Europe's Spread Unstoppable... Spain and Italy Report Over 10,000 Daily COVID-19 Cases

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Both new confirmed cases and deaths from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing in Europe. European countries have committed to "doing everything possible" by deploying government resources such as financial support. However, the rapid spread shows little sign of slowing down.

As of the 21st (local time), the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Europe has reached approximately 149,000. The cumulative death toll has surpassed 7,500, more than double that of China, the origin of COVID-19. The scale is concerning, but the rapid rate of spread is an even bigger problem.

In Italy, 6,557 new cases were confirmed, marking the first time the number of daily confirmed cases exceeded 6,000. The cumulative death toll reached 4,825, an increase of 793 from the previous day. Due to the sharp rise in deaths, some regions in Italy are facing difficulties in burying the deceased, leading to the use of military trucks to transport bodies to other areas for burial.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The spread in Spain is also steep. Spain reported 3,803 new confirmed cases compared to the previous day, making it the second highest daily increase after Italy. The cumulative confirmed cases stand at 25,374.

In France, 112 additional COVID-19 deaths were reported, bringing the total to 562. Confirmed cases increased by 1,847, totaling 14,459.

Confirmed cases have been identified as follows: Germany 20,284, Switzerland 6,489, the United Kingdom 518, the Netherlands 3,631, Austria 2,847, and Belgium 2,815. Norway (2,141), Sweden (1,764), Denmark (1,326), and Portugal (1,280) are also rapidly adding to their confirmed case numbers.

As the economic situation worsens due to COVID-19, European countries have begun to introduce various emergency measures.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Regarding financial issues, the German government, which had taken a conservative stance, decided to inject funds citing the exceptional circumstance of a national disaster. Germany is preparing an additional supplementary budget of 150 billion euros (approximately 200.51 trillion KRW). Of this, 40 billion euros will be provided as subsidies and loans to self-employed individuals and small businesses. Additionally, the German government plans to introduce a corporate loan guarantee program worth 400 billion euros (approximately 534.7 trillion KRW).

The European Commission approved a 300 billion euro corporate loan program proposed by the French government.

Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission, stated, "The 300 billion euros will be used to support the liquidity of companies shocked by unforeseen circumstances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.