Europeans must act responsibly and support health and social workers through the tough season ahead, since more than 80 percent of countries have reported 14-day increase rates, with COVID-19 deaths increasing by 18 percent, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Kluge announced during a virtual press briefing.
“Last week, Europe registered over 29 000 new COVID-19 deaths. That’s 1 person dying every 17 seconds in the European Region from COVID-19”, Kluge said.
Kluge acknowledged that "hundreds of millions of people" face certain hardships while living through the lockdown, and requested improved economic support for people who had been affected, including those who had lost their job.
“There is significant collateral damage associated with lockdowns, including increased mental-health issues, alcohol and substance abuse,” he added.
According to the WHO official, controlling super-spread events - as well as enabling the authorities to monitor high-risk situations through targeted testing and surveillance - are also essential for protecting the elderly, the vulnerable and children.
Europe’s second COVID-19 wave forced certain governments to introduce lockdowns, imposing new restrictions, thereby causing discontent among the citizens. Earlier this week, people gathered near the Bundestag in Berlin and protested against the government’s plan to impose new restrictions. On 5 November, 104 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in London.