Covid-19: Lockdowns in Europe loom as US cases rise

By Vatican News staff writer

The United States may be in the aftermath of an election but as the pandemic has shown, COVID-19 knows no border, creed or nationality.

The country on Wednesday reported a record rise in new cases of more than 100,000. The total U.S. death toll has reached more than 232,000, and total confirmed U.S. cases have exceeded 9 million.

Those are the highest figures in the world, and new infections are rising in nearly every state, which poses a challenge for any incoming president.

Lockdowns in Europe

Europe too continues to grapple with this invisible enemy.

People in England awoke on Thursday morning to a nationwide lockdown which was put in place to prevent COVID-19 from spiraling out of control. 

On Wednesday evening, Londoners dined out in pubs and restaurants before the curbs came into effect.

The UK has the highest death toll in Europe from COVID-19, and is seeing more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day. The new measures are expected to last until 2 December.

Elsewhere in Europe, Italy on Wednesday evening announced new restrictions, which begin on Friday, to curb the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country would be divided into three zones: red, orange and yellow according to the severity of cases.

The Lombardy region, which includes the city of Milan, will be subject to lockdown, while the capital, Rome, is classed as yellow, meaning there are no restrictions other than those imposed nationwide.

Meanwhile, Greece ordered a nationwide lockdown on Thursday for three weeks in order to halt a resurgence of cases.

Under new restrictions that will take effect from Saturday, retail businesses will be shut, with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies.

Primary schools will stay open, but secondary schools will close.

And in Poland, the government, on Wednesday, announced new measures to curb the virus and said it would impose a full lockdown if cases continue to surge.