Coronavirus resurging in Europe as restrictions ease, World Health Organisation says
- Up to 30 European countries have seen resurgences of the deadly virus, with the region continuing to report close to 20,000 new cases and 700 new deaths daily
- Poland, Germany and Spain were singled out for their swift responses to outbreaks in schools, coal mines, and food production settings in recent weeks
“Last week, Europe saw an increase in weekly cases for the first time in months,” the WHO’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters.
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He said more than two dozen countries in Europe had seen resurgences of the deadly virus.
“Thirty countries have seen increases in new cumulative cases over the past two weeks. In 11 of these countries, accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again in Europe,” he warned.
Kluge did not identify the countries by name, nor provide detailed numbers.
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Portugal also imposed new restrictions in and around its capital on Tuesday.
“Where new clusters of cases appeared, these have been controlled through rapid and targeted interventions. This is very good news,” he said.