Europe Hit by Fourth Wave of Coronavirus, Stricter Measures Introduced

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - With the emergence of the delta variant and its various mutations, dubbed delta plus, many European countries are facing problems due to an increase in infections, forcing authorities to reintroduce stricter measures.

Europe is once again facing a surge in the coronavirus pandemic. Numerous countries have introduced stricter measures, and some are even considering a complete lockdown. Below, we present the measures introduced by European countries.

The first country to announce that it will soon introduce a partial lockdown starting next weekend.

Cafes and restaurants will have to close their doors at 7 PM for the next three weeks. People will work from home, while audiences will no longer be able to attend sporting events. Schools, cinemas, and theaters will remain open.

The number of new infections has sharply increased after physical distancing measures were lifted in September. The black record set by the Netherlands was 16,300 new infections in one day. As one of the countries that has vaccinated a large portion of its population – as much as 85 percent, it has not recorded a high number of deaths so far.

Supermarkets and non-essential retail outlets will close earlier, and social distancing measures will be reintroduced. No more than four visitors are recommended in homes, and working from home is encouraged whenever possible.

Large sporting events will be held without an audience, including the World Cup qualifier match between the Netherlands and Norway next week.

Schools will remain open, and leaving homes is permitted.

Rutte also said that the government is looking for ways to limit public access for unvaccinated or non-recovered individuals after the three-week partial lockdown, as tests would no longer be recognized.

Austria has introduced new measures to combat the pandemic, primarily aimed at the unvaccinated. Citizens who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter catering establishments and hairdressing salons from Monday, as the number of infections approaches last year's record, and the government is failing to achieve high vaccination rates.

Although the government has not opted for a complete lockdown due to the alarming epidemiological situation, as some epidemiologists suggested, new restrictions have been in effect since this week, including a ban on gatherings outside the family circle, and some already agreed-upon economic events have been canceled.

In Serbia, a new regulation on the application of COVID passes was adopted on Monday morning, which comes into effect on Monday at 8 PM.

The application of COVID certificates has been expanded to include not only catering establishments but also betting shops, casinos, slot clubs, and other establishments where games of chance are held.

Entry into these establishments without a COVID certificate will only be possible from six o'clock in the morning the following day.

The coronavirus has been raging in Germany in recent weeks. The current coronavirus situation in Germany is alarming. The Robert Koch Institute recorded more than 50,000 new infections in a single day for the first time on Thursday. The new measures law prepared by the Bundestag allows for free coronavirus testing, which was temporarily abolished, in order to track infections from the very beginning.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the remaining six million unvaccinated French citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible. However, he said that vaccination alone cannot defeat the virus until a larger part of the world is fully vaccinated. As announced, mandatory mask-wearing will be required from Monday in schools, while citizens over 65 must receive a booster dose if they want to keep their COVID passes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a public holiday from October 30 to November 7 to break the chain of infection, during which cafes, restaurants, and sports centers were closed. This measure remained in effect in some regions, such as Novgorod and Tomsk.

Only about a third of the population has been vaccinated. Moscow residents over 60 who are not vaccinated are not allowed to leave their homes without a valid reason for the next four months.