Vaccines against Covid appear to protect against all new variants, but progress in the region remains "fragile" and international travel should be avoided to prevent broadcasts from spreading rapidly and causing a "dangerous revival," the World Health Organization said. Health.
Official weekly cases in Europe have fallen by almost 60% from 1.7 million in mid-April to almost 685,000 last week; deaths are also falling, WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge said on Thursday, but incidence levels remained high in eight countries.
"The pandemic is not over yet," Kluge said. "Increased mobility and interactions can lead to more broadcasts. In the face of a constant threat and new uncertainty, we need to exercise caution and rethink or avoid international travel."
European leaders "should not make the same mistakes that were made last year that resulted in a Covid-19 revival and health systems, communities and economies carried the weight of the pandemic," he said.
Kluge said the B.1.617 variant first identified in India has been identified in at least 26 of the 53 countries in the region. Most cases are related to international travel.
Sources: Euronews, Guardian
