Greece faces fourth wave as Germany, Czech Republic battle virus surge
Flu is back in Europe even as it fights Covid
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the country has been hit by the "fourth wave" of the virus as Europe continues to reel under the coronavirus pandemic.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged his countrymen to get vaccinated amid rising hospitalisations in the country. Germany,which has been hit by surging COVID-19 cases, reported a record-high 39,676 cases.
The French government has pushed for booster shots for over 65-year-olds to enter restaurants, trains and for attendingcultural events and has urged those over 50 to get the third jab.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis asserted that his government was focused on increasing the vaccination rate while conceding the country was facing the fourth wave.
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Reports said COVID-19 cases have also surged in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovakia reported over 7,000 coronavirus cases as the Czech Republic recorded over 14,000 cases amid increased hospitalisations.
Hungary reported over 8,300 coronavirus infections as eastern Europe continues to grapple with the virus.
The death toll in both countries has climbed in the past few days as some hospitals reported they were halting non-urgent care due to pressure onhospitals to admit coronavirus patients.
The virus has now claimed over 5 million lives worldwide since it was first reported in China in December 2019. The US is the hardest-hit country in the world with 757,400 deaths followed by Brazil with 609,756 fatalities.
(With inputs from Agencies)