WHO warns of Covid-19 uptick, stalling vaccination drive in Europe

Copenhagen, Aug 30 (EFE).- The World Health Organization expressed Monday its serious concern over the rise of Covid-19 infections and stagnant vaccination rates across Europe.

The head of WHO Europe, Hans Kluge, told a press conference in Copenhagen the increase in transmission over the past two weeks, mainly driven by the highly contagious Delta variant and international travel, was “deeply worrying.”

“The stagnation of vaccine uptake in our region is of serious concern,” he added.

Kluge said even though some half of all Europeans are vaccinated against Covid-19, vaccination rates across the continent have slowed down in the past six weeks.

The regional director urged people to get vaccinated, which he said is the only path to reopening countries and boosting economies.

Of the 53 countries that make up the WHO Europe region, 33 recorded a 10% increase in the 14-day incidence rate, with an increase in hospital admissions and deaths.

At this pace, the WHO said it feared another 236,000 deaths in Europe by 1 December.

The European region has reported 64 million cases and 1.3 million deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to official WHO data. EFE

alc/mp/jt