Over the weekend, European countries and cities posed additional movement constraints, with London and Paris calling for tougher restrictions and even Italy starting bold measures in increasing attempts to monitor the huge increase in COVID-19 cases.
After Britain, Italy had the second highest death toll in the area as well as the first country in Europe to have suffered from COVID-19. As per the official estimates, 36,543 deaths had occurred since the outbreak of the disease in February.
Over the summer, officials managed to contain the spread of the disease due to a two-month strict national quarantine.
However, additional measures, such as the obligatory public wearing of masks and limiting public meetings in restaurants, were taken as the second wave erupted.
The Ministry had reported rising from the 47 COVID-related deaths the previous day; the casualties had risen to 69 on Sunday, but much less than the rate in March and April wherein regular casualties peaked at over 900 in Italy.
To avoid public gatherings, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte empowered the mayors to shutdown public spaces at 9 p.m., and he even introduced on Sunday another set of measures to combat the dramatic increase in cases of COVID 19.
Conte has said that the condition was becoming severe as regular cases in Italy reached a new record of 11,705 on Sunday. Yet, his administration was determined to prevent a replay of the lockdown implemented at the beginning of the crisis in March.
He said in a news conference: "The situation is critical. The government is there, but everyone must do their part."
Rome will launch a four-billion-euro fund to reimburse corporations worst affected by the COVID-19 restrictions within the context of the current forty-billion-euro stimulus package funded by the government in its expenditure for 2021.
Food stalls and other restaurants may stay open only until midnight but could only serve customers seated after 6 p.m.
To prevent traffic on public transport, the government aims to increase smart work in the public sector and calls on high schools to follow staggered schedules.
For some of the hardest-hit areas, like Campania surrounding Naples that has shut down schools for two weeks, tougher restrictions had already been enforced.
The growing restrictions are caused by the increasing reported infections in many parts of Europe every day. On Sunday, the United Kingdom recorded nearly 17,000 new infections, and as of last week, it reached over 100,000 infections. On Saturday, France reported a new record of 32,427 infections.
How does Europe cope with the increase in infections?
In London, laws preventing citizens from mixing with other residences came into effect, whereas citizens in Paris, including eight other French cities, will be confined to their homes between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. within the next four weeks.
Switzerland President Simonetta Sommaruga said that effective on Monday; the country will mandate masks in public indoor environments, and meetings with more than 15 individuals would be forbidden.
On Saturday, France had seen a rising 32,427 new cases. On Sunday, almost 30,000 new cases had been reported.
In Belgium, on the other hand, the government recently declared new restriction measures nationwide beginning Monday. Meanwhile, Ireland will authorize more stringent measures on Monday.
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