EU Warns Coronavirus Epidemic Worsening

The spike in COVID-19 cases in seven European countries, including the Czech Republic, is a matter of great concern, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The number of seriously ill or hospitalized people in these countries is rising, and mortality is either growing or threatening to increase shortly. In addition to the Czech Republic, the ECDC Group also includes Spain, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Hungary.

Concerns about developments in these countries stem from an increase in the number of diseases among the elderly. In other European countries, the number of coronavirus infections is increasing among younger adults, for whom the risk is not as high as in the elderly population. The increase among younger people concerns 13 EU countries (France, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Belgium, and Sweden).

The Stockholm-based ECDC states that the first seven countries “are close to being classified as a major concern,” mainly due to the number of older cases.

ECDC considers the situation to be stable in Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Cyprus, and non-member Norway. In this group, there is a low risk for the general population and a moderate risk for the elderly.

According to the ECDC, EU citizens are still at risk because the data show that just over 15 percent of people are immune in most countries. “Most people are still at risk. In most countries, not just Spain, we see most people becoming infected at private social events, large family receptions or meetings of friends and family,” said ECDC director Andrea Ammon.

However, she did not call for the general closure of shops, restaurants, or bars. According to her, such a decision depends on how it is possible to ensure basic protective measures for physical separation between people in these places.