Germany, France gear up for new lockdowns as virus surges

Germany and France got rey to face new lockdowns Wednesday, as governments sought to stop a fast-rising tide of coronavirus cases sweeping continent.

World Health Organization says European region — which includes Russia, Turkey, Israel and Central Asia, according to its definition — accounted for almost half of 2.8 million new coronavirus cases reported globally last week. U.N. health ncy said virus-related deaths were also on rise in Europe, with a spike of about 35% since previous week, along with hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

“We are deep in second wave,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels. “I think that this year’s Christmas will be a different Christmas.”

European Union, Britain, rway, Switzerland and Iceland alone accounted for 1.1 million cases over past seven days, she said, “and we expect this number to keep rising in next two to three weeks, and rapidly."

In France, more than half of country’s intensive care units are occupied by COVID-19 patients. French military and commercial planes are ferrying critically ill virus patients to or regions as hospitals fill up and French doctors have called on government to impose a new nationwide lockdown.

French President Emmanuel Macron planned to make a televised evening dress to nation later Wednesday.

France reported 288 new virus-related deaths in hospitals in 24 hours Tuesday and 235 deaths in nursing homes over previous four days. Both figures marked biggest such rise since May.

Overall, Europe has seen more than 250,000 virus-related deaths since start of outbreak, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Belgium, Nerlands, Spain, Britain and Czech Republic have also seen a surge in new cases over past 14 days, while infections rates in Germany were lower but climbing steily.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed goverrs of country’s 16 states Wednesday to quickly agree upon a partial lockdown that could include furr restrictions on public garings and closure of bars and restaurants.

Germany’s health minister said w is time to again flatten infection curve.

“Once intensive care wards are full, it’s too late,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told SWR public rio.

planning has caused anguish in Germany's hospitality industry. Thousands of venue owners std protest Wednesday at Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate to demand furr financial support from government.

loud but peaceful rally contrasted with angry scenes in last few days, when anti-mask protesters clashed with police in German capital, in several Italian cities and in Czech Republic.

In Italy, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala spoke out Wednesday against a lockdown in city, epicenter of Italy’s virus resurgence.

Von der Leyen, EU chief, ackwledged growing toll that continued crisis is taking.

“This time, we have two enemies,” she said. “ coronavirus itself and corona fatigue - that is, growing weariness when it comes to precautionary measures.”

Von der Leyen insisted, however, that “w is t time to relax."

Demonstrators wearing horror masks marched against virus restrictions Wednesday in Prague even though Czech Republic holds grim European record of almost 1,450 cases per 100,000 people in past two weeks, closely followed by Belgium, according to European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Czech Health Ministry said country’s daily increase in new infections hit a record high of 15,663 on Tuesday — more than was reported Wednesday in Germany, which has eight times population.

Czech government has furr tightened its regulations, imposing a nationwide curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. that started Wednesday. It previously limited free movement, closed stores, schools and restaurants, me it mandatory to wear face masks indoors and outdoors, and banned sport competitions, but number of infections has continued to rise.

While Germany has fared better than many European countries during pandemic, officials re warn that it, too, is beginning to lose control of situation and cite explosion of cases in Czech Republic as a reason for earlier lockdowns.

Ecomists said furr restrictions need to be carefully calibrated to avoid dealing a second severe blow to businesses.

“A national lockdown, as we have seen in, ravs an ecomy and would d significant complications to ongoing ecomic recovery,” said Fiona Cincotta, an analyst at online tring firm GAIN Capital.

But Thomas Gitzel, chief ecomist at Liechtenstein's VP Bank Group, said a temporary lockdown could be less harmful than a prolonged slump in consumer spending as infection levels remain stubbornly high.

“One doesn't need to be a virologist to conclude that, without furr restrictions, number of new daily infections will likely rise,” Gitzel said, ding that a short, strict lockdown could be effective. “ strict containment measures in March and April laid ground for an ecomically successful summer.”

In France, re was some understanding about difficulty of choices facing government.

“I don’t blame government for pondering before taking decisions that will have serious consequences in many domains such as health, education and ecomy," said Parisian Gilles Weinzaepflen.

“Those are t decisions that are easy to take," he ded. "I am more unhappy with political polemics, because I think that this is t moment for this, it’s a moment to stick toger and find solutions that are less painful for people.”

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