The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Control & Prevention (ECDC) have warned that a new wave of COVID-19 appears to be spreading in Europe, after an 8% rise in cases was recorded in the first week of this month, compared with the previous week.
"It is clear that the pandemic is still not over,” said the WHO’s Europe director, Hans Kluge, and the ECDC’s director, Andrea Ammon, in a joint statement, reports News24. “The indicators rising again in Europe suggests that another wave of infections has begun.”
There are still millions of unvaccinated people across Europe, and the two agencies have urged governments to administer both flu and COVID-19 vaccines before an expected surge in cases of seasonal flu.
They said vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, people over 60 and those with co-morbidities, should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Last week Brigitte Autran, a member of the French Government’s vaccination strategic board, said the country had entered an eight wave of the virus, with figures published on 3 October showing that the seven-day average of daily new cases had reached 45 631, its highest level since 2 August.
News24 article – WHO says new Covid-19 wave emerging in Europe (Open access)
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