Europe Battles to Contain Virus as Court Blocks Madrid Curbs
France and Spain posted record increases in coronavirus cases, raising alarm in the region as it loses control of the pandemic.
(Bloomberg) -- European countries from Spain to Ukraine posted record increases in coronavirus cases as a court struck down new restrictions in Madrid, underscoring the challenges the continent faces in controlling the pandemic.
Local authorities are being pushed to take the lead in limiting late-night activity, as national politicians fear that more wide-ranging measures could result in another collapse in economic activity. Several cities, including Paris and Berlin, have imposed stricter rules to try to rein in the socializing blamed for helping spread the disease.
In a setback for Spain’s efforts to contain the surge, a court on Thursday blocked national government efforts to force Madrid to apply curbs on movement in one of Europe’s major virus hotspots, ruling that such restrictions affect fundamental constitutional rights.
Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, who favored a more piecemeal approach, called for immediate talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration to help draft a new order by Friday. In televised comments after the court order was published, Ayuso urged Madrid residents not to leave the city.
Spain as a whole reported a record 5,075 new cases on Wednesday, while infections in Germany in the past 24 hours exceeded 4,000 for the first time since early April. Daily infections in France increased by 18,746, bringing the seven-day rolling average to the highest level yet.
President Emmanuel Macron’s government ordered bars in Paris to close for a two-week period and said more curbs will be announced later on Thursday. The Czech Republic is also considering additional steps, while Poland made wearing masks in public compulsory and will limit the number of visitors in restaurants and pubs from Saturday.
“There must be more restrictions such as the ones put in place” in the region of Marseille, where bars and restaurants were shut, Macron said in a TF1 interview.
France’s health minister will announce measures on Thursday that will focus on places where the virus is circulating faster among elderly people and where hospitals are the fullest, Macron said.
Like Paris, Berlin is fighting against a surge in infections and will close bars at 11 p.m., starting on Saturday. The German capital has one of the worst outbreaks in the country, with 52.8 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days as of Thursday, according to the local authority.
It’s the first time the incidence has risen above 50 and means Berlin is now considered a high-risk area. Residents may be subject to restrictions on travel to other regions, such as not being able to use hotels unless they can provide a negative test.
In a sign of how seriously Chancellor Angela Merkel is treating the situation, she will consult Friday with officials from major German cities.
Coronavirus infections across the whole of Germany climbed by 4,010 in the 24 hours through Thursday morning, the highest since April 10, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The numbers are “very worrying,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a briefing. While ruling out the idea of a second national lockdown, Spahn called for targeted local restrictions and appealed to individuals to avoid situations where the virus is likely to spread, such as indoor gatherings and poorly ventilated areas.
Across Germany’s eastern border, the Czech Republic on Thursday posted a record 5,335 new cases for the previous day. The country’s 14-day cumulative number of cases per capita is now the highest in the EU, surpassing Spain. To the west, the Netherlands for the first time added more than 5,000 cases in one day.
Austria also recorded a record number of daily infections on Thursday, with Vienna accounting for more than half of the 1,209 new cases. Ukraine recorded an additional 5,397 infections, which is also the highest one-day total.
In Italy -- where numbers have been more contained than in some neighboring countries -- the government extended emergency powers to Jan. 31 and made wearing face masks outdoors compulsory nationwide.
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