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| Meta Title | COVID-19: Europe and Central Asia, epicentre of new rise - United Nations Western Europe |
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| Boilerpipe Text | About 22 months since the first cases ofÂ
COVID-19
 were reported, and almost a year since the first vaccines were approved, reported cases and deaths from the virus are increasing again.
The warning came fromÂ
WHO Director-General
, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to journalists in Geneva on Thursday.
More than 5 million deaths have now been reported, andÂ
WHO
 believes the real number is higher. More than 50,000 people are losing their lives every week.
In the last seven days, 56 countries, from all regions, reported an increase in deaths of more than 10 per cent. Â
Tedros highlighted reports about lack of intensive care unit beds, lack of supplies, overwhelmed health workers, and hospitals deferring other needed procedures.
âLet me be very clear: this should not be happeningâ, he said. âWe have all the tools to preventÂ
COVID-19
 transmission and save lives, and we continue to call on all countries to use those tools.â
More vaccines
On Wednesday, WHO added yet another new tool, with theÂ
Emergency Use Listing
 of Covaxin, the 8th vaccine to receive WHO validation.
On that topic, Tedros kept pointing out the inequality in the distribution of vaccines, saying that most low-income countries are relying on the UN-backed international
COVAX
 initiative. According to him, the initiative has the money and the contracts needed, but âmanufacturers havenât played their part.â
âNo more vaccines should go to countries that have already vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their population, untilÂ
COVAX
 has the vaccines it needs to help other countries get there tooâ, he argued.
He stressed that no more boosters should be administered, except to immunocompromised people, and repeated his call for a moratorium on the extra shots.
Familiar new wave
According to WHO, every single country in Europe and Central Asia is facing a real threat of COVID-19 resurgence, or already fighting it.
In aÂ
statement
 released this Thursday, WHO Regional Director for Europe said that the current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of theÂ
WHO European Region
 is âof grave concern.â
According to Dr. Hans Kluge, cases are once again approaching record levels, with the more transmissible Delta variant continuing to dominate transmission.
Over the past 4 weeks, the continent has seen increase in new cases greater than 55 per cent.Â
Last week, Europe and central Asia accounted for 59 per cent of all cases globally and 48 per cent of reported deaths.
âWe are, once again, at the epicentreâ, Dr. Kluge said, adding that hospitalization admission rates due to COVID-19 more than doubled in one week.
There are increasing trends across all age groups, butÂ
75 per cent of fatal cases are in people aged 65 years and above.Â
One estimate predicts that, if the countries stay on this trajectory, there could be another half million deaths in Europe and Central Asia, by 1 February next year.
Vaccines and social measures
According to WHOâs Regional Director, there are two reasons for this surge: insufficient vaccination coverage, and relaxation of public health and social measures.
âDespite near-record COVID-19 cases, new deaths are at approximately half the peak levels. This reflects the life-saving effects of vaccines and the Herculean task of health authorities, the health workforce and communities, to develop, administer and accept vaccinesâ, Mr. Kluge said.
So far, one billion doses have now been administered in Europe and central Asia.
Countries of Europe and Centra Asia are, however, at different stages within the pandemic. On average, only 47 per cent of people have completed their vaccination. While eight countries have now exceeded 70 per cent coverage, in two countries, the rate remains below 10 per cent.
âThe vaccines are indeed doing what they were intended to do: preventing severe illness and deathâ, Mr. Kluge assured.
Regarding public health and social measures, he said that testing, contact tracing, ventilation in indoor spaces, and physical distancing, remain part of the defensive arsenal.
âThese are tried and tested measures that enable lives to continue while controlling the virus and avoiding widespread, damaging lockdownsâ, he argued. |
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# COVID-19: Europe and Central Asia, epicentre of new rise
3 min.
05/11/2021

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About 22 months since the first cases of [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus) were reported, and almost a year since the first vaccines were approved, reported cases and deaths from the virus are increasing again.
The warning came from [WHO Director-General](https://www.who.int/director-general/biography), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to journalists in Geneva on Thursday.
More than 5 million deaths have now been reported, and [WHO](http://www.who.int/en/ "World Health Organization") believes the real number is higher. More than 50,000 people are losing their lives every week.
**In the last seven days, 56 countries, from all regions, reported an increase in deaths of more than 10 per cent.**
Tedros highlighted reports about lack of intensive care unit beds, lack of supplies, overwhelmed health workers, and hospitals deferring other needed procedures.
âLet me be very clear: this should not be happeningâ, he said. âWe have all the tools to prevent [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/coronavirus "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)") transmission and save lives, and we continue to call on all countries to use those tools.â
**More vaccines**
On Wednesday, WHO added yet another new tool, with the [Emergency Use Listing](https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1104772) of Covaxin, the 8th vaccine to receive WHO validation.
On that topic, Tedros kept pointing out the inequality in the distribution of vaccines, saying that most low-income countries are relying on the UN-backed international [COVAX](https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax) initiative. According to him, the initiative has the money and the contracts needed, but âmanufacturers havenât played their part.â
âNo more vaccines should go to countries that have already vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their population, until [COVAX](https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax "The vaccinesâŻpillar of the ACT-Accelerator") has the vaccines it needs to help other countries get there tooâ, he argued.
He stressed that no more boosters should be administered, except to immunocompromised people, and repeated his call for a moratorium on the extra shots.
**Familiar new wave**
According to WHO, every single country in Europe and Central Asia is facing a real threat of COVID-19 resurgence, or already fighting it.
In a [statement](https://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/sections/statements/2021/statement-update-on-covid-19-europe-and-central-asia-again-at-the-epicentre-of-the-pandemic) released this Thursday, WHO Regional Director for Europe said that the current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the [WHO European Region](https://www.euro.who.int/en) is âof grave concern.â
According to Dr. Hans Kluge, cases are once again approaching record levels, with the more transmissible Delta variant continuing to dominate transmission.
**Over the past 4 weeks, the continent has seen increase in new cases greater than 55 per cent.** Last week, Europe and central Asia accounted for 59 per cent of all cases globally and 48 per cent of reported deaths.
âWe are, once again, at the epicentreâ, Dr. Kluge said, adding that hospitalization admission rates due to COVID-19 more than doubled in one week.
There are increasing trends across all age groups, but **75 per cent of fatal cases are in people aged 65 years and above.**
One estimate predicts that, if the countries stay on this trajectory, there could be another half million deaths in Europe and Central Asia, by 1 February next year.
**Vaccines and social measures**
According to WHOâs Regional Director, there are two reasons for this surge: insufficient vaccination coverage, and relaxation of public health and social measures.
âDespite near-record COVID-19 cases, new deaths are at approximately half the peak levels. This reflects the life-saving effects of vaccines and the Herculean task of health authorities, the health workforce and communities, to develop, administer and accept vaccinesâ, Mr. Kluge said.
So far, one billion doses have now been administered in Europe and central Asia.
Countries of Europe and Centra Asia are, however, at different stages within the pandemic. On average, only 47 per cent of people have completed their vaccination. While eight countries have now exceeded 70 per cent coverage, in two countries, the rate remains below 10 per cent.
âThe vaccines are indeed doing what they were intended to do: preventing severe illness and deathâ, Mr. Kluge assured.
Regarding public health and social measures, he said that testing, contact tracing, ventilation in indoor spaces, and physical distancing, remain part of the defensive arsenal.
âThese are tried and tested measures that enable lives to continue while controlling the virus and avoiding widespread, damaging lockdownsâ, he argued.
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| Readable Markdown | About 22 months since the first cases of [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus) were reported, and almost a year since the first vaccines were approved, reported cases and deaths from the virus are increasing again.
The warning came from [WHO Director-General](https://www.who.int/director-general/biography), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to journalists in Geneva on Thursday.
More than 5 million deaths have now been reported, and [WHO](http://www.who.int/en/ "World Health Organization") believes the real number is higher. More than 50,000 people are losing their lives every week.
**In the last seven days, 56 countries, from all regions, reported an increase in deaths of more than 10 per cent.**
Tedros highlighted reports about lack of intensive care unit beds, lack of supplies, overwhelmed health workers, and hospitals deferring other needed procedures.
âLet me be very clear: this should not be happeningâ, he said. âWe have all the tools to prevent [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/coronavirus "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)") transmission and save lives, and we continue to call on all countries to use those tools.â
**More vaccines**
On Wednesday, WHO added yet another new tool, with the [Emergency Use Listing](https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1104772) of Covaxin, the 8th vaccine to receive WHO validation.
On that topic, Tedros kept pointing out the inequality in the distribution of vaccines, saying that most low-income countries are relying on the UN-backed international [COVAX](https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax) initiative. According to him, the initiative has the money and the contracts needed, but âmanufacturers havenât played their part.â
âNo more vaccines should go to countries that have already vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their population, until [COVAX](https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax "The vaccinesâŻpillar of the ACT-Accelerator") has the vaccines it needs to help other countries get there tooâ, he argued.
He stressed that no more boosters should be administered, except to immunocompromised people, and repeated his call for a moratorium on the extra shots.
**Familiar new wave**
According to WHO, every single country in Europe and Central Asia is facing a real threat of COVID-19 resurgence, or already fighting it.
In a [statement](https://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/sections/statements/2021/statement-update-on-covid-19-europe-and-central-asia-again-at-the-epicentre-of-the-pandemic) released this Thursday, WHO Regional Director for Europe said that the current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the [WHO European Region](https://www.euro.who.int/en) is âof grave concern.â
According to Dr. Hans Kluge, cases are once again approaching record levels, with the more transmissible Delta variant continuing to dominate transmission.
**Over the past 4 weeks, the continent has seen increase in new cases greater than 55 per cent.** Last week, Europe and central Asia accounted for 59 per cent of all cases globally and 48 per cent of reported deaths.
âWe are, once again, at the epicentreâ, Dr. Kluge said, adding that hospitalization admission rates due to COVID-19 more than doubled in one week.
There are increasing trends across all age groups, but **75 per cent of fatal cases are in people aged 65 years and above.**
One estimate predicts that, if the countries stay on this trajectory, there could be another half million deaths in Europe and Central Asia, by 1 February next year.
**Vaccines and social measures**
According to WHOâs Regional Director, there are two reasons for this surge: insufficient vaccination coverage, and relaxation of public health and social measures.
âDespite near-record COVID-19 cases, new deaths are at approximately half the peak levels. This reflects the life-saving effects of vaccines and the Herculean task of health authorities, the health workforce and communities, to develop, administer and accept vaccinesâ, Mr. Kluge said.
So far, one billion doses have now been administered in Europe and central Asia.
Countries of Europe and Centra Asia are, however, at different stages within the pandemic. On average, only 47 per cent of people have completed their vaccination. While eight countries have now exceeded 70 per cent coverage, in two countries, the rate remains below 10 per cent.
âThe vaccines are indeed doing what they were intended to do: preventing severe illness and deathâ, Mr. Kluge assured.
Regarding public health and social measures, he said that testing, contact tracing, ventilation in indoor spaces, and physical distancing, remain part of the defensive arsenal.
âThese are tried and tested measures that enable lives to continue while controlling the virus and avoiding widespread, damaging lockdownsâ, he argued. |
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