France and Poland increase lockdown measures as infections surge
France and Poland have brought back partial lockdowns as both countries battle a sharp rise in Covid infections in recent weeks. Some 21 million people in 16 areas of France, including the capital Paris, are affecting as the country fears the third wave. Moreover, in Poland, non-essential, hotels, cultural, and sporting facilities are closing for three weeks. The country has the highest new daily rates of Covid cases since November.
Coronavirus cases are also rising heavily in Germany, with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s warning. It is likely that the country will now need to apply an extremity brake and re-impose lockdown measures. Besides, the vaccine rollout across the European Union has been stopped by delayed deliveries. As well as the suspension in several countries of the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
What’s the situation in France and Poland?
In France, the partial lockdown took effect from midnight on Friday. Trains leaving Paris for parts of the country where lockdown restrictions do not apply. Brittany and Lyon were reportedly fully booking hours before the measures were due to come into effect.
Moreover, traffic jams are reporting on several roads leaving the capital. The new restrictions are not as restricting as the previous lockdown, with people allowing to exercise outdoors. While non-essential businesses are shut, but schools remain open, along with stylists if they follow a “particular sanitary protocol”.
However, France has reported more than 4.2 million infections since the start of the outbreak. Nearly 92,000 Covid-related deaths, according to the data compiled by America’s Johns Hopkins University.
What’s the latest on the AstraZeneca vaccine?
Even though affirmation from the European medicines regulator that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective. Some countries remain reluctant to resume their campaigns using the jab. Finland’s health authority has announced a pause in its use of the vaccine that will last at least a week. This follows two reports of blood clots in patients who had received the job in the country, which is said to be a protecting measure.
Meanwhile, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway said on Friday that they needed more time to determine whether they should resume the AstraZeneca vaccine. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have restarted their AstraZeneca vaccination campaigns.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine. On Friday, experts at the WHO said the vaccine had tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths across the world.
On the other side, Italy’s prime Minister Mario Draghi, 73, said he would happily have the vaccine but that he had not yet made a booking. His French counterpart, 55-year-old Jean Castex, received an AstraZeneca dose on Friday. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also received his first dose of the vaccine.
