May God bless Europe! The continent faces third wave of deadly COVID-19 infections

File Photo (Credits: Reuters)

New Delhi: More than a year after the start of the pandemic, a large part of Europe is at the start of the third COVID-19 wave. The continent is enduring a grim spring this year, as the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and death are at an all time rise.

The continent is wrestling with a more deadly variant in the third wave. With the vaccine programmes moving at a slow pace and the new variant spread speeding up, France President Emmanuel Macron announced the country’s third nationwide lockdown, following which prime minister Jean Castex in the parliament said, “the epidemic is spreading fast, and it’s spreading everywhere.” 

France, currently, is under lockdown with numerous restrictions which includes travel restrictions, school closures and night curfew from 7pm-6am. In the past month, the infections in France have risen up by 55 percent. 

In Italy, lockdown has been imposed in most areas from Monday. The citizens have been directed not to leave their homes unless for essential errands. Most shops will be closed, along with bars and restaurants.

Meanwhile, other countries on the continent like Germany, Netherlands and Belgium are also facing dreadful increases in COVID-19 infections. The two week percentage growth of Netherlands is 48 percent, which is below Germany at 75 percent and the worst is Belgium at 95 percent. 

Amid the sudden surge in COVID-19 infections, the usage of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was briefly stopped over the issue of side effects, following which the World Health Organization and the European Commission have urged the European nations to use the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. 

Both the organisations unanimously expressed confidence in the vaccine and stated that it was completely safe.