WHO: COVID-19 death toll now higher in Europe than at this time in 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe notes that the number of people dying from COVID-19 in Europe is now higher than at the same time last year, Director of WHO Regional Office for Europe Hans Kluge said at a Copenhagen briefing, Report informs, citing TASS.

"Last week, deaths in the Region surpassed 900,000. Every week, more than 20,000 people across the Region lose their lives to the virus. The number of people dying from COVID-19 in Europe is higher now than it was this time last year, reflecting the widespread hold this virus has.

"Case incidence continues its increasing trend and is moving eastwards. We have now seen three consecutive weeks of growth in COVID-19 cases with over 1.2 million new cases reported last week across Europe."

As of today, a total of 46 countries in the Region have administered more than 107 million doses of vaccine. Three percent of the 45 countries have received a completed vaccination series, and data from 23 countries indicates that 51% of health workers have received at least one dose. While 27 countries are currently in a partial or complete nationwide lockdown, 21 are gradually easing restrictive measures. Some are doing so based on the assumption that increasing vaccination uptake in countries would immediately lead to an improved epidemiological situation. Such beliefs are too early to make.