Europe marks grim record of 100m COVID-19 cases

PARIS－Europe on Saturday has recorded over 100 million coronavirus cases, more than a third of all infections worldwide, since the start of the pandemic, according to a tally from Agence France-Presse.

The continent is battling an upsurge in cases spurred on by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The European region, including 52 countries and territories from the Atlantic coast to Azerbaijan and Russia, has recorded more than 100 million COVID-19 infections by Saturday.

More than 4.9 million cases have been reported over the past seven days alone, with 17 countries and territories beating their previous case records in a single week.

France alone has recorded more than 1 million new cases over the past week, which is equivalent to 10 percent of all its positive cases since the start of the pandemic.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in France on Saturday surpassed the 10 million mark, with 219,126 new cases detected in the latest 24-hour period. It is the fourth consecutive day that France reported a daily count of over 200,000 cases.

The French Health Ministry announced that almost 53 million people have received at least one vaccine dose by Saturday, about 78.5 percent of the population. Almost 25 million have received booster shots.

In new measures, it will be mandatory for those from the age of 6 to wear face masks in certain public areas beginning on Monday. With school starting next Monday, the government has also asked schools to prioritize physical activities outdoors when possible.

The countries with the highest ratio of infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the world were all in Europe. Denmark scored worst with 2,045, followed by Cyprus with 1,969 and Ireland with 1,964.

However, deaths related to COVID-19 are decreasing in Europe. It recorded on average 3,413 coronavirus deaths a day over the past week, a 7 percent drop from the previous week. At its worst, that average saw 5,735 deaths a day in January last year.

Celebrations dampened

Overall, more people are vaccinated on the European continent than the worldwide average. Sixty-five percent of Europeans are partially vaccinated, while 61 percent are fully vaccinated－more than the 58 and 49 percent respectively worldwide, according to online tracker Our World in Data. Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization estimates that the overall death toll worldwide could be two to three times higher.

Around the world, virus surges dampened New Year's celebrations, with events canceled and tens of millions spending the holidays under some form of restrictions.

The UK government has put in place some precautions but has so far refused to curb socializing and large events despite record case numbers.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have all rolled out new rules limiting gatherings since Christmas.

Despite virus concerns, people in many parts of the world have grown increasingly weary of restrictions, sparking regular protests and defiance in some countries.

Dutch police broke up a rave that was attended by hundreds in a disused factory on Saturday in breach of COVID-19 rules, local media reported.

Dozens of police officers entered the makeshift venue in the central town of Rijswijk with hundreds more mobilized to shepherd people away, reported NOS television. The rave attracted people from far and wide.

In Germany's Stuttgart city, about 100 activists attempted to stage an unauthorized protest against COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions.

Agencies - Xinhua