Easter confinement in Germany shows that responses in Europe are ending

Photographer: Filip Singer / Pool / Getty Images

Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered a five-day blockade over Easter in one of Germany’s most difficult movements since the start of the pandemic, highlighting the sudden deterioration in Europe’s efforts to contain the coronavirus.

Just a few weeks after the spread appeared under control, a further increase in infections and sputum vaccinations led to France and Italy expanding roadblocks. The Netherlands will likely extend the restrictions on Tuesday, while in Hungary, hospitals are asking for help from untrained volunteers.

The region’s increasingly gloomy scenario will be reflected in a joint statement by European Union leaders on Thursday when they discuss the pandemic, which has worsened due to aggressive Covid-19 strains.

“The epidemiological situation remains serious, also in light of the challenges posed by the variants,” say the leaders, according to the latest draft of their statement seen by Bloomberg. “Restrictions, including with regard to non-essential travel, should therefore be maintained for the time being.”

Plans to hold the summit in person were abruptly suspended last week, and the meeting will be held by videoconference, in a move that sums up the worsening situation.

Infections in Belgium – where EU summits are normally held – have increased by more than 40% on a weekly basis, according to the latest available data. Germany’s contagion rate almost doubled last month.

Widespread outbreak

Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people in 14 days

Source: European Center for Disease Prevention and Control

In the radical Easter closing of Europe’s largest economy, all stores will be closed from April 1st for five days, except for the food stores that will open on April 3rd. The addition of Germany’s Easter weekend next Thursday could end up costing Germany until 7 billion euros ($ 8.3 billion) in lost production, according to the Cologne Institute for Economic Research.

What the Bloomberg economy says …

“The delay has a modest impact on our growth projections for the 2Q. But with the paint still drying on these projections, the risks are already accumulating on the negative side. “

-Jamie Rush. To read your report, Click here

European equities fell on Tuesday with fears that the rise in infections could delay the recovery from the region from the most severe recession in memory.

An indicator of European leisure and travel stocks fell for three consecutive days – the longest since January – amid concerns that yet another tourism season could be missed, a stark contrast to last week’s optimism when the STOXX 600 Travel & Leisure has reached record levels.

After more than 11 hours of tense negotiations that ended on Tuesday, Merkel and state leaders extended Germany’s current blockade measures until April 18, but were unable to agree on tougher measures, such as curfews on hard-hit areas and establish rules for domestic travel.

With employees increasingly at odds over how to proceed, Opinion polls suggest that the public is becoming increasingly unhappy with the way the government is dealing with the crisis, just six months before the September national elections.

“We are now in a very, very serious situation,” said Merkel at a news conference that started just after 2:30 am in Berlin. “The number of cases is increasing exponentially and the intensive care beds are filling up again.”

Resurgent Outbreak

The spread of coronavirus in Germany has accelerated in recent days

Source: Robert Koch Institute

The situation is even more serious in Hungary, which has run out of doctors and nurses to deal with a record number of patients with Covid-19, forcing hospitals to seek volunteers without any medical training.

Read more: Hungarian doctors plead for cruelty Lockdown as Deaths Hit Records

Greece, which has been lobbying EU leaders hard to approve a vaccine pass that will facilitate leisure travel for vaccinees, began hiring private practice doctors this week, using national security legislation to help its public health system overloaded.

Hospitals are filling up as Europe struggles to scale up vaccine campaigns. The EU and the United Kingdom seek to slow down a supply dispute that could prevent exports to Britain of AstraZeneca Plc factory in the Netherlands. The suspension of the shot last week by Germany and other countries added to the confusion.

Read more: Vaccine diplomacy moves forward as EU float sharing proposal

The EU administered doses covering 6.6% of the population, less than a third of what the UK administered, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

The European Commission maintained pressure on AstraZeneca when a senior health official appeared before EU lawmakers on Tuesday. Sandra Gallina said she remains “unhappy” with the company, echoing comments by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the bloc would use all the tools at its disposal to obtain the doses.

“There is no holiday, there is no weekend for vaccination,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, who was criticized for a slow implantation, during a visit to an immunization center in the city of Valenciennes, promising that students, firefighters, nurses and retired doctors could give injections.

‘Control system’