WHO: Worrying virus trends in Southern Europe, Balkans
DUBLIN: Worrying trends of Coronavirus infection are emerging in southern Europe and in the Balkan region, Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization's emergencies programme, said.
"Obviously the Americas is clearly still the major hot spot, North, Central and South America, but we have disease beginning to accelerate in Africa," Ryan said.
"Also, even in Europe, while certainly in western Europe the disease has come under control, we still have some worrying trends in southern Europe and the Balkans so we're not out of the woods just yet in the European environment. It requires sustained vigilance."
Meanwhile, the number of Coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a record 1,030 new cases in the past 24 hours, the government said on Wednesday. Romania has confirmed 40,163 cases including 2,101 deaths since the pandemic hit in late February.
The government has extended a state of alert, in place since May 15, by another 30 days until the middle of August.
Romania's spike this month is in part because of a legislative void that enabled thousands of infected people to walk out of hospitals or not be treated at all.
The Constitutional Court ruled in early July that the government could not hospitalise or isolate people based on cabinet decrees, but only through a law approved by parliament. which came into effect on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Nelu Tataru warned that if the situation escalated, the government may quarantine specific outbreak areas going forward.
Spain's Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Wednesday a resurgence in Coronavirus cases in Catalonia was coming under control and she hoped there would be no need for France to close the border.
Tourism accounts for about 12% of Spain's economic output and with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the summer season ministers in Madrid have voiced concern after French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Sunday did not rule out closing the border.
"With the latest data we have in Aragon and Catalonia we are a bit more optimistic. Catalonia has already reduced the number of infections over the last three days," Maroto told an event organised by Europa Press news agency.
"Let's hope that with this better data we don't have to close a border that for us is very important for mobility with our European partners."
Catalonia's regional capital Barcelona has cut the number of people allowed onto the city's beaches after crowds flocked to the seaside at the weekend despite advice to stay home to curb a local rise in COVID-19 infections.
The wealthy northeastern region, which borders France, has been at the heart of a rebound in Coronavirus cases since Spain lifted a nationwide lockdown one month ago, with almost 7,000 new cases, nearly half of those nationwide in the last 14 days, Health Ministry data shows.
