tourism amid fears of an outbreak of the Indian variant of the coronavirus

This Monday, the European continent sees the biggest easing of closure restrictions since summer 2020, although warnings must be made in the face of possible regrowth by the Indian variant.

The UK, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, although at different speeds, are accelerating de-escalation and take into account their restrictions to allow vacation planning with “anti-covid passes”, vaccination for vaccines, end of quarantines, curfews “fires” and free tests for all.

While there is hope in the UK to regain some ‘normalcy’, the country which has been the most successful in its vaccination campaign, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that everyone “must do their part” . The tenant at 10 Downing Street asked everyone to apply a “shoot” (knock, give yourself an injection) against the coronavirus, amid concerns that the spread of the Indian variant is being driven by those who have refused to be vaccinated.

Faced with the warning from his boss, Matt Hancock, the British Secretary for Health, revealed on Sunday that the first results of the laboratory tests at the University of Oxford gave a “high degree of confidence” that the vaccines against the coronavirus act against the variant and not exclude that local locks can be implemented.

Data released by UK authorities, in addition to scientific evidence that vaccines can stop the spread of the variant, anticipate this in the real world. blows offer protection. The vaccines appear to prevent 97 percent of infections with the Indian variant, data suggests, and there are no known deaths among fully vaccinated people in the country.

The British this Monday, they will be able to socialize indoors in homes, pubs and restaurants, although the “rule of six” applies. In addition, English tourists will be able to start traveling, without quarantine restrictions, but simply showing a negative molecular test performed at least 72 hours before boarding the plane.

Mediterranean countries compete for tourists

Greece, where tourism is one of the most revenue-generating activities, officially presented its tourist season amid a competition in the Mediterranean to attract vacationers emerging from restrictions and lockdowns due to the coronavirus.

Visitors from the European Union, as well as the UK, US, Serbia and Israel, can visit as long as they have been vaccinated or may show negative COVID-19 test results.

According to Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis, the country will also introduce vaccination certificates and accept injections that have not yet been used in the rest of the European Union.

Greece has been under coronavirus-related restrictions since early November, but has gradually started to ease measures as it prepares for the vital summer tourist season.

Prepare their cities for the summer, by Italy beach establishments reopen, each region with its own calendar The quarantine for those arriving from European countries, the Schengen area, the United Kingdom and Israel, obviously with a negative certificate, has also been lifted from Sunday, May 16.

The country, which has returned almost entirely to the so-called “yellow zone”, with the exception of the Aosta Valley (orange), the wait is placed on the decision to relax the current restrictions with the possible postponement of the key stays until 11pm or maybe midnight. Other unresolved openings relate to future activities: from May 24, the reopening of shopping centers on weekends (probably from May 22) and the restart of the weddings and ceremonies sector (June 15).

At Spain, where the state of emergency ended on May 9, several regions began to gradually reopen after the blockades. Many on Saturdays went to its beaches, taking advantage of the sunny days and the opening of restaurants to eat tapas.

However, the first full weekend without a curfew, thousands of citizens and tourists organized street parties. Barcelona police deported around 9,000 people, from ten p.m. on Saturday to six a.m. on Sunday. They are expelled by the crowds that form in the public spaces of the Catalan city, while the authorities claim responsibility for the epidemiological situation caused by COVID-19.

France, slower

Even with limited income, the French will find respite: from this wednesday, the curfew will be postponed to 9 p.m. and it will be especially the moment of the reopening, even partial, for many establishments which welcome the public.

Cinemas closed from October 30 may reopen with an indicator of 35% and a maximum of 800 spectators. Also reopening, with reduced widths, for museums, theaters, zoos, libraries and even all businesses. As for bars and restaurants, only their terraces will be authorized, at 50% of their capacity and with tables of six maximum.

Pressure from hospitals on intensive care services continues to decline, as the country has reached 20 million people vaccinated. In the competition to restore the tourist flow, Emmanuel Macron’s government will offer free PCR tests for holidaymakers arriving in the country, a test that some countries can cost more than 100 euros.

Effectiveness against the Indian variant

As the pandemic worsens across much of Asia and concern is in the rest of the world, A study of 3,235 health workers vaccinated in India with AstraZeneca found that only 85 reported symptoms of COVID-19 and only two had been hospitalized.

The researchers said the real-world observational study, conducted by Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi, which recorded no deaths or intensive care admissions, strengthened the case for vaccination.

Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, said: “Our study showed that 97.38% of people vaccinated were protected from infection and the hospitalization rate was only 0.06%.”

In addition, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is closely monitoring the so-called Indian variant of the coronavirus, there is scientific evidence confirming that mRNA vaccines, such as those made by Pfizer and Moderna, could neutralize this type of mutation.

This was recently announced by the agency’s experts during the latest updates on the evolution of the pandemic in the 27 member states, although studies continue to have more confirmation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially classified variant B.1.617, identified in India, from “variant of interest” to “variant of interest” worldwide. Experts report that, based on preliminary studies, it appears that this mutation is more easily transmitted than the original strain, but could now be neutralized by vaccines, although it hopes to give more details in the next hours.

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