U.K., Czech Republic, Italy to Toughen Rules as Cases Surge

(Bloomberg) --

U.K., Czech and Italian residents are going to face tighter restrictions in the coming days as European leaders step up efforts to stem a surge in coronavirus cases across the continent.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a statement to lawmakers on Monday as he prepared to introduce a three-tier local lockdown system that will expand restrictions beyond the hardest hit areas. Parts of the north are expected to face the harshest curbs, which may include closures of some hospitality venues, and restrictions on traveling outside of local areas, according to the Sun newspaper.

The country is at a “tipping point” similar to the one in March, U.K.’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, wrote in an op-ed on Sunday. “But we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act,” he said.

Record cases in many parts of Europe are prompting renewed restriction on a lockdown-weary public. Virus hot spots like the U.K., Spain and Italy initially used national lockdowns to stem the spread, but an easing of those measures and a return to summer travel have left them battling a new surge in cases. Still, fatalities from Covid-19 are nowhere near peak levels suffered in March and April.

In the Czech Republic, the government on Monday will decide further measures after banning cultural and sports events, shutting some schools and ordering bars and restaurants to close at 8 p.m. The nation reported a record 8,618 new infections on Friday and has leapfrogged Spain as the European Union’s top hot spot based on cases per capita.

Italy’s government is reviewing additional measures including restrictions on private parties, amateur sport activities and social gatherings as daily new infections are increasing at levels last seen in April, SkyTG24 reported. Earlier this month, the government extended emergency powers until Jan. 31 and made wearing face masks outdoors compulsory nationwide.

Spain has been among the hardest hit countries in the so-called second wave, with the capital of Madrid at the heart of the current outbreak. The central government imposed a state of emergency on the region on Friday to restrict movement in some towns, including the capital city. The regional government has resisted some of the new measures, which have sparked local protests.

Authorities in Navarra in Northern Spain said they plan to reduce capacity to 30% in restaurants and bars, which must now close by 10 p.m. and limit social gatherings to no more than six people, according to El Mundo. In Catalonia, the regional government will ask companies to work from home for two weeks and for universities to move to virtual lectures.

Things are no better in Eastern Europe, with Russia, Poland and Hungary also reporting a record high number of daily cases during the weekend.

Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s epidemic, has reopened several temporary hospitals to deal with the influx of new patients, sent schoolchildren home on an unplanned two-week vacation and urged senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems not to go out. The country reported a daily record of 13,634 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, 1,178 more than the previous day.

Poland, with 5,300 new cases recorded on Saturday, will set special shopping hours for the elderly as of Oct. 15, and has made mask-wearing mandatory in public.

Germany, which fared better than most European countries during the initial outbreak, is also seeing a jump in cases. Bars in Berlin were forced to close at 11 p.m. and residents of the German capital may be subject to restrictions on travel to other regions. New cases last week were increasing by the most since early April.

France reported a record for daily cases of almost 27,000 on Saturday. Authorities have tightened curbs beyond Paris and Marseille, adding Lyon, Lille, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble from Saturday. Bars, casinos and exhibitions will close in the affected cities, while restaurants, cinemas and museums face stricter controls.

Risk Assessment

As the pandemic continues to spread, EU members on Tuesday will sign off on a set of common criteria for assessing virus risks on which travel restrictions are based. The non-binding guidelines could offer some relief to the continent’s battered airlines and travelers confused by the patchwork of country-by-country measures.

Under the plan, restriction-free travel will be allowed between regions with fewer than 25 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people for the previous 14 days, and with fewer than 4% of virus tests giving positive results.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.