Coronavirus: warning for Europe as WHO reports record one-day increase in global cases
- Global tally nears 29 million, with more than 923,000 deaths
- Europe cases rise, especially in Spain and France
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The World Health Organisation expects Europe to see a rise in the daily number of Covid-19 deaths in October and November, the head of the body’s European branch said on Monday.
“It’s going to get tougher. In October, November, we are going to see more mortality,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said, as the continent currently experiences a surge of cases – though the number of deaths has remained relatively stable.
The resurgence is however expected to lead to an increase in daily deaths, the WHO said.
The number of cases in Europe has risen sharply in recent weeks, especially in Spain and France. On Friday alone, more than 51,000 new cases were reported in the 55 countries of the WHO Europe, which is more than the highest peak in April, according to the organisation.
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The warning came after the WHO reported 307,930 new cases worldwide on Sunday, the highest daily figure in its database since the beginning of the pandemic.
That brought the reported global total to almost 29 million with more than 923,000 Covid-19 deaths, according Johns Hopkins University tally.
The biggest increases were from India, the United States and Brazil, according to the agency’s website.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 306,857 on September 6.
The surge has sparked concern in Europe, where Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz warned that his country was facing “the beginning of the second wave”.
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The Czech Republic has also faced a surge, with one epidemiologist saying over the weekend that at the current rate, cases could overwhelm hospitals.
New restrictions came into force across England on Monday, with social gatherings limited to no more than six people.
Other parts of the world are still battling their first coronavirus waves, including some of the most populous nations such as Indonesia, where new restrictions came into effect on Monday.
Governments are being forced to balance the devastating economic cost of lockdowns with the need to contain the deadly virus.
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Schools in some European nations opened on Monday, with millions returning to classrooms in Italy, Greece and Romania.
A surge in cases also has prompted Israel to reimpose a national lockdown, which will last three weeks starting Friday, and will keep people to within 500 metres of their homes. It is the first developed economy to take such drastic steps to contain a second wave of infections.
“I know these measures will exact a heavy price from all of us,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Saudi Arabia announced it would partially lift its suspension of international flights from September 15, six months after travel curbs were imposed.
Many nations have seen backlash and protests against lockdowns.
In Australia on Sunday, police arrested dozens at an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne after crowds defied stay-at-home orders.
That rally followed demonstrations in Germany and Poland on Saturday, which were attended by anti-vaccine campaigners, conspiracy theorists and far-right activists.
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Such rallies have also been organised frequently in the United States, the hardest-hit nation in the world with more than 6.5 million infections and 194,000 deaths.
“Tonight, President Donald Trump is taking reckless and selfish actions that are putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada,” state governor Steve Sisolak, who is from the rival Democratic Party, tweeted ahead of the Sunday rally.
“The President appears to have forgotten that this country is still in the middle of a global pandemic.”
New cases are falling in the United States and are down about 44 per cent from a peak of more than 77,000 new cases reported on July 16. Cases in Brazil are also trending downward.
Researchers had “voluntarily paused” their vaccine trial after a UK volunteer developed an unexplained illness.
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A vaccine is considered crucial to the fight against the virus, which has exhausted resources and infrastructure.
However Kluge, based in Copenhagen, warned those who believe that the development of a vaccine would bring an end to the pandemic.
“I hear the whole time: ‘the vaccine is going to be the end of the pandemic’. Of course not!,” the Belgian said.
“We don’t even know if the vaccine is going to help all population groups. We are getting some signs now that it will help for one group and not for the other,” he said.
“And then if we have to order different vaccines, what a logistical nightmare!”
Additional reporting by Reuters and DPA
