In an online press conference on Thursday, Hans Kluge, the Director of the European branch of the World Health Organization, warned health authorities in Europe of the risk of a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic due to the increased spread of the highly contagious Delta variant in the region. Kluge attributed the worsening situation to "increased mixing, travel, gatherings, and the easing of social restrictions."
The World Health Organization cautioned on Thursday, through its European Director Hans Kluge during the online conference, about the danger of a new wave of coronavirus due to the spread of the Delta variant in Europe. The first health certificate launched by the European Union went into effect on July 1, hoping to revive tourism, while the number of infections is rising at a "concerning rate" in Africa.
Asia is also not spared by the pandemic, as Bangladesh has entered a complete lockdown since Thursday, and Indonesia announced restrictions that will take effect on Saturday to combat rising infections. While several European countries were beginning to see light at the end of the dark tunnel, the European branch of the WHO announced that COVID-19 infections rose by 10% last week in the European region, which includes 53 countries.
Kluge noted that "this increase is within the context of a rapidly evolving situation, a concerning variant - the Delta variant - and in a region where millions of people remain unvaccinated despite significant efforts from member states." He emphasized that "there will be a new wave in the European region unless we remain disciplined."
The European branch of the World Health Organization estimated on Thursday that the Delta variant will become "dominant" by the end of August in Europe. Portugal, facing a surge in infections due to this variant, has decided to reimpose a nighttime curfew starting Friday in 45 areas in Lisbon. German Health Minister Jens Spahn noted that the Delta variant will account for "70 to 80%" of infections in Germany starting this month.
The European Medicines Agency announced that two doses of a coronavirus vaccine seem to protect against the Delta variant. In Russia, where the epidemic is surging with the spread of the Delta variant, 672 deaths due to coronavirus were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to government reports, marking a record high for deaths for the third consecutive day.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control predicted that the highly contagious Delta variant will represent 90% of new COVID-19 infections in the European Union by the end of August. In France, pressure is increasing to encourage healthcare workers to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
These concerns come as the health certificate enforced by the European Union to facilitate travel took effect on Thursday. This "health passport" is now mandatory for travel to 33 countries in Europe. Canadians, even those unvaccinated, can now enter EU territory.
The World Health Organization stated that cities hosting the last matches of the European Championship should ensure better tracking of fan movements, including before their arrival and after leaving the stadium. Catherine Smallwood, another WHO official, said, "We need to look beyond the stadiums themselves."
In Africa, the situation is alarming as the WHO warned that "all previous peak records have again fallen." Matshidiso Moeti, the Director of the Africa branch of the WHO, remarked, "The speed of transmission and the scale of the third wave in Africa is unlike anything we have known before. The rampant spread of the most contagious variants significantly changes the nature of the threat looming over Africa." She added, "We must act to strengthen preventive measures and avoid turning the situation into a tragedy."
Asia is not immune either. Bangladesh, which reported a "concerning and dangerous rise" due to the Delta variant, has entered a strict one-week lockdown. The military has been deployed to enforce these measures, as hospitals have reached maximum capacity, especially in border areas with India.
In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo announced on Thursday "emergency restrictions" that will take effect from Saturday until July 20 in the capital Jakarta and the islands of Java and Bali, which have been most affected by the pandemic.
In Pakistan, where the government has advised all employees to get vaccinated, the salaries of 70 members of the paramilitary forces have been suspended due to their refusal to comply with this directive. Vaccination has become mandatory in Kazakhstan for most employees who interact with others after the Delta variant was detected.
In Thailand, efforts to revive the stifled tourism sector have led the first foreign visitors to arrive on Phuket Island on Thursday, despite a third pandemic wave.
Since the World Health Organization office in China reported the emergence of the disease at the end of December 2019, the coronavirus has caused the deaths of 3,949,567 people worldwide, according to a count conducted by Agence France-Presse based on official sources on Thursday at 10:00 UTC.
