Only four European countries countries are now measuring below a crucial level of Covid-19 cases, according the latest figures Monday, as the continent struggles to contain fresh outbreaks.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's (ECDC) coronavirus alarm threshold is 20 cases per 100,000 people on a seven-day average. Beyond that, the agency says, the risk of Covid-19 is high, with a very high probability of infection, while vulnerable individuals face a "very high impact" from the disease.
And the situation is looking precarious. Only Germany (18.4 cases per 100,000), Finland (15.5), Cyprus (14.6) and Norway (13.9) fall below this case threshold, ECDC data showed on Monday. At the other end of the scale are the Czech Republic (167.6), the Netherlands (140.3) and France (120.3).
The death rate has also been rising in Europe and sustained increases in case levels have been recorded in 27 countries, the agency said Thursday in its weekly report.
