Monday, July 25, 2022 - 09:02

Covid-19 cases soar with warning for the autumn

DELTA
The truth is that Covid has not gone away. A year ago the Delta variant started a new wave which threatened to spread like wildfire. The lifting of restrictions, the return of social mixing on a massive scale, virus fatigue and the mistaken notion that the worst is over have all combined to create a potentially explosive situation. The autumn and winter months need to be watched very closely.

RELAXED
This relaxed approach to the virus is reflected in the different rules applied in different countries. In Gibraltar, for example, it is no longer a requirement for passengers to wear a mask on public transport, neither is it the case in the United Kingdom. However in Spain masks must still be worn on buses, aircraft, trains and taxis. This makes for a particularly confusing situation.
TESTING
State sponsored testing and contact tracing programs have been cut to the bare minimum. The huge expense of such programs had become unsustainable in many countries where Covid-related expenses have led to unprecedented level of debt. This has happened in Gibraltar too, where the cost of keeping people safe during the pandemic has already topped £360 million. But less testing also means that less cases are identified and the reliance on self-testing means that not every positive case will come forward.
TRIPLED
Over the last six weeks the number of cases in the European Region of the WHO have tripled with nearly three million new cases reported last week. Hospitalisation rates have doubled, although intensive care admissions have remained largely unchanged. The Regional Director of WHO for Europe has been blunt and clear cut: “If health authorities act now, they can help reduce the anticipated disruptions to society, including health worker absences and overburdened health systems, struggling businesses and travel chaos.”