People must remain wary of Covid-19 this summer, as the vius still claims about 1,000 lives every week in Europe, the European office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned during a press conference on Tuesday.
The WHO's European office stressed that there are still 1,000 new deaths every week in the region (which includes 53 countries and extends to Central Asia), despite the fact that the global health emergency is officially over.
"Although it is no longer a global public health emergency, Covid-19 is not yet gone," regional director Hans Kluge said.
Kluge said that the figure of 1,000 is an underestimate, as the number of countries regularly reporting Covid-19 deaths to the WHO has declined. He urged authorities to ensure that at least 70% vaccination coverage of the vulnerable population.
One in 30 Europeans also suffered from Long Covid in the past three years, Kluge stated. "The long-term effects of Covid-19 continue to have a profound effect on public health worldwide and should not be ignored," added Dr Catherine Smallwood, head for health emergencies at WHO Europe.
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Across Europe, vigilance also remains around the epidemic of monkeypox – 22 cases were recorded in Europe in May – and the effects of heat waves. That extreme heat killed 20,000 people in the region between June and August last year, WHO Europe said on Twitter.
