The vast majority of restrictions imposed since 2020 due to the covid pandemic have been abolished in Europe.

But before the summer, infection rates have started to point upwards again, with tens of thousands of new infections daily in countries such as Portugal, Italy, France and Germany.

For Portugal, the latest wave began in May, with a peak in early June when almost 30,000 new cases were registered daily, writes AFP.

Since then, the curve has generally pointed downwards again, but in other European countries it is moving in the opposite direction.

In Germany, an average of almost 70,000 new cases per day was recorded this week, according to Oxford University's data collection project Our world in data.

France's seven-day average was over 50,000 new cases per day.

Italy's curve rose to about 40,000 daily falls, calculated over a seven-day average.

This compares with figures from 1 June, when Germany recorded an average of around 30,000 new daily cases, as well as France's and Italy's just over 18,000 new daily cases each.

However, the number of positive test results should only be seen as an indication, as far from everyone who is infected is registered.

"An actual increase"

The increase is also visible in more countries.

In Sweden, the number of cases of infection rose by 37 percent between week 23 and week 24, when just over 2,000 people tested positive.

The subvariants, mainly BA.5, which now make up over 30 percent of the cases sequenced in Sweden, are judged to be more contagious and at the same time better at penetrating the immunity that previous infection and vaccination provide.

- It reminds us that the pandemic is still ongoing, and how important it is to follow the recommendations for vaccination and not to move among people if you have symptoms, says Sara Byfors, head of department at the Swedish Public Health Agency.

Extends mouth protection requirements

At present, however, there is nothing to suggest that BA.4 and BA.5 would give more difficult disease courses than previous omicron variants, which give relatively mild disease.

However, the EU's infection control authority ECDC warned last week, increased infection could still lead to more deaths and more people needing to be hospitalized.