Countries are facing a "last chance" to avoid another complete COVID-19 lockdown warned European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides with daily cases outstripping those in the springtime peak in parts of the EU.
Kyriakides said it is clear that this winter Europe was up against a double threat of coronavirus and flu.
"I am deeply concerned by what we are seeing now and what may follow in the coming weeks and months," Kyriakides told media in Brussels. "We are at a decisive moment. And everyone has to act decisively too. It might be our last chance to prevent a repeat of last spring."
The messaging was even more extreme than last spring when Europe was in the deadly grip of the first wave of infections.
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Kyriakides said it was "abundantly clear that this crisis is not behind us" and told Europe not to lower its guard.
She warned of a "twindemic" of flu and coronavirus as winter approaches. The flu alone kills upwards of 70-thousand Europeans a year and the continent has already been grappling with an onslaught of new COVID-19 infections since August. France and Spain's daily case numbers now outstrip their springtime peaks.
"This can partly be explained by improved testing strategies," said Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. "However, several countries appear to be now progressing again from limited local transmission towards sustained community transmission."
Stella Kyriakides said that she was very worried about the coronavirus crisis this winter. CGTN
Growing concern about a spike in cases among younger people
Health experts are particularly concerned about a surge in cases among younger people aged 15 to 49. Ammon said governments may need to identify and then consider closing locations where young people gather in order to slow transmission.
"That has to be accompanied by, really, a proper risk communication tool for younger people. Because as I said before, they are aware that the virus exists but they don't feel that it's a concern for them and I think that needs to be conveyed," she added.
Europe's top health officials are urging governments to roll out new anti-virus measures and are pleading with citizens to maintain discipline around hygiene and distancing. But for many, a serious case of COVID-fatigue has already set in.
Europeans jaded over covid prevention measures, discipline wanes
Lack of compliance is a reality the Belgian government has already faced up to with on Wednesday it announcing plans to roll back prevention measures around mask wearing and quarantine in October, despite a tripling in cases. The government believes that simpler, less restrictive measures are the only way to rally a jaded public into long-term compliance.
"The coronavirus pandemic is not over yet," said Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes as she unveiled the new plan on Wednesday. "This is the situation. The virus is not going away, but life must restart eventually."
That theory may catch hold elsewhere, especially as a vaccine remains elusive. Even if one is found, in the words of Kyriadis, "it's no silver bullet." It could take years before everyone has access, meaning short-term measures may very well become the long-term strategy.
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