"With Corona Not Going Well'... Europe Considers 'Lockdown' Again Amid Surge in Cases"

Netherlands with a total population of 17 million surpasses 16,000 new cases for two consecutive days
High-intensity lockdown reactivated after about a month... Austria, Ireland, Germany, and others also face serious situations

In the city center of The Hague, Netherlands, protesters marched on the 7th (local time) denouncing the COVID-19 restrictions. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] COVID-19 cases are surging again in Europe, which had quickly embraced the 'with COVID' approach. Some countries, including the Netherlands, have reintroduced strict lockdown measures.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization's Europe office on the 12th (local time), the number of COVID-19 cases in the European region over the past seven days was 2,117,003. During this period, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 reached 28,166, accounting for about half of the global deaths in the same timeframe.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) designated 10 out of the 27 European Union (EU) member countries?including Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, and Hungary?as 'countries of great concern' in its weekly disease risk assessment report released that day.

The situation in the Netherlands was particularly severe. Despite having a population of approximately 17.44 million, the country recorded over 16,000 new COVID-19 cases for two consecutive days, marking the highest level since the initial outbreak. Consequently, the Netherlands decided to implement strict lockdown measures for at least three weeks, just a month and a half after lifting restrictions on September 25.

Accordingly, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and supermarkets must close by 8 p.m. 'Non-essential' stores are allowed to operate only until 6 p.m. In private homes, no more than five guests are permitted. Additionally, remote work is recommended unless unavoidable. The World Cup regional qualifier match between Norway and the Netherlands will be held without spectators.

Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, emphasized that "the virus is spreading everywhere across the country" and that "a strong blow is needed for several weeks." Citizens opposing the measures protested in The Hague, and the government responded with water cannons.

The Austrian government also announced plans for strict lockdown measures targeting unvaccinated individuals. Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg stated at a press conference, "We will give the 'green light' for a nationwide lockdown of unvaccinated people starting on the 14th," criticizing, "Other countries have high vaccination rates, but it is shameful that our country, which has sufficient vaccines, has a low vaccination rate." Austria's vaccination rate is about 65%.

Some regional governments have already introduced lockdown measures for the unvaccinated. In those areas, unvaccinated individuals are prohibited from leaving their homes except for essential shopping, exercise, or medical appointments.

In Ireland, the number of confirmed cases reached 5,483 on the 12th, the highest in 10 months since January. The average number of cases in the previous week was about 3,700, but infections suddenly surged. The Irish government urged citizens to work from home as much as possible.

Germany has also seen a rapid increase in cases recently. As of the 12th, there were 45,356 cases, a sharp rise compared to 33,000 a week ago and 7,900 a month ago. Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's disease control agency, said, "There is no sign that the surge in infections will subside soon," adding, "Hospitals are already overwhelmed with patients, and vaccination promotion policies are unlikely to have any significant effect for at least a few weeks."

Some countries have stated they will not implement strict measures such as lockdowns. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press conference, "We will implement policies to control infections, but we will not enforce strict measures like mandatory quarantines as in the past." Norway plans to introduce vaccine passes and accelerate booster vaccinations.

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