Once again the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, European countries are increasing restrictions or restoring confinement, causing the rise of impatience of their populations or an open revolt, as in Spain where the demonstrations are more and more numerous.
Across Europe, the number of additional recorded cases jumped 41% in one week, accounting for half of the cases reported in the past seven days worldwide.
An outbreak of cases that threatens to overwhelm hospitals and has pushed governments to once again restrict the freedom of movement of their citizens and shut down entire sectors of the economy, especially in culture and commerce.
Faced with these restrictions and the fear of increased social damage, parades took place Saturday, October 31, for the second consecutive night, in several Spanish cities, followed by clashes with the police and acts of vandalism and looting.
The biggest unrest occurred in Madrid, where many demonstrators chanted "Freedom!"
set fire to dumpsters and erected makeshift barricades on Gran Via, the main thoroughfare in the center of the capital, according to images on social media.
Altercados ahora mismo en la Gran Vía de Madrid.
pic.twitter.com/20dvyqdQ5P
- Edu Calle (@EduCalle_) October 31, 2020
Opposition to the restrictive measures also gave rise to clashes on Saturday night in the Italian capital between police and hundreds of protesters, after similar incidents the day before in Florence and other major cities in recent days.
Anger of traders
In France, where a month-long reconfinement was put in place on Friday until December 1, the anger of small traders deemed non-essential and therefore forced to close, is increasingly sharp: they denounce the unfair competition of large areas authorized to remain open and online platforms, including Amazon.
In the United Kingdom, the most bereaved country in Europe with at least 46,555 dead, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a reconfinement of England from Thursday until December 2.
In Austria, "a second containment is put in place from Tuesday until the end of November", announced Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
The country of 8.8 million inhabitants now records more than 5,000 daily cases, against only 1,000 at the beginning of October, for 1,109 deaths since the emergence of the pandemic.
In Belgium, the country in the world where the coronavirus circulates the most, the Federal Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, called on the population not to go shopping on Sunday, November 1, on the eve of a tightening of confinement for six weeks.
Long queues were observed on Saturday in some shops or shopping streets.
In Germany, which has also tightened restrictions to slow the pandemic, the world of culture, which is due to close its doors for several weeks, feels particularly badly off.
"Save Christmas"
Greece has decided on a partial month-long lockdown in Athens and other major cities in the country from Tuesday.
As elsewhere, the objective is to "try to save the Christmas holidays", explained the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
In Italy, the government has imposed in recent days what the media qualify as "semi-confinement": a curfew in several large regions, the closure of bars and restaurants at 6 p.m., as well as that of sports halls, cinema and concert.
According to the Italian press, the government plans to announce Monday a lockdown of the country's major cities, starting with Milan and Naples.
"The epidemiological curve is still very high," said Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, follower of generalized containment.
"Either we fold it, or we are in deep trouble."
European countries are the third most affected region with 10.46 million cases, behind Latin America and the Caribbean (11.3 million cases) and Asia (10.57).
Globally, more than 46 million human beings have been affected, of which nearly 1.2 million have lost their lives.
With AFP
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