CORONAVIRUS - ALARM IN EUROPE. COUNTRIES STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Filenews 28 September 2020
Extremely worrying is the situation on the battlefield against the coronavirus worldwide, as pandemic deaths have exceeded one million, which forces European countries to step up their restrictive measures one after the other.
Europe, which was hit hard by the first wave of the pandemic, is now facing a new increase in cases with the major European capitals - Paris, London and Madrid - all having to impose tougher measures to curb the pandemic burdening hospitals.
Masks and social distancing measures in shops, cafes and public transport are now part of the daily lives of citizens in many cities.
In Britain, where authorities announced new measures as early as last week urging workers to work from home where possible and forcing restaurants and bars to close at 10 p.m., further tightening of the measures is expected.
In particular, the government is considering imposing universal lockdown on most of northern England, perhaps even London.
At the same time, it is being discussed that all pubs, restaurants and bars will be forced to close for two weeks.
Schools and shops will remain open, as will factories and offices whose staff cannot work from home, according to a report in the Times newspaper, citing a senior government source.
Almost two-thirds of wales' population will be locked down after new restrictions were imposed on three more areas from today.
In Spain, the Madrid region, the epicentre of the pandemic in the country, is extending the restrictive measures to other districts, a decision deemed insufficient by the central government which called on the municipal authorities, which in Spain are responsible for the health sector, to apply them throughout the capital.
As of today, an additional 167,000 residents will only be able to leave their district for specific reasons: to go to work, to a doctor, to take their children to school, antonio zapatero's health authorities announced to reporters.
On the other hand, they have the right to move freely within their neighbourhood and are therefore not confined to the home.
With this extension of the measures, the number of people affected by the restrictions in the Madrid metropolitan area is just over 1 million people out of a total of 6.6 million.
In Italy, the protective mask was also used in open spaces in a number of Italian cities.
In the wider area of Naples until 4 October residents are obliged to wear a mask in enclosed and open spaces.
In the town of Foggia in the southern region of Augia everyone should wear a mask when outside public and professional premises. Only children under the age of six and citizens with certified health problems are excluded.
And in the historic centre of Genoa, where there has been a significant increase in cases, the mask is now mandatory everywhere.
In Belgium, the Brussels authorities have taken tougher measures.
According to the new decisions, bars and cafés will close at 23:00, while from the same time until 6 a.m. gatherings of more than ten people are prohibited. At the same time, food is not allowed in outdoor markets. As for shops selling food or drink, these can remain open until 22:00.
On 6 October there will be a re-evaluation to adjust the restrictions.
Last Wednesday, belgium's National Security Council decided that from 1 October the mandatory use of the mask outdoors would be abolished, except in the case of crowded places and on the basis of decisions taken at local level. However, every citizen is obliged to carry a mask in case he needs to wear it. Otherwise, he may be fined.
In France and specifically in 11 major cities, including Paris, bars and restaurants will close from today at 22:00.
In Marseille, which has become a hotspot for the pandemic, Health Minister Olivier Veran forced bars and restaurants to remain closed for two weeks starting today as he raised the city and the wider mediterranean coast region to the highest level of alert due to the spread of corovirus.
In Austria, the impact of the stricter measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, imposed on 21 September, appears to be positive so far, as according to the Ministry of Health, the particularly high increases in new cases that existed until 17 or 18 September are no longer recorded.
The measures provide, inter alia, for the participation of only ten people in private events and indoor gatherings, as well as the extension of the mandatory use of the protective mask, but also for consumption in focus only by seated persons.
From today it is mandatory to use a protective mask in markets and trade fairs even outdoors.
In the Czech Republic, where cases have been increasing at the second fastest rate in Europe in the past two weeks, authorities have reintroduced some measures to limit the spread of cases, such as mandatory mask use and stricter restrictions on bar opening hours.
Source: news.in.gr