Gleb Stolyarov, Luiza Ilie

BUCHAREST/MOSCOW – Russia recorded a record-breaking number of daily COVID-19 patients. On Monday, some countries in central Europe imposed additional restrictions as a wave of the pandemic gathered speed.

The Red Cross in Asia called for immediate assistance for Papua New Guinea. China’s recent outbreak caused Beijing to postpone its annual marathon for four months, just before the Winter Olympics.

As the number of infections rises, authorities around the globe have raised the alarm. Governments in low-vaccine areas were forced to tighten restrictions to prevent the outbreak.

Russia has reported Monday 37,930 COVID-19-related infections over the last 24 hour, the largest single-day number since the beginning of the pandemic.

The slow uptake of Russia’s Sputnik V virus vaccine by the country’s own people has caused authorities to take tougher measures to stem the spread. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia declared last week that October 30th to November 7 would not be considered a working day.

The region is a hub for vaccine scepticism in central and eastern Europe.

On Monday, Romania and Czech Republic implemented tougher restrictions. In Slovakia, stricter regulations were extended to other regions. People who violate restrictions in Bulgaria will be subject to fines starting Monday.

Romanian officials lamented Saturday’s “disastrous situation” and reintroduced night curfews. Health passes were mandatory to enter most public places. School children went on vacation for two week.

Gheorghe Ion, Bucharest taxi driver, stated that “the restrictions seem to have worked, there are less people on the street,” “I have been waiting for over an hour here without any orders.”

The Polish health minister said that tighter restrictions would be needed if the number of cases continues to rise, but insisted that there was no lockdown.

Although experts believe that the lack of trust in government institutions due to decades of Communist rule in the region has contributed to vaccine scepticism, there are signs that the wave is attracting more people who want to get a shot.

According to authorities in Romania, inoculations have been on the increase since last week. In contrast, in the Czech Republic, the average daily dose was highest since August.

COVID-19 vaccination rates in the European Union COVID-19 vaccination rates in the European Union https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/EASTEUROPE/mypmngqmbvr/chart.png

EFFORTS URGENTS

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies pointed out the possibility of a large number of deaths in Papua New Guinea if the international community does not take action to support the country’s failing health system.

According to Our World in Data, less than 1% have been fully immunized. The Red Cross blames misinformation, public fear, logistical difficulties, and general incompetence.

Uvenama Rova of the PNG Red Cross said that urgent efforts are required and additional support in healthcare in order to avoid a huge loss in life over the next days and weeks.

Chinese officials of health warned that the latest cluster was likely to grow further, due to the transmissible Delta variant. It involved many carriers, who had recently traveled across certain provinces.

Beijing closed all indoor venues, including chess halls and card parlours in the capital, that are open to people with infections. Authorities are pursuing a zero tolerance approach, even though the number of infections is much smaller than other countries.

New Zealand’s COVID-19 daily count was second since the beginning of the pandemic. On Monday, 109 cases of locally acquired coronavirus were reported. Most of the cases were in Auckland.

New Zealand, once highly regarded for its successful fight against the virus, has suffered from an ongoing outbreak in the Delta strain. The city of Auckland is currently under lockdown and the situation continues for the past two months.

Western Europe had a similar increase in cases despite higher vaccine uptake rates than its east.

The Netherlands has seen an increase in infections for the past month. On Sunday, they reached their highest since July. This was after many social distancing actions were removed in late September.

Although Prime Minister Mark Rutte will likely update the coronavirus policy by November 5, pressure to provide a quicker response is mounting to address recent data.