As Europe continues to see nearly 4,200 Covid19 cases a day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the continent’s death toll from the virus could exceed 2 million by March.
WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said Europe has said that the continent needs to take a “vaccine plus” approach to the crisis. What this means is that along with getting fully vaccinated, people should continue to comply with other precautions like covering the face with a mask, maintaining social distance and frequently sanitizing their hands.
Kluge further said in a statement that Europe can expect exhaustion of beds in 25 countries starting now until March 2022. He also specified that 49 out of 53 countries will have to deal with extreme stress in intensive-care units.
Earlier this week, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn said that by the end of this winter, Germans will be “vaccinated, cured or dead”. Germany is the seventh-largest country in Europe, and one-third of its citizens are still not vaccinated. The country is currently dealing with the fourth wave of Covid19.
Countries like Netherlands, Denmark and Norway had earlier allowed their citizens to go out in public without a mask, but they have now reversed their decision.
