France President warns COVID crisis may last until next summer as Europe faces second wave

Europe has been hit by a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic as continent has started to report thousands of cases on a daily basis again. second wave of COVID-19 is affecting a large chunk of population, including political class of region. Poland's President Andrzej Duda on Friday, October 23 tested positive for COVID-19 and so did Belgium’s foreign minister Sophie Wilmes, who is being treated in an intensive care unit since Wednesday.  According to Johns Hopkins University, five most affected countries in Europe are Czech Republic, Belgium, Nerlands, Switzerland, and France.

Read: Europe, US Watch Case Totals Grow, Debate New Restrictions

'May last until 2021'

French President Emmanuel Macron on October 23 said that people must learn to live with virus in long term, warning people that pandemic could last until summer of 2021. Macron, while speaking to press on Friday said that he has spoken to scientists and Scientific Council, who have told him that virus will stay until next year. France, which has one of highest rates of infection in world, extended curfew which it had imposed last week. number of daily positive cases in France have drastically risen since early August, with country recording its highest daily rise since start of pandemic. 

Read: Spain First In Western Europe To Hit 1 Million Virus Cases

Or countries in region are also facing wrath of pandemic with Spain becoming first European country to cross 1 million threshold in terms of confirmed cases. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday said that country needs to come toger in order to fight second wave of pandemic, urging people to limit ir movement to block spread of virus. According to CNN, Sanchez in a speech said next few weeks, months are going to be very tough. Some regions in country are planning to reimpose night curfew in order to prevent rapid spread. 

Read: COVID-19 Cases In Europe Could Reach '4 To 5 Times' Higher By January 2021, Warns WHO

Meanwhile, Poland and Czech Republic on Friday also reported ir highest daily infections since pandemic began crossing 10,000 mark. Italy also recorded over 16,000 confirmed cases and 136 COVID-related deaths on Thursday. Goverr of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca, has anunced that he will shut down region for at least a month and has also called for a nationwide lockdown. 

Read: COVID-19 Curfews, Lockdowns Reimposed In European Nations Amid Spike In New Cases