Lockdown measures extended in several European countries

With the exception of Belgium, which has registered a moderate fall in its coronavirus infection rate, most countries in western Europe are expanding restrictions amid consistent record-breaking daily caseloads, reported EFE-EPA.

In England, a second nationwide lockdown took effect Thursday and Greek authorities announced a partial lockdown starting Friday, while the mayor of Paris announced more restrictions, including earlier closures of bars and restaurants.

UNITED KINGDOM

A second lockdown took effect on Thursday in England, initially due to last until December 2.

The government of prime minister Boris Johnson hopes that the measures, which will be less severe than those seen in the first wave of the pandemic, will help reduce infection rates ahead of the busy Christmas period.

According to the latest official figures, the country totaled 492 deaths, the highest daily figure since last May 19th -- when 500 were reported -- and now totals 47,742 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

In addition, 25,177 new infections have been detected, bringing the number of infected to 1,099,059 since the beginning of the pandemic.

FRANCE

In France, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced Thursday that more restrictions would be imposed with the closure of certain bars, restaurants and other businesses at 10 pm, because of the excessive concentration of people.

All non-essential local establishments are closed in France under partial lockdown rules that have been in force since last Friday, but are authorized to operate in take-away services.

In the Paris region, the threshold of 1,000 people in the ICUs has already been reached. While health authorities are concerned, that figure is still far smaller than those seen at the peak of the pandemic in the spring, when 4,000 beds were occupied by Covid patients.

The figures for the epidemic in France are still very high, with around 400 deaths a day and a steady increase in hospitalisations.

BELGIUM

For the first time in the second wave of coronavirus, Belgium has recorded a slight decrease in the number of single-day hospitalizations of Covid patients.

The data is not yet noticeable in the weekly average, which still shows a 15 percent increase in admissions, but it is in line with a six percent reduction of infections registered this week.

Despite the moderate improvements, the accumulated incidence for 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days is still the highest in Europe, with 1,744.4 new cases and the national positivity rate is 28.5 percent.

For weeks now, Belgium has been progressively applying tougher restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic, resulting in a nightly curfew, compulsory teleworking and limited social contacts, while non-essential businesses, sport, leisure and cultural activities are closed.

ITALY

The presidents of the regions classified as "red zones" in the latest Italian government decree, such as Lombardy, which as of this Friday will return to a near total lockdown, have expressed their indignation at the measure, while other regions such as Campania are asking for the extension of the confinement to a national level.

Italy decreed the division of the country into three areas by sealing off regions considered in the red zone, which are Lombardy, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta (north) and Calabria (south), to try to contain the virus.

The president of northern Lombardy, whose capital is Milan, described this decision as "a slap in the face for all Lombards". The leaders of Calabria and Sicily have also complained of being included in the red zone list, saying the move will seriously damage their economies.

On Wednesday, Rome reported 1,247 new cases of coronavirus, 115 more than the previous day, while in the region of Lazio a total of 2,432 new infections were detected, compared to 2,209 positive ones on Tuesday.

GREECE

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a lockdown for the entire country until the end of the month.

From Saturday at 6am until 30 November, all non-essential stores will be closed, with only gas stations and elementary schools remaining open.

Mitsotakis justified the need in view of the exponential increase in recent days - "10,000 cases in five days" - which has already led to a significant increase in hospitalizations. "If this continues, the pressure on public health would have become untenable in 15 days," the Conservative leader told a press conference.

Greece broke a new record of Covid cases on Wednesday, with 2,646 infections in one day, almost 500 more than on Tuesday, which had been the worst day since the pandemic began eight months ago.