Covid curbs in several European countries were lowered too aggressively, thereby causing a rise in cases likely due to the more transmissible BA2 variant, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.
As a result of a "perfect storm" of government restrictions being lifted, waning immunity, and the more contagious BA.2 Omicron subvariant, COVID-19 cases have surged.
Europe is moving fast to exit the emergency coronavirus measures that have disrupted all aspects of life for the past two years, a recognition that the measures have been largely futile against the omicron variant.
Europe’s biggest countries are introducing more curbs to fight a surge in COVID-19 infections, from another lockdown in the Netherlands to stricter travel restrictions at the height of the holiday period.
The European Union approved its fifth Covid-19 vaccine Monday, stepping up its battle against the Omicron virus variant as the WHO called for greater efforts to ensure the pandemic ends next year.