Traffic passes on the Avenue des Champs Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, on Friday, March 19, 2021. French President Emmanuel Macron blocks several regions, including the Paris area, slowing recovery countries as it struggles to contain a third wave of the coronavirus epidemic. Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy / Bloomberg via Getty Images
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LONDON – Warnings of an exponential increase in infections in Germany and a further one-month closure in Paris have underscored the dire situation across Europe as the coronavirus rises again.
The variant first discovered in the UK is seen as the reason for the new peak. The strain has been reported to be much more virulent than the original.
The French capital and the northern areas of the country will enter a new closure on Friday, although essential schools and shops will remain open.
The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country has risen above 25,000 this week for the first time since November.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel had announced a reduction in closures in March. That was when the number of infections per 100,000 people for seven days was 65.
But that number is now at 96 and there are real fears that infections at Easter may reflect what they were at Christmas.
“The increase in the number of cases may mean we cannot take new opening steps in the coming weeks,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a news conference on Friday, according to Reuters.
“On the contrary, we may even have to take steps back.”
According to Reuters, Poland has also experienced an increase in infections with about 52% of new cases related to the British variant.
The total number of cases in the driven country exceeded 2 million on Friday, with 25,998 in the last 24 hours.
– CNBC’s Bryn Bache contributed to this article.