#Coronavirus #Covid_19 #CovidInEurope #Geopolitics #GeopoliticalMatters #GeopoliticalNews
Renewed Covid countermeasures are being deployed across Europe putting hopes of a much needed post-covid recovery firmly on hold while individual member states deploy various regional and partial lockdowns and with some mooting possible curfews.
The virus has risen again, with renewed vigour with hospital admissions up and the m-rate (mortality) rising too across the union and the UK.
It is an unenviable catch 22 situation where all governments balance their responsibilities to safeguard their nationals at the same trying to avoid uncharted economic meltdown with individual countries striving to find the most effective combination of measures including local lockdowns, test-and-trace initiatives, economic support and public information campaigns all designed to drive down infections as winter looms.
UK
As the UK government unveils its chosen protocols including its the three-tier system of lockdowns to deal with the "twindemic" in line with a range of countermeasures being invoked across Europe with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling the assembled press corp that the government had no plans to invoke a full national lockdown in England despite 17,000* new cases (*Figures correct as at 13th October 2020)
Circuit-breaker
The Prime Ministers comments fly in the face of an impassioned plea from the opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer, for a “circuit-breaker” lockdown and advice from its own scientific advisers, who have told the government that a two week full lockdown could reduce deaths for the rest of the year from about *19,900 to *12,100. (Source: The Times)
Brexit
Just when things couldn't get much worse in Europe, European Union leaders meeting in Brussels this coming Thursday and Friday (15th & 16th October 2020) to discuss Brexit are expected to report that the progress made by the UK and the EU is nowhere near sufficient to get anywhere near agreeing a final trade deal before the UKs effective "withdrawal agreement" ends on the 31st December this year.
Elsewhere in Europe
All EU member governments are imposing some sort of restrictions but notably The Netherlands, which is suffering one of the worst surges is planning to impose a month-long partial lockdown and the Czech government has announced the closure of schools, bars and clubs for three weeks
About Iain Fraser
Geopolitical Journalist & Risk Analyst based in Málaga City, Spain. Currently interim CIO at Argus News Group and Consultant Editor at GEOPoliticalMatters.comas well as being an authority contributor to various websites and magazines across the Defence, Cybercrime & European Political sectors. More at https://iainfraserjournalist.blogspot.comor on LinkedIn
Nota Bene: In keeping with our overall editorial policy of the Argus News Group, all facts and figures quoted by GEOPoliticalMatters.com have been judiciously sourced and thoroughly Fact Checked and were accurate at the time of posting, although this data may be subject to retrospective corrections. All readers are advised to use all data, wherever sourced, with caution.
Image Credit: Edgar Jiménez
