Coronavirus Europe: Desperate plea for virus-riddled continent

A “widespread and intense” surge in COVID infections in Europe has forced authorities to make an extraordinary plea to residents this Christmas.

Families across Europe are being pleaded with to wear face masks during this year’s Christmas family gatherings, as the continent battles a “widespread and intense” surge in coronavirus infections.

Some nations like Germany – which recorded 952 coronavirus-related deaths, a record for the nation, on the first day of a new partial lockdown yesterday – have officially pulled the plug on Christmas.

Others like the UK – which is seeing infections continuing to rise in Wales and parts of southeast England – are attempting to open up for the festive period.

However, the World Health Organisation in Europe has pleaded with families who are getting together to wear face masks during Christmas family gatherings, warning of a “further resurgence” of COVID-19 in early 2021.

It said people should not underestimate “the importance of your decisions” and encouraged extra precaution for holiday gatherings, even within the family.

Europe is seeing a ‘widespread and intense’ surge in coronavirus infections.

If possible, the WHO said celebrations should be held outdoors and “participants should wear masks and maintain physical distancing”.

For indoor festivities, the WHO said limiting the number of guests and ensuring good ventilation was key to reducing the risk of infection.

“It may feel awkward to wear masks and practise physical distancing when around friends and family, but doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe and healthy,” the health agency said in a statement.

The plea came as the agency noted that “COVID-19 transmission across the European region remains widespread and intense,” even though some “fragile progress” had been made.

“There is a high risk of further resurgence in the first weeks and months of 2021, and we will need to work together if we are to succeed in preventing it,” WHO Europe said.

The WHO’s European region is made up of 53 countries and includes Russia and several countries in Central Asia, a region that has registered more than 22 million cases of the new coronavirus and close to 500,000 deaths.

In the last seven days, nearly 1.7 million new cases have been recorded, as well as more than 34,500 deaths.

As a second wave of the novel coronavirus is sweeping over the continent, many countries have once again introduced tough measures to curb the spread.

On Wednesday, several new measures were imposed, including the closure of non-essential shops in Germany and pubs and restaurants in Britain.

The UK is pushing ahead with plans to relax rules for Christmas. Picture: AFP

London will close its theatres, pubs and restaurants and ban people from socialising with anyone not from their household or support bubble, except outside in groups of no more than six.

However, relaxation of coronavirus rules over Christmas will still go ahead despite calls for them to be toughened.

Between December 23 and 27, Brits can form a “Christmas bubble” comprised of people from three households.

There was pushback against the idea from medical experts, who said it would “cost many lives”, but the four UK nations have agreed to push ahead with the plan.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted it would be “inhuman” to “cancel Christmas” now, arguing people should think hard about their plans and “exercise extreme caution” while still being allowed to gather.

“Have yourselves a merry little Christmas,” Johnson said at a press conference. “And I’m afraid this year I do mean little.”

He added it was “absolutely vital that people should, at this very, very tricky time, exercise a high degree of personal responsibility”.

Mr Johnson urged people to be particularly careful when they come into contact with vulnerable people – and should avoid contact with elderly people “wherever possible”.

Britain has been one of the worst affected countries in the pandemic, registering some 65,000 deaths from about 1.9 million positive cases, according to government figures.

Meanwhile, German streets were quiet “like Sunday” on the first day of a new partial lockdown to try to halt surging infections, as the country reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths.

Some nations like the Netherlands have gone back into lockdown. Picture: AFP

A total of 952 people died in the previous 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control centre, a figure that could rise as the hard-hit Saxony region was not included in Tuesday’s numbers.

The RKI said 27,728 new coronavirus cases were registered, a figure close to the daily record of nearly 30,000 infections reported on Friday.

Some 83 per cent of critical care beds in hospitals were occupied on Wednesday, the country’s intensive care and emergency medicine association (DIVI) said.

Meanwhile, Denmark has moved to a partial lockdown for the whole country and in the Netherlands, a five-week lockdown came into effect on Tuesday.