WHO urges Europe to take action due to new wave of coronavirus

Because of the omicron strain, a new coronavirus wave has begun in European countries, the European Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) Hans Kluge said.

Kluge called on the European countries to raise the vaccination levels among the population, as well as to make mask wearing mandatory again.

According to the WHO, the omicron strain of coronavirus is still dominant. Over the past six weeks, the number of new COVID-19 infections in the European Region has tripled, and hospitalization rates have doubled over the same period. The organization notes that the number of patients among the elderly continues to grow, and in Europe, about 3,000 people die every week from coronavirus.

So, WHO decided to present the autumn-winter strategy for COVID-19. As Kluge noted, it may be too late if countries start to act in the fall. Among the proposals of the organization are the increase in vaccination of the population, administration of a second booster dose to immunocompromised individuals aged 5 years and older and to individuals at risk, as well as encouraging them to wear masks indoors and on public transport, etc.

If health authorities act now, they can help reduce the likelihood of the shortage of medical workers and overburdened health systems, business problems and travel chaos, Kluge said in a statement.

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