Europe tightens COVID-19 curbs as WHO urges countries to enforce quarantine measures

A number of Europe took urgent new measures on Monday (Oct 19) to combat another wave of coronavirus infections, as the World Health Organization blamed the surge in worldwide cases - now a lot more than 40 million - on countries' failure to quarantine infected people properly.

Ireland and Wales became the first countries on the continent to re-enter lockdown as the number of people who've died from COVID-19 in Europe passed 250,000, according to an AFP tally. Irish prime minister Micheal Martin issued a nationwide "stay in the home" order from midnight on Wednesday, with all non-essential retail businesses to close and bars and restaurants limited by takeaway service only, although schools will remain open.

Wales also announced "firebreak" confinement measures for 14 days, ordering the territory's three million residents to remain at home except for very limited purposes such as for example exercise or work, and banning persons from mixing indoors or outdoors.

WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan blamed soaring transmission rates in the northern hemisphere on failing to enforce quarantines rigorously.

Talking with a virtual press conference from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva, Ryan said the fact that self-isolation measures weren't being enforced systematically was "an excellent part of the reason we're seeing such high numbers".

Over recent months, authorities in Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea had reduced the spread by detecting cases, isolating them, and quarantining contacts, he said.

Their populations had shown "higher levels of trust" within their governments who had kept up measures longer.

"Quite simply, they ran through the finish line and beyond plus they kept running because they knew the race wasn't over, that finish line was false. Way too many countries have put an imaginary finishing line so when they cross this might have decelerated a few of their activities," Ryan said.

"The countries in Asia, South Asia, the Western Pacific that contain prevailed to my mind have really continued to follow-through on those key activities," he added.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged authorities to persevere in the fight against the virus.

"I understand there’s fatigue however the virus has shown that whenever we let our guard down, it could surge back at breakneck speed and threaten hospitals and health systems," Tedros said.

Many governments would like in order to avoid the costly full-scale lockdowns imposed in the first wave because they battle to keep their economies going.

However in some countries, persons are chafing against new restrictions on lifestyle, and anti-mask protests, court challenges and battles between central and local governments are on the rise.

Belgium - where hospitalizations rose 100 percent in just the other day - closed bars and restaurants on Monday for per month and reinforced a curfew overnight.

Italy, the original epicenter of Europe's outbreak also announced fresh curbs including earlier closures for bars and restaurants and a push to improve working from home.

In Poland, where around half the country is currently designated as a coronavirus "red zone", the government said the national stadium would double as a field hospital to help ease any risk of strain on overwhelmed health facilities.

Switzerland meanwhile made mask-wearing compulsory in indoor public spaces and limited public gatherings after infections doubled during the last week.

"The second wave is here, earlier and more robust than we expected, but we are ready," Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said.

France imposed its overnight curfew from the weekend in nine cities including Paris, affecting 20 million people, with an archive 32,400 new infections reported on Saturday.

Slovenia followed suit, with its roughly two million inhabitants forced to remain home between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am from Tuesday and banned from non-essential travel.

While European nations imposed new restrictions, Australia's second-biggest city of Melbourne eased its lockdown on Monday, as residents flocked to reopened hair salons and golf courses that were closed for a lot more than 100 days.

Just four cases were recorded on Monday in Victoria state, which Melbourne may be the capital.

VACCINE HOPES

Iran, the center East country hardest hit by the pandemic, announced a daily record of 337 deaths from coronavirus.

By contrast, Israel lifted restrictions that banned people from traveling greater than a kilometer from your home and had closed kindergartens, beaches, and national parks.

Saudi Arabia also eased more of its own virus restrictions when it allowed worshippers to re-enter the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, for prayers on Sunday for the first time since March.

Numerous political figures have contracted the virus in recent days, including veteran chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who is in a "critical" condition and in a medically induced coma, the Jerusalem hospital treating him said.

South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said he tested positive for COVID-19 just two days following the country's diagnosed cases topped 700,000.

A vaccine remains the greatest desire to end the cycle of imposing and lifting lockdowns around the world, and the US said Monday it could stockpile a billion syringes worldwide by the finish of 2021 for that purpose.

"Vaccinating the world against COVID-19 will be among the most significant mass undertakings in history," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said.

In America, President Donald Trump went after top government scientist Anthony Fauci, suggesting the hugely respected and popular doctor was an "idiot".

Fauci, a key person in the White House coronavirus task force, has increasingly become a focus for the president's frustration as he bids to shape the messaging on the much-criticized federal response to the pandemic.

But according to many US media outlets, Trump told his campaign team: "Folks are tired of COVID. Folks are saying, 'Whatever - just leave us alone.' They're tired of it. People are sick and tired of hearing Fauci and each one of these idiots."

The pandemic has killed almost 220,000 persons in America.