New Delhi: Corona Pandemic is once again spreading its feet and Europe has become the epicenter of this epidemic. Due to the increasing cases of Covid-19 in some countries of the European Union, the fear of lockdown has started increasing. Local governments in these countries are considering the option of imposing a lockdown again till Christmas. Also, there is a debate on whether coronavirus can be controlled with the help of the vaccine alone. Concerns have increased significantly after vaccinations conducted before the flu season in winter.
In the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the European Union, Iceland, and Norway, about 65% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine, but the pace of vaccination has slowed in recent months. The situation regarding the Covid-19 epidemic in 10 countries of the 27-member European Union is worrying. The Block Diseases Agency has given this information on Friday. According to the report prepared by the European Center for Diseases, the situation is very bad in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, and Slovenia.
Lockdown imposed in these countries, strict restrictions
Netherlands: During the 3-week partial lockdown in the Netherlands, bars and restaurants will now close early, as well as sporting events will be held without spectators. It is likely to be announced by Friday. This will be the first time since the summer in Western Europe that there will be a lockdown.
Germany: Covid-19 tests will be resumed here from Saturday. Acting Health Minister Jens Spahn said this on Friday. For this, a legal draft is being prepared in Germany, under which face masks and social distancing will be mandatory in public places, which will continue till March.
Austria: The Austrian government may on Sunday impose a lockdown on those who have not been vaccinated. Chancellor Alexander Schellenberg gave this information on Friday.
Latvia: Efforts are on to increase the speed of vaccination here. Central and Eastern European governments have taken action on a large scale regarding this. Latvia is the country of the European Union (EU) where vaccination rates are extremely low. A 4-week lockdown has been imposed here in mid-October.
The Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia: Restrictions regarding the Covid-19 epidemic have also been tightened in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia. On the other hand, on Friday, the government of the Czech Republic has emphasized the need for new rules.
Norway: In Norway, on Friday, the government has announced that rules and restrictions will be implemented throughout the country to prevent the increasing cases of coronavirus. These will also include health passes. Earlier, all restrictions related to the epidemic were lifted in Norway at the end of September. Now it will be proposed to give the third dose of the vaccine to people above the age of 18 years, but the lockdown will not be imposed again. Prime Minister Jonas Gahar gave this information in the press conference.
Iceland: Covid rules have been tightened on Friday after record cases of the corona were reported in Iceland last week. Here the restrictions have been increased for the second time in a month. Swimming pools and sports halls will be opened in Iceland with only 75 percent capacity.
Vaccine passport and face mask mandatory
Amidst the increasing cases of the corona, virologists say that the Covid epidemic cannot be fought for a long time with the help of vaccines alone. Antonella Villoa, professor of immunology at the Italian University of Padua, said that in this situation of the epidemic, for example, a lot needs to be learned from Israel, in addition to vaccination, social distancing, masks, and vaccines should be made mandatory in public places. He said that if there is a lack of any of these two things, then the situation can become very bad as we are seeing in European countries now.
Doubts about vaccines, weak immunity are the main reason for the problem
According to the news agency Reuters, globally, corona cases have increased in Europe within 7 days and the death toll has increased. The vaccination rate in southern Europe has been 80 percent, while in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, the vaccination rate has been affected due to doubts about the vaccine. Due to which health services have been badly affected. Apart from this, the situation has also worsened due to weak immunity and relaxation in restrictions.
10% increase in deaths
The World Health Organization’s November 7 report shows that Europe, which includes Russia, is the only region with more than 7% of recorded cases. Whereas in other areas the trend has been permanent or has declined. Similarly, the death toll has also seen an increase of 10 percent while other areas have declined. Due to these circumstances, governments and companies are worried about economic recovery. Some of these countries have started taking rapid steps to prevent coronavirus infection.
A booster dose of vaccine
In most European Union countries, there are plans to give additional doses of the vaccine to young people whose immune system is weak. Scientists say that to avoid a situation like a lockdown, priority should be given to the vaccination of the maximum population. In this episode, the Norwegian government said that they are preparing to administer the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to people 18 years of age or older. At present, only people over 65 years of age in Norway have been given the third dose of the corona vaccine. From December 1, Italy will also offer a third dose of the corona vaccine to people over the age of 40.
