COVID-19: WHO chief warns of third coronavirus wave in Europe as cases rise by 10%

UN health agency’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge, on June 30 warned that the 10-week decline in the number of coronavirus infections across the continent has come to an end as the COVID-19 cases have seen a jump by 10 per cent in the last week. During a news briefing, he said that the increase in coronavirus infections was driven by increased mixing, travel, gatherings and easing of social restrictions. 

Kluge warns of rising cases in Europe

Hans Kluge raised concern over the Delta variant which causes hospitalizations and deaths. He cautioned that the Delta variant is on track to become dominant by August in Europe. Kluge pointed that 63 per cent of people are still waiting for their first jab in European regions. The WHO warned that the European Region will still be mostly restriction-free with increasing travels and gatherings by August. 

"The three conditions for a new wave of excess hospitalizations and deaths before the autumn are therefore in place: New variants, deficit in vaccine uptake, increased social mixing," Kluge told reporters.

Kluge said that people should be vaccinated with both doses of vaccine for protection against the Delta variant. He noted that the delay in getting vaccinated cost lives and economies. He said that people who want to gather and watch Euro 2020, travel etc should continue "life-saving reflexes" like wearing masks". He urged people to get vaccinated by saying, "don't think twice" about getting vaccinated. He revealed that many countries have been going well but the average vaccine coverage in the region is 24 per cent only and more serious, half of the elderly people and 40 per cent of the healthcare workers are still unprotected. He raised concern over the unvaccinated people in Europe.

“That is unacceptable, and that is far from the recommended 80 percent coverage of the adult population,” Kluge told reporters. 

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