WHO Warns Europe's COVID-19 Deaths Could Reach 500.000 By February 2022

Illustrated COVID-19. (Wikimedia Commons/focusonmore.com)

JAKARTA - Coronavirus infections reached record levels in many European countries as winter progressed, prompting calls for action from the World Health Organization (WHO) which described the new wave as "of great concern".

The soaring number of cases, especially in eastern Europe, has sparked debate over the possibility of reimposing restrictions before the Christmas holiday season, while persuading people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The conversation comes as several countries in Asia, with the exception of China, are reopening their tourism sectors to the rest of the world.

"The current rate of transmission in 53 countries in the European Region is very concerning," said WHO regional head Hans Kluge, adding the spread was exacerbated by the more contagious Delta variant.

Viruses spread more quickly in the winter months when people are gathered indoors.

Kluge warned earlier that if Europe followed its current trajectory, there could be 500.000 COVID-related deaths in the region by February.

"We have to change our tactics, from reacting to the COVID-19 spike, to preventing it from happening in the first place," he said.

The Blue Continent saw a 6 percent increase in new cases last week, with nearly 1.8 million new cases, compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, the number of deaths rose 12 percent in the same period.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, reported 33.949 new infections, its highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic last year. Cases in Russia and Ukraine are soaring.

Austria's daily new coronavirus infections surged towards a record set a year ago, making a lockdown for the unvaccinated increasingly likely.

The prevalence of COVID-19 in the UK rose to a record high in October, Imperial College London said, led by a high number of cases in children and a spike in the southwest.

Slovakia reported 6.713 new cases, also a record, while daily new cases in Hungary more than doubled from last week to 6.268.

Meanwhile, Poland, Eastern Europe's biggest economy, reported 15.515 daily cases on Thursday, the highest figure since April. Croatia and Slovenia on Thursday both reported record daily infections.

Separately, China is also highly vigilant at ports of entry to reduce the risk of COVID-19 cases coming in from overseas and has stepped up restrictions amid an outbreak that develops less than 100 days before the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Authorities are also tightening restrictions in the capital ahead of a large gathering of key Communist Party members next week.

Since mid-October, more than 700 locally transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms have been reported in China. Although the numbers are small compared to other countries, it has led to a growing wave of restrictions under Beijing's zero-tolerance policy.