(CN) — With the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic nearing 1 million, Europe is once again becoming a hotspot as several European nations report thousands of new infections each day.
By Friday, about 989,000 deaths worldwide had been linked to Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. With more than 5,000 deaths reported each day, the world is set to reach the grim milestone of 1 million deaths by early next week.
At a Friday news briefing, a top World Health Organization official said it isn't unrealistic that another million people could die in the pandemic.
“It's certainly unimaginable but it's not impossible because if we look at losing a million people in nine months and we just look at the realities of getting vaccine out there in the next nine months, it's a big task for everyone involved,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO chief for emergencies.
But he stressed governments and citizens can “drive transmission down,” save lives and prevent the death toll from doubling. The WHO is urging nations to take a comprehensive approach in combating the virus, which includes frequent hand washing, physical distancing, rigorous testing, quarantines and better treatment of sick patients.
The resurgence of infections in Europe is a cruel reminder of just how contagious and pernicious the virus is even on a continent where many of the steps meant to drive down transmission have been taken. At the start of summer, there was hope Europe had its outbreaks under control, but after a summer when many Europeans let down their guard and went on vacation the virus is making a strong comeback.
“It's getting tough again,” said Roberto Speranza, the Italian health minister, after a conference with other European health ministers on Thursday. “The situation in Europe is serious and it can't be taken lightly. The numbers of contagion have grown constantly in the past few weeks.”
It's an uneasy moment with Europe in danger of heading right back to where it was last spring during its darkest days of the pandemic. For now, the surge in infections has not led to a wave of serious sickness and death, but health experts warn that is likely to take place without new restrictions and as Europe heads into the flu season and colder months.
Spain is in the midst of Europe's worst outbreak. It's been reporting high caseloads since early August, ranging from more than 3,000 to more than 11,000 new cases a day. Lockdowns are in effect in parts of the country. On Thursday, it reported more than 10,000 new infections. It's also seen an increase in deaths. Since Monday, more than 500 people have died from the virus.
In Madrid, with hospitals under strain as the number of virus patients swells, workers are racing to build a new infectious disease hospital to handle 1,000 patients. The government is also preparing to use field hospitals.
On Friday, the United Kingdom reported 6,634 new Covid-19 cases, its highest caseload since April. A day earlier, France set a record for new cases: 16,096 new infections. French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned that a new national lockdown may be needed. “You don't play around with a pandemic,” he told France 2, a French broadcaster.
Reactions to Europe's response are mixed. In places, many feel let down by government measures. For example, in Greece, scores of students have walked out of classes to protest back-to-school orders, complaining of poorly ventilated and overcrowded classrooms. In Madrid, health workers staged a protest against unsafe working conditions.
Conversely, many see the restrictions as going too far and there have been protests in the U.K., Spain, Germany and elsewhere against mask mandates and lockdowns. In a new twist, several young Dutch celebrities, including model and rapper Famke Louise, caused a stir after saying they would no longer obey restrictions.
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