"What's the point of getting vaccinated?" There are a lot of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Europe..

As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection disease (COVID-19) in Europe intensifies, restrictions from each country are being strengthened. Many countries in Europe have significantly eased or lifted quarantine measures since September as the vaccination rate increases. However, as soon as the quarantine is lifted, there are a number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in each country. As the number of hospitalized patients increased, countries were on alert.

According to AP and Reuters on the 18th (local time), Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said that the number of new confirmed cases in its country reached 65,371 on the same day. This is the first time that the number of confirmed patients per day has exceeded 60,000 since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Germany. "We're heading for a serious emergency right now. If we don't take countermeasures now, we're going to have a really terrible Christmas," RKI Director Lotta Biller said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also described the current situation as dramatic the previous day, expressing concern that the fourth wave is hitting Germany. Accordingly, Chancellor Merkel and 16 state branches will discuss countermeasures on the same day.

The Belgian government also announced a policy to strengthen restrictive measures such as mandatory telecommuting and expansion of mask wear the previous day. As a result, telecommuting will be mandatory for most private and public sectors for three weeks from the 20th. From the 13th of next month, the number of telecommuting days will be reduced to three days a week. In all indoor public places, such as cafes and restaurants, you should wear a mask except in some cases, such as sitting in a seat and eating food or exercising. The age subject to application is also wider than before than 10 years old.

Date: 2021-11-15

Reporter: 신정훈