The pandemic is worsening around the world, despite vaccines

London Despite increasing access to coronavirus vaccines, the pandemic is worsening as the virus spreads and mutates around the world, filling hospitals, devastating economies and forcing governments to issue massive lockdown orders.

Britain is once again in massive quarantine. The number of hospital admissions in Mexico City is higher than ever. Germany registered one of the highest death tolls on Tuesday and Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that the lockdown in the country will last until January 31. South Africa and Brazil no longer have a place to lay the dead, and even Thailand – so far a success in the fight against the disease – is suffering from an unusual wave of infections.

As COVID-19 cases increase in the aftermath of the social gatherings typical of the New Year’s holidays, a new and more contagious variant of the virus, originally discovered in Britain, is emerging in several countries.

January “will be a difficult month,” admitted Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization. “The idea that ‘we’re tired of this, let’s think about something else, this is not going to happen to me’ has to stop. It really is a time when we all need to work together. “

Although Britain launched a second vaccine this week and some states in the United States are starting to apply the second of two doses of one of the vaccines, access to vaccinations around the world is uneven. The supply is nowhere near the huge demand for the injections needed to beat a disease that has already killed 1.85 million people.

“We have an intense pandemic in Europe, an intense pandemic in the United States,” Harris said. “The more a country can reduce the infection rate, the better positioned it will be to make its vaccination strategy successful.”

England is going through its third massive quarantine, which will last at least six weeks this time as authorities try to reduce infections and ease pressure on hospitals, so overwhelmed that in many cases there are patients waiting in ambulances in parking lots. .

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the measures, which will take effect on Tuesday at midnight and provide for the closure of schools, restaurants and all non-essential businesses until at least mid-February. Scottish ruler Nicola Sturgeon has also imposed a quarantine, starting Tuesday.

The two leaders announced that the measures are necessary to protect the National Health Service and to stop the new strain of the virus that has caused a marked increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

The UK’s National Health Service “is probably going through its most difficult period,” said Siva Anandaciva, an analyst at the King’s Fund think tank.

Denmark, fearing the new variant of the virus, reduced the maximum number of people who can concentrate in the same place from 10 to five.

In Italy, where hundreds of people die every day, authorities extended the detention that began at Christmas. Spain has limited travel. France is expected to impose further restrictions on Thursday, and schools and restaurants in Ukraine will be closed from Friday.