Fourth wave of COVID in Europe: how do you prepare against new infections?

Idafe Martin

04/05/2021 12:27

• Clarín.com

• World

Updated 04/05/2021 12:27

Europe seems to be experiencing the beginning of a fourth wave of the covid.

Governments took restrictive measures

before

Easter started and

kept them

in force while the incidence of the virus grows in almost the entire continent, although deaths do not follow the same trend because a large part of those over 80 years of age

are already vaccinated

.

Europe experienced

the first wave

between

March and May 2020

and a second also throughout the bloc between mid-September and early December, sooner or later depending on the country.

Many experienced a third wave

after the

Christmas

holidays

, which they considered controlled between the end of February and the beginning of March.

That is why there is now talk of the fourth wave, although not all went through the third, like Belgium, which since the incidence sank at the end of November had not seen it grow again until the end of March.

Deserted landscapes in Cuxhaven, northern Germany.

Photo: EFE

Restrictions

The beginning of this spring is lived with

sanitary restrictions

but very far from the house confinements of last year.

And the acceleration in the pace of vaccinations, which should catch up to cruising speed this quarter, is expected to bring the virus under control before it unleashes another wave of deaths.

• Germany

Angela Merkel wanted to pass very strict restrictions but the lack of political agreement with the regional governments made her

back down

.

Since then the infections rise.

The Germans

have closed

bars and restaurants since November, like the Belgians.

Right now only gatherings of up to

five adults

and at most two different households

are allowed

.

CASES

0.000.00000.000

per million inhab.

Xxxxx

DEATHS

00,0000,000

per million inhab.

Source:

Johns Hopkins

Chart:

Flourish

|

Infographic:

Clarín

Merkel asked that internal movements be avoided but the German press assures that citizens

do not comply

with the advice.

The schools will open next week after the Easter holidays, which in reality, as in most of Europe, is two weeks.

• France

French hospitals are experiencing

their worst situation

since the start of the pandemic and the government of Emmanuel Macron again tightened restrictions last week.

The French have a

curfew

from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

They can go out for a walk or play sports but not reach more than 10 kilometers from home.

Interregional travel is prohibited in 19 departments.

CASES

0.000.00000.000

per million inhab.

Xxxxx

DEATHS

00,0000,000

per million inhab.

Source:

Johns Hopkins

Chart:

Flourish

|

Infographic:

Clarín

Just before Easter, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said: “the situation of the epidemic is not good.

The trend is increasing almost everywhere in France ”.

Experts ask the government for strict house confinement.

Macron

rejects it.

• Italy

Italy has a

color system

for its regions that has already put ten of them in a "red zone" and the whole country in that situation on April 3, 4 and 5, the most significant of Holy Week.

In those regions you can only leave home to

go to work

or an essential errand.

In all these red areas the hospitality and non-essential stores are closed.

It is

forbidden to move

from one region to another.

A policeman at a vehicle checkpoint in Milan.

Photo: EFE

• Spain

Spain also has mobility restrictions in place to avoid travel between regions, although the bulk of the measures

are regional

.

While the Valencian Community sank the incidence to go from being one of the worst regions in contagions and deaths to having an incidence of just 30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days and keeps all the hotels closed and a curfew at 20:00, others like Madrid, which never fell below 200 in incidence,

keeps everything open

and the curfew is at 23:00.

• Belgium

Belgium took a

small step back

in its slow discomfort to try to get through the Easter holidays without causing a wave of infections.

The country extended

school holidays

from two to three weeks

, re-closed essential stores, and maintained all other restrictions such as closing bars and restaurants, banning outdoor gatherings of more than four adults,

banning going out from the country

and a curfew from 22:00 to 06:00.

Brussels, special

ap

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