The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned of “alarming rates of transmission” of Covid-19 across Europe, saying that countries should not shorten quarantine periods.
The European chapter of the WHO said that the September case numbers “should serve as a wake-up call for all of us.” These numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said. But it also shows “alarming rates of transmission across the region,” he told reporters.
The organization said it is also concerned about countries which decided to shorten quarantine requirements.
The European Union warned governments on September 2 not to reduce the 14-day quarantine for people infected with Covid-19. Some people develop the infection even after two weeks, the head of the bloc’s health agency said, signaling a new surge in cases in Europe.
Germany had informed EU authorities that it planned on shortening the quarantine length, following similar moves by the Netherlands and Norway.
As of Thursday, more than 29.94 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally, and 938,291 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
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