By Chathushka Perera
New Delhi, India (CWBN)_ As the Covid-19 pandemic surges through Europe yet again, authorities at the national level have taken steps to impose tiers of restrictions in several major cities, including those in France, UK, Germany, Czech Republic and Netherlands.
In France, Grenoble, Toulouse, Montpellier, Aix-Marseille, Saint Etienne, Rouen, Lyon and Lille will be placed under a strict curfew between 9pm and 6am, with the aim of “reducing private contact, which are the most dangerous”. The curfews will commence on the 16th of October at 12am (midnight). Those caught violating the curfew will be fined up to 1,760 USD, depending on the number of infractions.
Over the course of the pandemic, France has reported over 779,063 infections and 33,037 deaths. About 640,000 active cases have been classified as mild whereas the remaining 1,673 remain in serious condition.
London, UK, which has enjoyed a relative calm in the past weeks, had its alert level raised to Tier II, starting Saturday. This would mean that indoor gatherings between households would be prohibited and outdoor gathering would be limited to groups of six. Citizens have also been advised to avoid public transport.
The latest reports from UK indicate about 654,644 cases and 43,155 deaths were reported with projections indicating an exponential growth of infection rates.
Germany, has restricted social gathering to groups of 10 while requiring local restaurants and pubs to close by 11pm, in areas hard hit by the pandemic. Currently, 343,255 infections have been recorded and 9,780 deaths. On the 14th of October, 5,132 new patients were reported. However, the number of cases and deaths presented in the Czech Republic far exceed that in Germany, forcing Czech authorities to close its borders.
