More masks, less play: Europe tightens rules as virus surges

Governments across Europe are ratcheting up restrictions to attempt to beat back a resurgence of the coronavirus which has sent new infections on the continent with their highest weekly level since the start of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday there have been a lot more than 700,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Europe last week, a jump of 34% from the prior week. Britain, France, Russia, and Spain accounted for over fifty percent of the brand new infections.

The increasing caseload is partly the consequence of more testing, however, the U.N. health agency noted that deaths were also up 16% the other day from the week before. Doctors are warning that while many of the new cases are in younger people, who generally have milder symptoms, the virus could again start spreading widely among the elderly, resulting in much more serious illnesses.

Italy and France are restricting parties and putting limits on restaurants and bars. HOLLAND went further and ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants, Also to discourage partying in the home, it banned the sale of alcohol after 8 p.m.

The Czech Republic is closing all schools until Nov. 2, while Latvia is ordering teenagers to change to distance education for weekly. And Britain unveiled a three-tiered system for deciding what restrictions to impose, based on how extreme the outbreak is in certain areas.

Those moves reflect a new approach to containing the virus among governments wary of hurting already fragile economies. Officials are wanting to avoid the total lockdowns they imposed in the spring that resulted in heavy job losses. Instead, they are counting on a patchwork of regional or targeted restrictions which may have sometimes caused confusion and frustration by those affected.

The U.N. health agency appeared to support the brand new approach, with WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic saying lockdowns ought to be a “last resort.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told an EU advisory body Tuesday that she actually is watching the rising infection figures “with great concern.”

“We should not squander now what we achieved through restrictions lately,” Merkel said in a video address.

“None folks found it simple to impose those restrictions,” she added. “Many persons lost their lives, therefore it is even more important that we ensure now that an additional lockdown won’t be necessary, our health system isn’t overstrained again.”

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte ordered bars and restaurants to close at midnight and banned pickup sports games among friends and parties in enclosed spaces. Private gatherings at homes with more than six persons who don’t live together are also discouraged.

“Our objective is clear: We should prevent our country from plunging back to a generalized lockdown," Conte said.

Italy reported a lot more than 5,900 persons tested positive in the last day and 41 persons died, bringing the country's official COVID-19 death toll to a lot more than 36,200, the second-highest in Europe after Britain.

The outbreak has spread to the total annual Giro d’Italia, that was thrown into chaos after several top riders withdrew from the cycling race following positive tests for the coronavirus.

Italy made masks mandatory outdoors last week, a requirement already set up in Spain, Turkey, India, and a few other parts of Asia. Elsewhere in Europe, such mandates are in place in lots of places in Poland and spot cities like Paris and Brussels, and so are being introduced in a number of German cities.

In France, which includes seen a rapid upsurge in infections, Paris, Marseille, and seven other large cities have already been placed under maximum alert, resulting in the closing of bars, gyms, and swimming pools. Public parties are banned, and restaurants have to maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) between tables, with groups of diners limited by six people.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki urged the country’s citizens to see social distancing and wear masks as he himself went into quarantine following a connection with somebody who later tested positive for COVID-19. He said in a video message that his government was working as usual and that he previously no symptoms.

Poland, a nation of about 38 million, has seen a sharp spike in newly recorded infections, with near 5,100 cases and 63 deaths reported Tuesday. Over the summertime, new daily cases were around 600.

Some doctors are warning that Poland's chronically underfunded healthcare system may collapse if the current rate of new cases continues.

In Britain, which includes suffered the deadliest outbreak in Europe, with a toll of more than 43,000, officials defended their new system as striking the right balance. Beneath the plan unveiled this week, Liverpool is in the highest-risk category, and its own pubs, gyms, and betting shops have been shut.

"The prime minister must balance protecting people’s lives and the NHS (National Health Service) from the virus while also prioritizing things that matter to us as a society, like education and keeping as many persons in employment as possible,” Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC.

Britain’s number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases has a lot more than tripled within the last three weeks, with infection rates rising across all age groups and regions.

In order to keep persons and goods moving through the entire European Union, member countries approved a color-coded system Tuesday.

The countries decided to not restrict persons traveling between green areas - where infection numbers are low - but EU governments will continue steadily to set their own restrictions, such as quarantines or mandatory testing after arrival, for people via orange or red zones.