GENEVA – Europe passed the grim milestone of one million coronavirus deaths, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that infections are rising exponentially despite widespread efforts aimed at stopping them.
The death toll across Europe’s 52 countries, compiled by AFP from official sources, totalled at least 1,000,288 by 1830 GMT yesterday.
“We are in a critical point of the pandemic right now,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19.
“The trajectory of this pandemic is growing... exponentially.
“This is not the situation we want to be in 16 months into a pandemic, when we have proven control measures,” she told reporters.
The coronavirus has already killed more than 2.9 million people and infected nearly 136 million across the world.
Italy has also been one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries, and yesterday, it saw the latest in a series of anti-lockdown demonstrations, with several hundred people turning out in protest against weeks of restaurant closures.
In France, now the European country with the most infections, an expansion of the inoculation drive has buoyed optimism among lockdown-weary residents. Everyone aged over 55 years old is now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine.
Elsewhere, clinical trial results indicated that the Regeneron antibody treatment used to treat Covid-19 patients also helps prevent infections.
Europe is the world’s worst-hit region, but Britain has eased curbs for the first time in months yesterday after meeting its target for the first dose of the shots for over 55s.
The changes illustrate how fast-vaccinating countries are leaving other – mostly poorer – nations behind.
In South Africa, the president called for African-made vaccines as the continent lags behind, struggling with inadequate supplies as well as a lack of financing and logistical problems.
“Africa needs to harness its own continental capabilities and identify opportunities for collaboration,” Cyril Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa suggested India or Brazil could help after successfully developing their own generic pharmaceutical industries.
But both giants are battling severe outbreaks, with India overtaking Brazil yesterday as the country with the second-highest number of infections after logging more than 168,000 new cases in a day. – AFP, April 13, 2021
