European governments are extending the blockades and other measures to stem the increase in Covid-19 infections, with the United Kingdom accounting for a large and growing proportion of new cases, even when launching the new vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca PLC.
The UK recorded almost 55,000 new cases on Sunday, despite the drop in test levels immediately after the New Year holiday. Fears are growing that infections will increase even more in the coming days, as authorities warn that stricter blocking measures may be needed to slow the spread of the virus, which was driven in part by a new, more easily transmitted variant identified by first time in south east England.
Scotland’s leader, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announced on Monday a new stricter blockade that will take effect from midnight, supported by a legal requirement that people remain at home, except for essential reasons . Schools will remain closed to most students until February. The Scottish government had previously informed that many students would not return to school until at least 18 January.
In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said more measures may be needed to slow the spread of the virus, but on Monday he said he plans to keep primary schools open as long as possible.
More than 75,000 people died of Covid-19 across the UK, alarming governments across Europe, where many countries have blocked UK travel in the past few days.
Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn told German television over the weekend that authorities are likely to agree to extend restrictions to reduce infections when regional leaders are due to meet on Tuesday. Norway initiated new measures on Sunday, including a ban on serving alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars and restrictions on domestic mixing.
France registered more than 12,000 new infections on Sunday, well above the government’s goal of keeping the number of new cases below 5,000. Greece tightened restrictions, closing beauty salons and other businesses for a week, starting on Sunday.
With the increase in infections, the United Kingdom and other countries are trying to accelerate the launch of their vaccination programs. On Monday, Britain began inoculating people with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, considered by some scientists as a more practical alternative to the Pfizer vaccine, which began shipping last month because it does not need to be stored or transported in super cold temperatures.