Europe Covid: according to the WHO, the continent was the biggest contributor to new deaths last week

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday called on EU leaders not to ease their restrictions on coronaviruses too quickly.

“I know that traders, bartenders and waiters in restaurants want to end the restrictions, but we have to learn from the summer and not repeat the same mistakes,” she told the European Parliament in Brussels. “Relaxing too quickly and too much is a risk for a third wave after Christmas.”

Von der Leyen said she warned weeks ago that this Christmas will be different and quieter than usual, and called for solidarity between European nations.

But, she added, “there is also good news, the European Commission has now secured vaccine contracts with six pharmaceutical companies, the first European citizens could already be vaccinated before the end of December, and there is finally has light at the end of the tunnel. “

The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it had secured a contract with pharmaceutical company Moderna for up to 160 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine.

According to the WHO report, the global acceleration in the incidence of cases has slowed over the past week, with around 4 million new cases recorded. However, death rates continued to rise, with more than 67,000 new deaths reported worldwide.

The number of new cases reported in the European region last week fell 6% to 1.77 million, following a 10% drop the week before, the report said, “a sign that the reintroduction of public health and social measures More stringent measures taken in a number of countries in recent weeks are starting to slow transmission. ”

But despite this downward trend, “the European Region remains the main contributor to new cases and new deaths in the past 7 days,” the report said. The European region, as defined by the WHO, comprises 53 countries.

Italy has reported the highest number of new cases in the region and the third in the world, with 235,979, but, according to the WHO, cases may have peaked given the 3% drop reported there . The number of new deaths increased in the country by 26% last week, to 4,578.

The world’s second-largest contributor to new cases and deaths was the Americas region, with 1.6 million new cases – an 11% increase over the previous week – and 22,005 new deaths, up 15% from compared to the previous week, according to the WHO.

The majority of them were in the United States, which reported more than 1.1 million new cases, a 14% increase from the previous week, while deaths rose 23% in the states United during this period, to 9,918. The Americas region continues to account for the largest proportion of cumulative cases and deaths, according to WHO figures.

UK plans ‘Christmas bubble’

Despite some positive signs, parts of Europe continue to face a relentless second wave of Covid-19 infections.

Germany has recorded 410 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours – the largest single-day increase in the number of deaths since the start of the epidemic, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Wednesday, the national agency for disease control and control.

It was the first time that more than 400 deaths from Covid-19 were recorded by Germany in a single day. A total of 18,633 new infections have been recorded in the past 24 hours, according to RKI.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet state governors on Wednesday to decide on new measures to try to contain the outbreak. Among the measures to be discussed are an extension of the current lighter restrictions until the end of December, additional mask mandates for schools and new restrictions on the number of contacts people are allowed to have.

Meanwhile, Poland reported 674 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, a new daily record for the country. The total number of Covid-19-related deaths has reached 14,888, his health ministry tweeted. On the last day, 15,362 new cases were also reported, bringing the total number of cases to 942,442.

The latest WHO figures have brought some relief to the UK, which has suffered the highest number of Covid-related deaths in Europe, with a total of 55,935, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

The UK saw a 13% decrease in new cases compared to last week, with 149,027 reported, while the number of new deaths remained similar, according to the WHO. The drop in new cases was the first weekly drop since late August, according to the report.

A one-month partial lockdown in England is due to end on December 2, to be replaced with three-tiered restrictions based on local infection rates. Decentralized governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have imposed their own measures.

The UK government said on Tuesday it would allow up to three households to form a “Christmas bubble” and mix indoors, outdoors and in places of worship from December 23-28 across the country. UK. There will be no restrictions on movement across the country during this time, although some areas are subject to more stringent measures than others, the government said.

“It may not be a ‘normal’ Christmas. But as the holiday season approaches, we are working closely together to find a way for family and friends to see each other, even if it is for a short time. period, and recognize that this must be both limited and prudent, ”a government statement said.

Macron: We avoided the worst

Across the Channel in France, President Emmanuel Macron said the country would start lifting Covid-19 lockdown restrictions this weekend due to a slowdown in the spread of the virus.

In a speech to the nation, Macron said the latest figures showed more than 50,000 people had died from Covid-19 in France, but the number of intensive care patients was dropping. “It looks like the peak of the second wave of the epidemic has passed; we dreaded even worse numbers and avoided them,” he said.

Starting Saturday, shops, boutiques and hairdressers will be allowed to open until 9 p.m., but people will still need to carry a certificate with an approved reason for leaving home. Internal travel restrictions will also be relaxed and places of worship will be able to reopen with a maximum of 30 people meeting at the same time.

The lockdown could be lifted again on December 15, if the daily number of cases drops below 5,000 and there are only 2,000 to 3,000 patients in hospital ICUs. “We will therefore be able to travel without authorization again, including between regions, and spend Christmas with our family,” Macron said.

In this case, French cinemas, theaters and museums would also be allowed to open, but bars, clubs and restaurants will remain closed. There will be a curfew from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., except Christmas and New Years.

Macron said a decision on opening ski and winter sports resorts has yet to be made, but warned it seemed “impossible to consider an opening for the holidays.” From January 20, a third stage of easing that would allow restaurants to open could take place if the number of daily checkouts remains below 5,000.

The president said vaccination for those most at risk should be rolled out in late December or early January.

Belgian companies demand reopening

As Belgium’s neighbors begin to open their stores, the Belgian Trade and Services Federation, Comeos, has warned that the country “will not become an island of closed shops but rather an island of bankrupt shops, while the Belgian money is spent abroad “.

“If everything remains closed with us, everyone will cross the border also for their Christmas shopping,” said Dominique Michel, CEO of Comeos, in a statement.

According to Comeos, which represents 18 sectors of activity in Belgium and more than 400,000 employees, half of Belgians live within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of an international border.

Earlier this week, the Belgian National Crisis Center urged Belgians not to travel abroad during Christmas and New Years, warning trips to neighboring countries would “undo our efforts” to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .

The Belgian Advisory Committee – made up of leaders from the three regional governments and the federal government – is due to meet on Friday to assess the measures currently in place and discuss how the country could celebrate Christmas.

Belgium’s strict lockdown measures were put in place on November 2 and are expected to last until December 13.

Announcing the lockdown, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said a decision would be made by December 1 regarding a possible reopening of stores and services.