Second Wave of COVID-19: From Germany to France, List of Countries Going Into Lockdown 2 After Fresh Surge in Coronavirus Cases
London, October 29: In a bid to stem the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, countries including Germany, France, Spain and several European countries have imposed fresh regulations. Europe has been witnessing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and fearing its spread during the the winter season. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that Europe is reporting more than 1.3 million new cases, and threat of further spikes in COVID cases looms during the winter season this year. The UK reported 367 new deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday, which is the highest daily total since the end of May, and a further 22,885 new cases. Combined Vaccine Against COVID-19 Being Developed by Russian Research Centre; Key Updates on Anti-Coronavirus Vaccine Development in Russia.
Germany
Germany will implement tighter COVID-19 restrictions with the fresh spike of coronavirus cases. Effective from November 2, Germany will go into second lockdown as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe. Reports inform that only members of the same household plus those of an additional household with a maximum of ten people would be allowed to meet in public. Entertainment and leisure activities would be largely prohibited throughout Germany as theaters, operas and concert venues would have to close until the end of the month.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country will go into national lockdown starting from Friday to curb the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic. Macron ordered France to go back into a national lockdown, like in mid-March. For the new lockdown, the only authorized out-of-home trips will be "to go to work, to a medical appointment, to provide assistance, to go shopping or to take the air," said Macron.
Macron said the virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated. "Like all our neighbours, we are at the same point, overwhelmed by a second wave which will undoubtedly be harder and more deadly than the first", he said. France was in a national lockdown from March 17 to May 11 to contain the spread of the virus.
Australia
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged to develop alternatives to large-scale lockdowns to deal with future coronavirus outbreaks in the country. On Tuesday, Morrison delivered a direct plea to unshackle the country's economy from lockdowns and border closures, Xinhua reported.
"Borders and lockdowns are not demonstration or evidence of success," he told the Parliament.
Italy
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed strict restrictions after the country recorded a surge in COVID-19 cases. With the new restrictions in place, theatres, cinemas, gyms, and swimming pools will remain closed as per the new rules, which will remain in place till November 24. Gatherings for funerals have been banned.
London
London, which has over 9 million people, will enter a tighter coronavirus lockdown from midnight on Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to tackle a swiftly accelerating second coronavirus wave.
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a new state of emergency on October 25. The Prime Minister took the decision to contain the spread of the COVID-19 infections. As per the new order, local night-time curfews will be in place, where travel between regions has also been banned in some cases.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, face masks have been made mandatory across the country. Amid the surge of coronavirus cases, gathering of more than 15 people is not allowed in public places, where private events can allow 100 people to gather at most.
The world is struggling and taking efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Several countries including Germany, France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are racing to find a vaccine. On October 19, the WHO said there were 198 COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed worldwide, and 44 of them were in clinical trials.
