R&I – FS
Key Points
- Europe is continuing to struggle with the virus amid a third wave of infections and ramping up of lockdown measures.
- The region is dealing with a surge in cases more than a year after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic.
- At the same time, the bloc’s vaccination rollout remains sluggish, hit by manufacturing issues and supply snags.
- European Union leaders are meeting this week to discuss possible vaccine export bans.
More than a year after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, Europe is continuing to struggle with the virus amid a third wave of infections and ramping up of lockdown measures.
At the same time, the bloc’s vaccination rollout remains sluggish, hit by manufacturing issues and supply snags, to the extent that European Union leaders are meeting this week to discuss — once again — the introduction of possible vaccine export bans.
It comes as a handful of countries re-introduce lockdowns to curb a third wave of infections, with France, Poland and Ukraine all implementing stricter measures at the weekend that are set to last several weeks at least.
A month-long partial lockdown was reintroduced in Paris Saturday, as well as in 15 other regions in France, in an effort to get on top of rising case numbers, largely attributed to new, more infectious Covid variants.
The latest partial lockdown is less stringent than previous ones, however, prompting some to question the point of such a move, while others have said that the new measures are confusing. A curfew is still in place and inter-regional travel remains effectively banned. Around 21 million people in France are affected by the new rules.
The country reported over 30,000 new daily cases on Sunday, bringing the country’s total number of infections to over 4.2 million. Over 92,000 people have died due to the virus in France to date.
RandyMarsh
Article URL : https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/third-covid-wave-hits-europe-france-germany-eye-more-lockdowns.html