Coronavirus: Restrictions increase in Europe and calls for lockdown
More and more European countries are resorting to new restrictive measures. According to Lothar Wheeler, president of the Robert Koch Institute, the access rule for vaccinated and sick people is no longer enough to stem the fourth wave of the pandemic.
At point zero ... is Europe, the pandemic has been overdoing the Old continent and several countries to implement new, more stringent restrictions, while some of them have already entered into arrangements lockdown , while others are moving towards same direction.
Among these countries, of course, is Greece with the new measures that came into force last Monday.
At the same time, the national lockdown is in force in Austria, which became the first Western European country to return to this measure. Closed schools, curfews and leaving home only for work, shopping for basic necessities and exercise include, among other things, the new daily life of Austrians.
Belgium follows the same path, imposing restrictions and reinstating measures such as the use of the mask in all areas, both exterior and interior, but also teleworking four times a week. Also, the mask becomes mandatory for children from 10 years, while before it was valid for children from 12 years and over.
It is recalled that the Netherlands again imposed measures last weekend, initially for three weeks in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, but daily cases remain at their highest levels since the pandemic broke out.
Finally, Slovakia and the Czech Republic announced last Friday a lockdown for the unvaccinated , while in Hungary from Saturday (20/11) the use of the mask returned to most indoor areas.
Measures for vaccinated people in Germany as well?
At the same time, lockdown measures - also for vaccinated German citizens - are demanded by the President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wheeler, and warns that the 2G Rule (access for vaccinated and sick people) is no longer enough to stop the quadruped.
"If 50,000 people are infected in one day, 400 of them will die," Wheeler told Die Zeit, adding that "everything we do today will only work in two or three weeks."
The 2G Rule, which is currently a key tool in the strategy of many state governments, "is important, but in the current situation, it is unfortunately not enough," said Robert Koch, President of the Institute, and called for contacts to be reduced. , to cancel large events, to facilitate work from home, to reduce the number of spectators at the various shows and, above all, to completely close the "outbreaks" of infection, such as bars and clubs.
Mr Wheeler also explains that the number of unvaccinated people in Germany is around 15 million and the mobility is now much higher than last year. So the coronavirus spreads very quickly. "So we conclude that the current data on the number of cases is incomplete and that the actual number of cases is much higher," he said.
With regard to compulsory vaccination, Mr Wheeler argued that "this would not be the right measure", but also referred to the recommendation of the World Health Organization that does not want to be vaccinated, then compulsory vaccination should not be ruled out ". I share this view, concludes the head of "Robert Koch".
Summit in the presence of Merkel
At the same time, the key negotiators of the parties that are talking about the formation of a government were received earlier tonight by the acting Chancellor Angela Merkel, in order to discuss the situation of the pandemic.
According to the BILD newspaper, the Chancellor met at the Chancellery the candidate for Chancellor Olaf Soltz (SPD), the two Presidents of the Greens Analena Berbok and Robert Hubek, and from the side of the Liberals (FDP) Gennar Bremte Krimte. According to the newspaper, the subject of the discussion was the evolution of the pandemic, but no further details have been made known at this time.
Changes in travel within and outside the EU are being considered
The European Commission ( Commission ) is expected within the week to review the recommendations for free movement within the European Union, as well as for travel to the EU , as announced yesterday by the Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakidou, speaking at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
As COVID-19 cases increase across the EU, many Member States have begun to reinstate certain restrictive measures, often based on the European digital anti- COVID certificate for safe access to public spaces, the Commissioner said. "Member States and the Commission have worked together on the EU European COVID Certificate and delivered the largest interoperable digital COVID certification system in the world.
We must avoid fragmentation, and that is why strong coordination is the key ", added S. Kyriakidou.
"Close co-operation and co-ordination are absolutely essential - at every step of this journey. While we have made every effort since the beginning of this pandemic, we cannot impose coordination in an area where competence lies solely with the Member States. "In the health sector, we do not only need two for tango, we need 27," he said.
Besides, S. Kyriakidou stressed that "now we are facing a pandemic that is mainly due to the unvaccinated " and added that vaccination continues to be a key weapon in our quiver. "But at the same time, until fairly high vaccination rates are reached and the situation is brought under control, significant non-pharmacological interventions must remain in place where needed," he added.
Finally, referring to the Emergency Health Preparedness and Response Authority (IRA), she stressed that she now manages all common supplies of therapeutic products and works with companies and countries participating in the Joint Procurement Agreement to ensure equal access to promising treatments. He noted, however, that we could not have a strong European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or a strong HERA without a strong EU Health Security Framework. , he said.
