ARCHIVED - Spain and Portugal suffering the worst third waves of the pandemic in Europe
Incidence rates have levelled off or fallen in all other European countries since the New Year
In most of Europe the start of 2021 has heralded a gradual decrease in coronavirus incidence rates, with the upward curve of the second wave having been first flattened and then reversed since November or December, but according to data published this week Spain and Portugal are the only countries in which the new year has been marked by continuing and significant increases.
Measuring the severity of the current pandemic situation in terms of the number of cases reported per million inhabitants per day, the worst affected country in Europe at present is reported to be Portugal at 1,025, following a sharp increase since the end of last year. Second on the list are Sweden and Slovenia, but in the former the rate has dropped significantly in recent weeks and in the latter the figures have remained more or less stable since October, while Spain is ranked fourth with a rate of 733 after a dramatic increase over the course of the last three weeks.