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| COVID-19 restriction measures in the European Union. Photo by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre. |
The European Union Center at the University of Illinois strives to be a resource regarding European and European Union issues. As such, we have organized a group of U of I student volunteers with expertise and/or ties to various European regions or nations to keep track of statistics and developments. Each week we will post their findings to the EUC
blog.
Contributing students: Maria Arruti Iparraguirre, Pamela Binda, Margarita Kuzmanova, Evelyn Lamb, Lara Morgan, Sean Norris, Quinn O'Dowd, Shawna Oliver, Alejandra-Isabel Otero Pires, and Charlotte Prieu
APRIL 16, 2020
EUROPE (Overview)
Reported by Lucas Henry, Coordinator of Academic Programs, European Union Center. Lucas is also a PhD candidate in musicology, with a research focus on European popular music, music festivals, and European Union cultural policy.
European Union, European Economic Area, and United Kingdom
Total reported cases: 878,222 (Last week: 697,732)
COVID-19 related deaths: 89,825 (Last week: 64,010)
The EU/EEA/UK has 40.6% (last week: 44.6%) of the global total of reported cases and 60.7% (last week: 67.3%) of global total of COVID-19 related deaths.
Europe (EU, EEA, UK, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Turkey, Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City)
Total reported cases: 1,031,744 (last week: 787,544)
COVID-19 related deaths: 93,304 (last week: 66,115)
Europe as a continent has 48.2% (last week: 50.3%) of the global total of reported cases and 63.2% (last week: 69.5%) of global total of COVID-19 related deaths.
SOURCE:
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: https://qap.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/COVID-19.html
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel delivered their roadmap suggesting a cohesive strategy for the lifting of COVID-19 containment measures. They suggest that member state actions should be based on science and prioritize public health over societal and economic criteria, and that all actions be coordinated between the 27 member states of the European Union. They also suggested that all action be gradual, and should start with actions specific to local rather than national levels. Also, they suggested a gradual return to Schengen Area border controls, first for essential workers and goods, next for EU citizens that fall into non-essential categories, and last for non-EU residents.
However, many European Union member states began easing coronavirus lockdown procedures well ahead of the release of von der Leyen’s and Michel’s roadmap. Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, and Poland all took actions opening up sectors of the economy, and Denmark has even reopened schools and daycare centers. Add to this list Sweden, which had never imposed strict lockdown procedures from the beginning of the crisis. These challenges reveal how little competence the European Union has regarding public health policy.
SOURCES:
WESTERN BALKANS
Report by Alejandra Pires. Alejandra is a PhD candidate in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, with a research focus on Soviet cinema and literature. She teaches first- and second-year Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
Albania
Total reported cases: 494 (last week: 400)
COVID-19 related deaths: 25 (last week: 22)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Total reported cases: 1100 (last week: 816)
COVID-19 related deaths: 40 (last week: 35)
Croatia
Total reported cases: 1741 (last week: 1343)
COVID-19 related deaths: 34 (last week: 19)
Kosovo
Total reported cases: 423 (last week: 184)
COVID-19 related deaths: 9 (last week: 5)
Montenegro
Total reported cases: 288 (last week: 249)
COVID-19 related deaths: 4 (last week: 2)
North Macedonia
Total reported cases: 974 (last week: 617)
COVID-19 related deaths: 45 (last week: 30)
Serbia
Total reported cases: 4873 (last week: 2666)
COVID-19 related deaths: 99 (last week: 65)
Slovenia
Total reported cases: 1248 (last week: 1091)
COVID-19 related deaths: 61 (last week: 40)
SOURCE:
North Macedonia is the first country in the Western Balkans (though not the first in Europe, or the world) to develop and app, called StopKorona!, to help control the spread of Covid-19. The app alerts users when they’re in the vicinity of someone who has been diagnosed with the disease, and was downloaded for the 5000 times on its first day of use. The main concern with regards to using this app and others is data privacy. While this app, specifically, allows users to decide for themselves whether they want to report their info to the Ministry of Health, worries linger. Thus, a new challenge arises in order to maintain user privacy while utilizing the proven effectiveness of such apps.
SOURCE:
Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, recently discussed the loosening of restrictions put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, pensioners had been confined to their homes since they are the population most at risk. Vučić’s statements indicate that restrictions on their movements would be partially lifted. With Orthodox Easter right around the corner, many in Serbia are keen to celebrate, given that it’s a major religious holiday for most citizens. While the president was reluctant to lift restrictions any further, he noted that he had discussed matters with the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej, and would discuss matter with him further. The president was adamant that priests would not be arrested, should they break curfew or lockdown.
SOURCE:
BULGARIA
Report by Margarita Kuzmanova. Margarita is a freshman majoring in Aerospace Engineering.
Total reported cases: 800 (last week: 618)
COVID-19 related deaths: 38 (last week: 24)
Confirmed recoveries: 122 (last week: 48)
The situation largely remains unchanged with Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, being the epicenter of the spread of the virus through the country. It is said that the peak of COVID-19 in the country is projected to be on April 20th. The projection for total deaths is 66, meaning there will be no shortages of beds or medical personel in hospitals. The experts say that the projection is to remain valid as long as the previous enforced restrictions are executed.
SOURCE:
CZECH REPUBLIC
Report by Quinn O’Dowd. Quinn is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Sociology, studying tourism and consumption.
Total reported cases: 6359 (last week: 5467)
COVID-19 related deaths: 169 (last week: 112)
Confirmed recoveries: 972 (last week: 301)
SOURCE:
Epidemiologist Roman Prymula asserted that the border to some countries such as Croatia and Slovakia could be opened in the summer, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš rebuffed this claim, saying it was not a priority at the moment. Currently Prague maternity wards are allowing fathers in the delivery room as long, as they wear a surgical mask and do not display any COVID-19 symptoms. According to Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch, hackers have tried to hack into some hospitals and the Ministry of Health. Although Vojtěch claims that the hackers were thwarted, The National Office for Cyber and Information Security warned of the increased threat of attacks to hospitals.
SOURCE:
FRANCE
Report by Charlotte Prieu. Charlotte is a PhD candidate in French linguistics in the Department of French and Italian.
Total reported cases: 108,847 (last week: 86,334); 6248 currently in intensive care units
COVID-19 related deaths: 17,920 (last week: 12,210)
Confirmed recoveries: 32,812 (last week: 23,206)
SOURCE:
In a speech to the nation on April 13th, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the lockdown would be extended to at least May 11th. However, he excluded a general end of lockdown but instead endorsed a progressive return to a more normal situation. People would have to wear masks to go outside, especially in public transportation, but some activities could go back to normal. People who are considered at-risk would have to stay on lockdown for an indefinite period. He also announced that families experiencing financial difficulties and health workers will be supported by the government but the details have to be worked out.
Following the President's speech, the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer has expanded on how K-12 schools' reopening would proceed, starting on May 11th. There are many uncertainties at this point in time and Blanquer had announced, two weeks earlier, that the baccalauréat (national high school diploma) would not be a national exam this year but would be graded through continuous assessment. This way, students would not need to sit in crowded classes for several hours at a time. However, some other national competitive exams, such as business school and med school entry exams and exams to become a teacher will be modified but maintained. Universities will not reopen until Fall 2020.
SOURCES:
GERMANY
Report by Evelyn Lamb, Sean Norris, and Shawna Oliver.
Evelyn is a sophomore majoring in economics and Germanic studies, with a minor in art history. She plans to pursue graduate studies in German.
Sean is a junior majoring in global studies and German.
Shawna is a senior majoring in history. She is also a member of the Air Force ROTC.
*Germany is an excellent case to highlight discrepancies in statistics. Each student looked to different reporting agencies for information, and each returned different results. See below.
Worldometer
Total reported cases: 135,663 (last week: 113,615)
COVID-19 related deaths: 3,867 (last week: 2,349)
Confirmed recoveries: 77,000 (last week: 46,300)
SOURCE:
World Health Organization (WHO)
Total reported cases: 130,450 (last week: 108,202)
COVID-19 related deaths: 3,569 (last week: 2,107)
SOURCE:
Robert Koch Institut (RKI)
Total reported cases: 127,584 (last week: 108,202)
COVID-19 related deaths: 3254 (last week: 3,254)
Confirmed recoveries: c.72,600 (last week: c.49,900)
SOURCE:
Germany is beginning to start relaxing their lockdown, starting with schools on May 4th. According to Deutsche Welle, Chancellor Angela Merkel has released a plan that begins with schools but outlines steps to getting back to normal. Chancellor Merkel hopes this is the first step in the right direction for the German people.
An update published on April 14 by ABC News states that Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of Germany’s 16 states have decided to allow stores with under 800 square feet of sales space to reopen Monday April 20, contingent on their compliance with strict sanitation and distancing standards. This policy is intended to help small businesses (including hair salons). Some schools are also scheduled to reopen on May 4 under the same guidelines. Events that draw crowds like sports games and concerts are still prohibited and citizens are still expected to social distance, wear masks, and avoid venturing outside the home for non-essential reasons. Border control regulations will remain in place for the time being. The German Federal Government has expressed desire to begin loosening restrictions gradually and is asking for patience and cooperation from residents. German citizens seem to be in support of these measures for the time being, although there is speculation that further relaxation of quarantine regulations could spark some controversy. Deusche Welle’s article copied below goes in-depth on the rallying of German citizens behind Chancellor Merkel and the government.
Last week, Merkel stated that to the strict social distancing measures that have been in place have drastically helped Germans in slowing the spread of COVID-19. She said that there is “cautious hope” that some restrictions in Germany might be lifted after the Easter holiday. She waited until the National Academy of Sciences published their recommendation before she made the decision. The recommendations were based in three main factors: slowing of new infections, hospitals being able to handle the additional COVID-19 cases and resuming normal operations, and citizens following widely known safety measures, like wearing masks and practicing social distancing. They worried that the distancing restrictions are putting mental health strain on the entire population. After discussing the recommendations with her cabinet and governors of the German federal states, the restrictions were decided to stay in place until at least April 19. Gradual reopening of the economy will begin in May, and major gatherings will continue be banned until at least August 31.
SOURCES:
ITALY
Report by Lara Morgan. Lara is a freshman with a major in Global Studies and a minor in French.
Total reported cases: 168,841 (last week: 143,626)
COVID-19 related deaths: 22,170 (last week: 18,279)
Confirmed recoveries: 40,164 (last week: 28,740)
106,607 are currently positive for coronavirus. Of the currently positive cases, 26,893 are in the hospital and 2,936 are in intensive care.
SOURCE:
There is discontent in Italy with the Italian government, and a lack of cohesion in the government with respect to the future. Italian newspapers write that while France and Germany have clear plans for emergence from quarantine, the plan for Italy’s reopening projected to be May 4th is ‘in very dense fog’. The Italian economic task force (created by the government to lead the post-quarantine phase) finds itself powerless as each political force insists on their own plan. The prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, accuses his Lega Nord opposers, who initially were pushing to close the country as soon as possible, of having moved to an unreasonable position of wanting to open everything on May 4th, at any cost.
Meanwhile, the Italian Society of General Medicine (SIMG) pushes the prime minister to plan intensively for a massive influenza vaccination before October in order to avoid a flu/COVID-19 overlap.
There have been many instances reported of solidarity between Italian police/military and families/elderly in need. In some cases, they have distributed school books and computers to isolated children, as well as pensions to older people living alone.
This past Easter was out of the ordinary for Italians in lockdown. Pope Francis delivered his message in the empty St. Peter’s Basilica: to spread the contagion of ‘hope’.
SOURCES:
POLAND
Report by Pamela Binda. Pamela is a senior with a major in Political Science and a minor in Slavic Languages, Literature, and Culture.
Total reported cases: 7582 (last week: 5205)
COVID-19 related deaths: 286 (last week: 774)
Confirmed recoveries: 774 (last week: 284)
Poland has continued to push the presidential election that will happen in May via ballot. The election has been a major catalyst in pushing a gradual lift of the lockdown. In order to relieve the current financial burden, the government has been dispersing its stimulus package by injecting 10 billion zloty ($2.42 billion) into the economy about every two days. School closures have been extended to April 26th while the country is set to remain closed until May 3rd. On April 19th, some restrictions regarding the regulations on stores will be lifted in an attempt to unfreeze the economy.
SOURCES:
SPAIN
Report by Maria Arruti Iparraguirre. Maria is a PhD student in Spanish Literatures and Cultures.
Total reported cases: 177,633 (last week: 146,690)
COVID-19 related deaths: 18,579 (last week: 14,555)
Confirmed recoveries: 70,853 (last week: 48,021)
Daily death toll from coronavirus drops to 523, and 70,853 people have recovered since the start of the health crisis. They now represent 40% of total cases. The Goverment has gathered a group of experts to study the best way to start the process to end the confinment. They anticipate this pocress will be long and be handled in different stages to prevent a rebound in infections. The Government is also working to implement the vital minimun income that will help many families and individuals in a vulnerable situation.
SOURCES:
SWEDEN
Reported by Lucas Henry
Total reported cases: 12,540 (last week: 9,141)
COVID-19 related deaths: 1,333 (last week: 793)
SOURCE:
New reports out in Europe show that Sweden has generally suffered a greater number of deaths this year than in a typical year, and that their general mortality rate is much higher than their Nordic neighbors. These tests factor in all deaths, not just those related to COVID-19. In fact, Sweden’s general mortality rate is near that of the most affected European nations in the coronavirus crisis, including Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. Many critics argue that this study is proof that the government’s lax reaction to the crisis is not working.
SOURCES:
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