A man wearing a face mask uses an ATM in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Oct. 14, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)
-- Germany reports new record of 11,287 new COVID-19 cases;
-- Number of daily infections tops 9,000 in Netherlands;
-- Hungary's daily COVID-19 infections hit new high at 2,032;
-- Belgium sees 3,274 COVID-19 patients now in hospital.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.
BERLIN -- New COVID-19 infections in Germany reached a new record and increased by 11,287 within one day to a total of 392,049, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.
During the first COVID-19 wave in spring, the highest number of daily infections in Germany had been recorded at the end of March with 6,294 new infections, according to the RKI, the federal government agency for disease control and prevention.
"The situation overall has become very serious," said RKI President Lothar Wieler during a press conference on Thursday. "At present, we still have a chance to slow down the further spread of the virus."
A man looks at a windmill in Zaandijk, the Netherlands, Aug. 7, 2020. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)
THE HAGUE -- The daily number of COVID-19 infections in the Netherlands reached a new high of 9,283, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced on Thursday.
The new daily record from Wednesday to Thursday was 526 higher than the number of infections from the previous 24-hour period. The RIVM also reported 46 deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, compared with 59 a day earlier.
Last Tuesday, the Dutch government announced a "partial lockdown" to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. Cafes and restaurants remain closed for one month starting from last Wednesday.
People wearing face masks are seen at a shopping mall in Budapest, Hungary on Oct. 4, 2020. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
BUDAPEST -- Hungary registered 2,032 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a new daily record number since the outbreak of the epidemic in the country, according to the government's coronavirus information website.
Figures from the website showed that the total number of confirmed cases since the COVID-19 outbreak in Hungary stood at 52,212, with 15,254 recoveries and 1,305 fatalities. Currently, 2,132 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospital, 197 of whom are on ventilators.
The website called on Hungarians to strictly observe social distancing guidelines and hygiene regulations. The elderly are asked to pay particular attention to protecting themselves while observing general regulations, and visits are prohibited at nursing homes and hospitals.
BA pedestrian walks past a sign reminding people to wear masks in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)
BRUSSELS -- A total of 3,274 COVID-19 patients are now hospitalized in Belgium, 525 of them in intensive care, public health institute Sciensano reported on Thursday.
All the indicators for COVID-19 are in the red and still evolving.
Over the last seven days, hospital admissions averaged 319 per day.■
