Slowing vaccines, loose restrictions see Covid-19 uptick in Europe

Madrid Desk, Nov 5 (EFE).- Slowing vaccination rates and slack restrictions have caused an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Europe, a region that has once again become the epicenter of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.

GERMANY

Germany on Friday registered a record number of daily Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day, adding 37,120 to the official records, a jump of almost 3,000 cases from Thursday.

The country’s weekly incidence rate shot to 169.9 cases per 100,000 people and authorities worry that severe Covid cases and deaths could increase if measures such as mask-use and social distancing do not bring cases down.

Health minister Jens Spahn on Friday said the Covid-19 booster shot must be available to all in order to tackle a fourth wave of the disease.

RUSSIA

In Russia a paid week of vacation, ordered by the government in a bid to stem surging cases, is entering its final stretch but its effects have yet to materialize with roughly 40,000 cases reported daily.

The number of Covid-related deaths remains above 1,000 per day on average, the highest in the world according to statistics site Worldometer.

Just over 60 million of Russia’s 144 million citizens have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

ITALY