Coronavirus cases are increasing more and more rapidly in Germany, with France putting its capital city Paris in semi-lock down. Poland and other European nations are also increasing measures. Only United Kingdom is holding after combating a huge surge. German health minister Jens Spahn says vaccines can’t stop the next European surge because there are insufficient stocks.
We Have to Be Honest About the Situation
‘We have to be honest about the situation,’ Jens Spahn told BBC News on 20 March, 2021. ‘In Europe, we don’t have enough vaccines to stop a third wave through vaccinations alone’. Three drivers appear to be having a multiplier effect:
1… Vaccine deliveries are down as manufacturers ramp up production, and rich nations squabble over what’s available.
2… The vaccine roll-out shuddered to a temporary halt after concerns in Europe over safety of Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
3… There is a marked uptick in COVID-19 cases among young people in Germany, and perhaps elsewhere too.
‘The numbers are rising and the share of mutations is large,’ German health minister Jens Spahn told BBC. ‘And there are some fairly challenging weeks ahead of us.’
If Vaccines Can’t Stop the Next European Surge What Then?
Lars Schaade is vice-president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. RKI is a German federal government agency, and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention. ‘There is a possibility of many severe cases and deaths, and hospitals that are overwhelmed,’ Lars Schaade explains.
If vaccines can’t stop the next European surge, then presumably the only other option beyond crippling lock down is mobilizing public will to self-protect. This is especially the case in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway still mulling over the safety of Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
Meanwhile the Easter holiday period is upon us, with trains leaving Paris for places without lock downs. BBC reports fully-booked trains, and traffic jams on major arterial roads. Apparently many people still do not accept the virus spreads through human-to-human contact.
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Preview Image: Europe Daily New Cases
