Europe: Which countries are winning the COVID-19 battle?

Описание: A second wave of coronavirus is sweeping Europe, but which countries are succeeding in fighting the virus?

Across Europe COVID infections have increased from just 13 per 100,000 people in mid-July to almost 250 cases in late October, though deaths remain far below the first peak in Spring.

Every nation on the continent is experiencing a renewed uptick in virus cases, however, some have been more severely impacted than others.

France has implemented a strict curfew in response to a massive outbreak of coronavirus in the country, with a 9pm-6am curfew in place for over two-thirds of the population. France reported 52,000 new cases on Sunday, though officials in the country believe the true number may be double this. The nation now having over 600 cases per 100,000. Despite the huge number of cases being recorded, deaths are only slowly rising with 116 deaths reported on Sunday.

Italy has also seen a large spike in COVID-19 infections, with 21,200 new cases being reported on Sunday. The Italian government has responded by closing gyms, swimming pools, cinemas and theatres. A new curfew on pubs and restaurants has been imposed too, meaning they must close at 6pm with only takeaway available after this time. Three-quarters of all school classes are now online and people have been urged not to leave their home towns or cities or use public transport.

Meanwhile, Germany, which has seen far fewer cases and deaths than its European neighbours, is also experiencing a second outbreak, with daily cases now standing at over 10,000. A localised response is being used in the country, with workplaces and apartment blocks being closed if an outbreak is detected. Christmas markets in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Cologne have also been scaled back.

Sweden, which has become famous worldwide for refusing to adopt a full lockdown, has been experiencing a small rise in COVID-19 infections since mid-September. The government has stuck to its earlier strategy and is refusing to lockdown, instead, it has focussed on controlling local outbreaks in towns. Where the virus has been surging, people are told to avoid mixing with others outside of their household and to avoid public transport, however, the wearing of masks is still not recommended. Local health officials believe masks create a false sense of security meaning people ignore far more important social distancing rules. The country is now seeing over 1,000 cases per day, though death rates remain low.

New medical innovations to treat coronavirus, along with far better testing across the country means that despite cases spiralling in many nations, death rates still remain far lower than those experienced in March.


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