In the countries of Western Europe, the highest daily increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in months was recently recorded, which is likely to disrupt people’s summer plans, Anadolu Agency reported, quoted by BGNES.
The increase in cases of Omicron’s BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants prompted calls for increased caution across Europe, which has eased almost all coronavirus restrictions.
“As countries in the European region have lifted the social measures that were in place before, the virus will be transmitted at high levels during the summer,” Dr. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, said in a recent statement.
Kluge said the latest increase in COVID-19 follows a similar pattern to what has been seen over the past two summers, and that the spread is due to two factors: the spread of a new variant — “this time the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, and the increased travel, gatherings and events held during the summer months”.
He pointed out that we should be worried about any increase seen in the activity of COVID-19 in Europe and that it is a “stark reminder that we are not out of the woods yet” and that the “increasing morbidity in people who are exposed at risk of a severe course of COVID-19, will lead to increased hospitalizations, more disruptions in essential health services and unfortunately may lead to excess mortality”.
The first resurgence was seen in Portugal, where BA.5 cases at the beginning of this month reached almost 30,000 per day.
Meanwhile, Italy announced it would keep its quarantine rules in place after weeks of disagreement within the government and among health experts.
The UK is also experiencing its third major wave of COVID-19 infections, and according to figures released last week, more than 1.7 million people have been infected, a 43% jump from the previous week.
Germany expects a fourth wave of COVID-19 in the coming days, with the Omicron variant becoming dominant.
Meanwhile, France is reporting an average of more than 50,000 new cases every day, with the country set to review extending the COVID-19 moratorium on international travel in and out of France until March 31, 2023.
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