A new wave of lockdowns and business closings swept across France, Germany and other places in Europe on as surging coronavirus infections there and in the U.S. wipe out months of progress against the scourge on two continents. Todd Richmond and Frank Jordans report.
“We are deep in the second wave," the European Commission President said. “I think that this year’s Christmas will be a different Christmas."
France has announced a full nationwide lockdown for the second time this year and German officials imposed a partial four-week lockdown as governments across Europe sought to stop a fast-rising tide of infections and deaths.
Switzerland, Italy, Bulgaria and Greece have closed or otherwise clamped down again on nightspots and imposed other restrictions such as curfews and mandatory mask-wearing. Madrid and other parts of Spain banned all but essential travel in and out of their regions.
With cases surging in many central European countries, soldiers, firefighters, students and retired doctors are being asked to help shore up buckling health care systems.
Even before the pandemic, many central European countries faced a tragic shortage of medical personnel due to years of underfunding in their public health sectors and an exodus of doctors and nurses to better paying jobs in Western Europe, Karel Janicek in the Czech Republic and Vanessa Gera in Poland report.
In the U.S., where practically every state is seeing a rise in cases, hard-hit Wisconsin has been reduced to pleading with people to stay home, after an order the governor issued in the spring was overturned by the courts. Illinois' governor banned indoor dining and drinking in Chicago this week. Other states are also considering reimposing restrictions.
India's Spiraling Cases: The world's second most populous nation now has a confirmed coronavirus caseload that has surpassed 8 million as concerns grew over a major Hindu festival season and winter setting in. India’s trajectory is moving toward the worst-hit country, the United States, which has over 8.8 million cases, Ashok Sharma reports from New Delhi.
Australia Travel Ban: The country has sought to prevent new cases from reaching its shores by banning most residents from leaving in the first place. The ban creates a heartbreaking burden on a multicultural population, where around half the country was born overseas or has an immigrant parent. With Australia becoming one of the most successful countries in containing the spread of the virus, some are questioning how long the ban can be justified, Rod McGuirk reports.
