Here’s how Covid-19 is hitting hospitals in five key European countries

However, the introduction of vaccinations has kept hospital admissions well below the level seen in the first few months of 2021.

As a result, Europe presents a nuanced picture as governments prepare for a possible surge in cases in the autumn and winter months.

Here is the situation in five major European countries.

The UK

After starting one of Europe’s longest and strictest lockdowns in 2021, the UK lifted virtually all remaining restrictions in July, despite a surge in cases. Major events and nightclubs can operate without distancing measures, and masking requirements are no longer required in most public places. At the beginning of September, according to official information, daily recordings of Covid-19 patients reached a moving seven-day average of 1,000 for the first time since February.

But the heavy roll-out of vaccination in the UK has kept the numbers well below the winter peak. More than 4,000 people with the virus were being admitted to UK hospitals every day in January, although cases were only marginally higher than they are now.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that restrictions could return in winter if the country’s National Health Service (NHS) is at risk of being overwhelmed. “Covid is still out there. Unfortunately, the disease still remains a risk,” he said at a press conference.

France

Hospital admissions in France rose during August amid warnings of a fourth wave of the virus hitting facilities across the country. By the end of the month, there were more than 11,000 people with Covid-19 in hospitals.

But hospital admissions showed some signs of flattening in September. The total number of patients is back below 10,000 – far from the surge in the country in April when it cared for more than 30,000.

France has put strict restrictions on unvaccinated people in place to spur adoption. As of Thursday, health workers must be fully vaccinated and “health cards” are required to enter restaurants or travel long distances.

The government has confirmed that around 3,000 healthcare workers were suspended after missing the deadline for full vaccination.

Italy

Italy faced a huge spike in hospital admissions in April, with more than 32,000 people being admitted to the country’s health facilities. The number of patients then dropped to a low of around 1,250 in mid-July before rising again in recent weeks, according to Our World in Data.

The country has seen close to 5,000 hospitalizations in the past few days.

After being hit hard in the initial stages of the first wave, Italy was one of the first countries to reopen to visitors in 2020. In 2021, entry was largely restricted to residents of the European Union as well as a select list of non-EU countries, including the US, Canada, Japan and the UK.

Italy on Thursday became the first country in Europe to require proof of vaccination, negative test or recent recovery from infection for all public and private sector workers. The rule is designed to convince more people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and is set to go into effect on October 15.

“This is to do this [work] Making places safer and making the vaccination campaign even stronger, “said Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza. He called the decree” a strategy that points to the vaccine as the fundamental key to the start of a new season. “About 75% of the Italian population ages 12 and older are currently fully vaccinated, according to government figures.

Ireland

Ireland has fared better than some of its closest neighbors in terms of case numbers and deaths, which are among the lowest in Europe – largely thanks to one of Europe’s toughest lockdowns during the pandemic.

Together with its EU counterparts, it is now open to visitors again. Hospital admissions have increased since then, but are still lower than in previous waves.

There are now signs of a plateau in hospital admissions – there were about 60 people in intensive care units each day in September, compared to a high of 221 in January.

Unlike the neighboring United Kingdom, Ireland still limits capacity for large indoor and outdoor events, including sporting events.

Ireland’s restrictions are due to be relaxed from September 20th, allowing fully vaccinated people to meet indoors in groups of up to 100 people. Starting October 22, the government plans to lift the last remaining restrictions on face covering, social distancing and large gatherings.

Denmark

Denmark essentially returned to pre-pandemic life this month, allowing citizens to enter nightclubs and restaurants without showing a “Covid Pass”, use public transport without a face covering, and meet in large numbers without restrictions.

It’s too early to say whether this move will result in a significant increase in cases and hospital stays. The number of hospital patients in Denmark has risen over 100 in the last few weeks – again a small fraction of the previous wave in January when almost 1,000 people were in hospital.

The transmission rate, or R-rate, is currently 0.7, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke tweeted on Wednesday, which means the epidemic continues to shrink. If it’s above 1.0, Covid-19 cases will increase in the near future. If it’s below 1.0, cases will decrease in the near future.

“The vaccines and the great efforts made by all of Denmark’s citizens over a long period of time are the basis for our doing so well,” said Heunicke.

The country has had far lower case numbers than its neighbor Sweden, which became an outlier in Western Europe when it opposed a strict lockdown in 2020. But the two nations are now roughly in line on hospital admissions.

CNN’s Sarah Dean, Nicolo Ruotolo and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to the coverage.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/18/heres-how-covid-19-is-hitting-hospitals-in-five-key-european-countries/