EU Commission chief says Christmas 'overshadowed' by pandemic amid rise in COVID cases

Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the emergence of the Omicron variant, European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen raised concerns over the situation in Europe. She said Christmas might be again "overshadowed" in the European region due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her speech in the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen insisted that the European region is facing a dual challenge. 

"I can imagine how many of you are saddened, like me, to know that this Christmas is once again being overshadowed by the pandemic,"  Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech.

Speaking on vaccination in Europe, the European Commission President highlighted that more than 66% of people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 62 million Europeans have received the booster shot of vaccine which is the protection presently available against Omicron strain. She further raised concern over the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in Europe. Ursula von der Leyen noted that some of the member states of the European Union were facing an increase in the number of cases.

COVID-19 continue to rise in Europe

Furthermore, she expressed concern that there is a rise in people getting admitted to the hospital due to COVID-19. In her address in the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen also pointed out that there is a rise in the number of fatalities due to the virus. She further warned that the Delta variant is also leading to the increase in the COVID-19 cases in the region. She mentioned that the scientists have warned that the Omicron variant will be dominant in most of Europe in early January 2022. 

"Firstly, we can see that COVID-19 cases have risen sharply in Europe. Some Member States are reporting record numbers of new infections. And with that, of course, also comes increases in illness, growing pressure on hospitals, and, regrettably, more deaths," Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech. 

In her speech, the European Commission President highlighted the importance of increasing the vaccination rate in Europe across all age groups and children. She stated that the European Commission has started social media campaigns in the Member States that are lagging behind in vaccinating people. They have started the campaign to inform people about the effectiveness of vaccines in member states. According to World Health Organisation, Europe has so far reported 92,278,493 confirmed COVID-19 cases.