COVID-19 has played no ideological favourites in the western world. It has proved catastrophic throughout Europe and North America, regardless of the political parties in power.
The immense death toll in the United States, in sheer number of infections and deaths, dwarfed any other country. But this may be changing, as a second wave of the pandemic is now hitting Europe full force. Will its leaders fare any better than Donald Trump did in trying to control it?
The population of the European Economic Area (EEA), comprising the countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, and the United Kingdom, is approximately 528 million people, some 200 million more than the American total of 328 million.
As of early November, the total death toll stemming from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in the 32 countries of the EEA was some 223,000 deaths, compared to 232,000 in the United States.
The U.K. has reported some 47,000 deaths; Italy, 39,000; France 37,500; Spain, 36,000; Belgium, 12,000; and Germany, 11,000.
While the American figure per capita is huge, at 720 deaths per million, it is actually surpassed by Belgium, with an enormous toll of 1,022 per million, and Spain, at 762 per million.
The U.K. is not far behind the U.S., with 697 deaths per million; Italy is at 644, and France at 544.5. Only Germany, with 127, is doing better.
But things are becoming dire in Europe. Most countries are reporting more infections per day than they were during the first wave last spring. Spain and France saw new records on Nov. 2 with the former reporting 55,000 new cases and the latter 52,000.
The view of health experts now is that Europe’s strategy for exiting its spring lockdowns failed. Either politicians ignored their advice, or the systems weren’t in place to implement it correctly. New measures are now being instituted.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked lawmakers to approve an extension until May 2021 of the country’s state of emergency. The measure puts into place a national nightly curfew and allows regions to impose more localized restrictions, such as limiting movement outside city limits on weekends.
French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a nationwide lockdown until Dec.1. People must stay in their homes except to buy essential goods, seek medical attention or use their daily one-hour allocation of exercise. They are still able to go to work if their employer deems it impossible for them to do the job from home.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a partial, month-long shutdown in England, including nonessential businesses such as restaurants, pubs, and hairdressers. People are allowed to leave home for only a short list of reasons including exercise. Travel is also discouraged.
The lockdown is supposed to end on Dec. 2, but cabinet minister Michael Gove cautioned that this couldn’t be guaranteed “with a virus this malignant, and with its capacity to move so quickly.”
Germany has adopted similar measures, with people confined to their homes, and all bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, gyms and other leisure facilities closed and concerts cancelled, during a four-week “wave-breaker” shutdown that seeks to force daily new infections back down to manageable levels.
Germans have been asked not to travel, and hotels are barred from accommodating tourists. Private gatherings will be limited to 10 people from a maximum of two households.
“We will do try to do everything politically so that this is limited to November,” Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. But she stressed that “we are very much dependent on the majority of people simply being sensible.”
Belgian virologist and government adviser Marc Van Ranst pointed to Germany’s partial lockdown, commenting that “we should have done this six weeks ago.” The country’s surging cases forced it to move some severely ill patients to neighbouring Germany
In Italy, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte announced new restrictions, including the closure of shopping malls and museums on weekends. Movement between regions are limited and a “late-evening” curfew is in place.
“We are aware of the frustration, the sense of loss, the tiredness of citizens,” declared Conte, as he defended his government’s decision. Clearly, people are despondent, as Europe faces a long cold winter.
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