Traffic will pass Avenue Champs Elysee near the Arc de Triomph in Paris, France on Friday, March 19, 2021. French President Emmanuel Macron is shutting down several regions, including the Paris region, slowing the country’s economic recovery while a third wave of the coronavirus epidemic. Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy / Bloomberg via Getty Images
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LONDON – Warnings of an exponential rise in infections for Germany and another month-long lockdown in Paris have underscored the dire situation in Europe as the coronavirus rises again.
The variant first discovered in the UK is seen as the reason for the new spike. The strain is said to be much more virulent than the original.
The French capital and the north of the country will enter another lockdown on Friday, although schools and essential stores remain open.
The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country rose above 25,000 this week for the first time since November.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a relaxation of lockdowns in March. Then the number of infections per 100,000 people for seven days was 65.
But that number now stands at 96, and there is real fear that Easter infections could reflect what they were at Christmas.
“The rising number of cases may mean that we cannot take further opening steps in the coming weeks,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a news conference on Friday, Reuters said.
“On the contrary, we may even have to take steps back.”
Poland has also seen a massive increase in infections: about 52% of new cases are related to the variant from Great Britain, according to Reuters.
The total number of cases for the country being pushed went over 2 million on Friday, with 25,998 in the past 24 hours.
– CNBC’s Bryn Bache contributed to this article.