This Spring, Europe Surpassed the COVID-19 Surge... "All Emergency Measures Mobilized Except Lockdowns"

Spain Declares National Emergency
Italy Imposes Evening Curfew on Bars and Restaurants
"Preparing to Endure Until Vaccine Development"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] As new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surge rapidly across European countries, various emergency measures such as nighttime curfews are being announced. They appear to be using every option except for a full lockdown to curb the spread.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to foreign media on the 25th (local time), Italy and Spain implemented emergency measures as new COVID-19 cases set record highs day after day.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte banned bars and restaurants from operating after 6 p.m. starting on the 26th. In addition, gyms, swimming pools, and cinemas will also be closed. Prime Minister Conte stated, "Except for academic, work, or health reasons, I strongly recommend not leaving your place of residence." Italy is experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases, with 21,273 new cases reported on this day. At the peak earlier this year on May 21, the number of new cases was 6,554, but now it has exceeded three times that level.

Prime Minister Conte also mentioned, "The burden on the national health system has now reached a worrying level."

Spain has issued a nationwide nighttime curfew. Accordingly, movement is restricted from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. This measure was implemented following requests from 10 out of 17 municipalities in Spain.

Spain also declared a national state of emergency, allowing the central government to exercise emergency powers. Previously, Spain had restrictions requiring parliamentary approval every two weeks for the state of emergency, but this time, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated, "I will request parliamentary approval to extend emergency measures for six months."

However, Prime Minister Sanchez explained that the measures taken under this state of emergency will be exercised by local governments, unlike the nationwide measures implemented earlier this year. Local governments will be able to operate flexibly depending on the infection spread situation. Nevertheless, Sanchez requested the Spanish people to "stay home as much as possible until COVID-19 is controllable."

Although Italy and Spain have introduced various emergency measures, they are not currently considering a nationwide lockdown. Concerns about economic damage and the fact that the death rate remains moderate despite the surge in new cases were taken into account. COVID-19 patients are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. It is believed that increased knowledge about COVID-19 has helped avoid progression to severe cases.

However, there are significant concerns that if COVID-19 spreads rapidly, the healthcare system may be overwhelmed by the influx of patients. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that European countries are gradually abandoning the idea of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and are instead seeking ways to manage COVID-19 within the current system until an effective vaccine is distributed.

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