Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe has said that the Covid-19 pandemic has entered its last phase in European countries. According to him, Europe is now getting closer to winning the decisive war against the pandemic. The graph of deaths due to the Covid-19 virus is now decreasing significantly, he said.
Dr Hans Kluge, in a media briefing said, “European countries have the only opportunity and there are three factors that can lead to a decisive victory against the corona pandemic. If all steps are taken, then the Covid pandemic can be controlled.”
The first factor is herd immunity due to vaccination or due to a lot of people getting infected. The second factor is the decrease in the ability to spread virus infection in the summer season. The third factor is the less severe illness of people due to the Omicron variant.
Summer season in Europe
Winter is going to subside in the coming weeks in the European countries. Slowly the summer season is about to begin. Dr Kluge is of the opinion that there will be a break from the Covid pandemic in the coming months.
Over the long term, the chances of seeing a re-spread of the Covid-19 pandemic are slim, as the vast majority of the population has developed immunity against the virus. Even if another variant emerges, its impact will be less on European countries, but the necessary condition is that during this ceasefire, the vaccination process has to move very swiftly.
Countries that removed the restrictions
Many countries across Europe, including Britain and Denmark, have lifted almost all of their coronavirus restrictions, saying Omicron’s peak is over. At the same time, many countries including Spain are considering ending the Covid-19 restrictions.
Last week, Britain also did away with almost all domestic restrictions and now wearing masks is no longer mandatory across the country. Vaccine passes are no longer required to go anywhere in the United Kingdom and now the work from home requirement has also been removed. Now only it is a legal obligation for Covid positive persons to isolate themselves.
Restrictions continue in these countries
However, there are still many countries where Covid restrictions are still in force. The vaccine requirement is still in force in Austria. In Greece, a provision has been made to fine people over the age of 60 for not taking the vaccine.
Meanwhile, German politicians have begun a debate on implementing a national vaccination mandate. However, Danish Health Authority head Soren Brostrom told a news channel that his focus is on the number of people admitted to the ICU rather than the number of infections.
However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General at the WHO’s Geneva Headquarters, has warned that the whole world is still far from coming out of the pandemic. “We are concerned that in some countries it is thought that Omicron is weak, so there is no need to be wary of it, but the truth is that anything can happen,” Tedros was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
