Health

Europe considers extending restrictions amid rising covid-19 infection rates

Madrid Desk Jan 4 (efe-epa).- The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to peak in several European countries, such as Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy, although experts warn that the true impact of social gatherings during the holiday period is yet to be truly felt.

BELGIUM

Belgian authorities will convene on Friday to evaluate the state of the pandemic following declining infection and death rates over the holiday period.

Officials do not currently plan to relax the restrictions that have been in place for almost three months that have seen restaurants, gyms and hairdressers close.

Belgian Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, explained on Monday that the indicators are going in the right direction but warned the measures will not be relaxed.

Belgium has been enforcing a night curfew since mid-October, restricting social contacts to a minimum, keeping the hotel industry closed and making working from home compulsory.

The country started its main vaccination campaign on Monday, following the test phase of 300-400 vaccinations which began December 27.

The first group to be immunised will be elderly people in nursing homes.

GREECE

Greek health authorities have detected the first four cases of the new, highly infectious strain of Covid-19 that was detected in the United Kingdom last month during virus screenings of two flights arriving from the UK.

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