US warned to prepare as COVID cases rise in Europe – Reuters
March 28, 2020 | 0 Shares
(NAN) — European governments are bracing for the next wave of COVID-19 cases amid soaring death tolls in Italy, Spain, and across the continent as health officials warn the death toll may rise in the coming days.
Europe’s leaders have scrambled to fill empty slots while millions of people remain locked down, which in turn has led to a decline in wages and the unemployment rate in Germany, which has hit a new low in March, dropping to 11.8 percent from 12.5 percent in January.
Italy is worst hit with a reported 573 deaths, making it the second most infected country in Europe behind Spain. Authorities there have raised the coronavirus death toll, warning they may soon surpass their peak as new figures are released, to a total of 572.
The grim data from the United Nations and World Health Organization is being accompanied by alarmist media reports as the World Health Organization warns the current global death toll may rise to 10,000.
Spain has now reported 1,717 virus related deaths, up from around 900 last week. The country’s health ministry says death rates are falling as a shortage of protective masks continues to drive up the number of people dying from the disease even as the population’s lockdown is easing.
Spain was one of the first countries to pass its lockdown measures as it announced the measures for the month of March and even extended the lockdown with the aim of protecting against the deadly virus.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte today said the lockdown measures, which include a ban on social gatherings and the closure of museums and cultural centres in the northern region of Lombardy, are helping to slow the spread of the virus.
However, Conte said a decision to extend the lockdown for another two weeks cannot be made until the extent of the epidemic had been better understood.
Conte also criticised the government’s handling of the pandemic, saying it had failed to take into account the public’s concerns and its needs.
The government is expected to release