BOCHNIA, Poland (AP) – European countries stepped in on Monday to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases and increase vaccinations, in hopes of preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed by the latest deadly wave of ‘pandemic infections.
The love affair with coronavirus patients has been relentless for Polish hospitals, where new daily infections reached records of more than 35,000 in the last two days and the government ordered new restrictions to prevent large meetings during the long Easter weekend. The French Minister of Health warned that the number of patients in intensive care could match the levels of a year ago.
But as a sign of disparities from one country to another, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that barbershops, gyms and outdoor courtyards of bars and restaurants could open next week after the country reported on advances in vaccines and their recent closure. Meanwhile, the U.S. vaccination campaign continued to accelerate, with 40% of the country’s adult population receiving at least one dose.
On Sunday, coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at Bochnia County Hospital, 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the southern city of Krakow. One patient, Edward Szumanski, 82, expressed concern that some people still refused to see the virus as a threat that has killed more than 2.8 million people worldwide. About 55,000 of these deaths have occurred in Poland.
“The disease is there, without a doubt, and it is very serious. Those who have not had it, those who do not have it in their family, may be deceiving themselves, but the reality is different, ”he said.
The most contagious and aggressive virus variant identified in Britain feeds much of the increase in Europe. Meanwhile, voters in many countries are angry at the European Union’s strategy, but also at the treatment their own governments are making of the pandemic and the failure to prevent repeated spikes in infections.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran warned on Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the country’s intensive care units could coincide with the level of the first crisis a year ago. Speaking to TF1 television, he said the country could approach ICU saturation levels by April 2020, when French ICUs contained more than 7,000 patients with viruses, many of whom were in facility. because demand far exceeded the country’s pre-pandemic ICU capacity.
Veran expressed hope that new infections in France could reach their peak this week thanks to new partial blockade measures. After long resisting calls for a new closure, the French government closed schools and closed all non-essential stores across the country and imposed travel restrictions for four weeks.
“We’ll handle it,” Veran said.
The British government announced on Monday that all adults and children will be able to undergo routine coronavirus testing twice a week as a way to eliminate new outbreaks. Tests are being introduced as Johnson announces the next steps on the country’s roadmap outside of its three-month closure.
Britain has recorded nearly 127,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest number in Europe. But both infections and deaths have dropped dramatically during the closure and since the start of a vaccination campaign that has so far given a first dose to more than 31 million people, or 6 out of 10 adults.
Authorities in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, introduced tighter blocking restrictions after a recent rise in virus cases. All schools in the city of 3 million people will remain closed for the next two weeks and only public transportation will be allowed for people with special passes.
“The hospitals are almost full. The situation is difficult, “said Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Elsewhere, Northern Macedonia has delayed mass vaccination amid a shortage of vaccines as its hospitals filled up after registering new infections and deaths from COVID-19 last week.
Greece, struggling to emerge from deep recession, was allowed to reopen most retail stores Monday, despite a steady increase in COVID-19 infections. Blockade measures have been in place since early November, although stores opened briefly around the Christmas season. Prolonged closures piled up pressure on the economy.
Serbia has also eased measures against coronavirus despite the large number of infections and the slowdown in vaccinations. The government on Monday allowed bars and restaurants to cater for guests outside the city with reduced capacity and respecting social distancing rules.
In the United States, a senior public health official said young people are driving the latest increase in COVID-19 cases, as rising vaccination rates in older Americans prevent more serious cases. among the elderly.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited the growing prevalence of variants, as well as the increase in youth sports and extracurricular activity as factors that contribute to the steady increase in cases during last four weeks.
But Walensky noted the positive evolution of the elderly, which is the most vulnerable age group. Senior virus deaths have fallen to their lowest level since early fall. More than 75% of those 65 and older nationally have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and almost 55% are fully vaccinated.
“What we are seeing is both a decrease in visits to emergency services and hospitalizations associated with this demographic,” he said Monday.
According to the CDC, more than 23% of all adults in the U.S. are fully vaccinated.
Many states are making vaccines available to younger demographics. As of Monday, any adult in Florida can receive the vaccine. In addition, the state announced that 16- and 17-year-olds could also get the vaccine with parental permission.
___
Charlton reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland; Jill Lawless in London; Zeke Miller in Washington; Yuras Karmanau in Kiev, Ukraine; Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia; Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, Northern Macedonia; Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece; and Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki, Greece, contributed to this report.