(Newswire.net— September 29, 2020) — A number of European countries announced on Monday that after the increase in the number of newly infected cases of the coronavirus, they will restore strict measures to fight the spread of the global pandemic, which will include restricting travel, closing bars and restaurants earlier, and limiting public gatherings, the agencies report.
The Netherlands has adopted new measures after the number of cases of infection in the second wave of the epidemic exceeded the previous record numbers from April. Measures will include mandatory wearing of masks in Amsterdam and other major cities, a ban on audiences coming to sports competitions for the next three weeks, and the closure of restaurants and bars at 10 p.m. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that travel would also be limited, and he called on employers to organize work from home as much as possible, Reuters reports.
After the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, Slovakia banned most cultural and sporting events. Prime Minister Igor Matovic said that people should wear masks as much as possible, avoid family gatherings and maintain a social distance whenever possible in order to avoid the need to introduce new restrictions.
The United Kingdom has introduced new restrictions on gatherings in parts of the north-east of England due to the increase in cases of COVID-19. From Wednesday, residents of seven areas, which include urban centers such as Newcastle, Sunderland, and Durham, will be banned from gathering in houses and socializing with people who are not part of the household. Restrictions are being introduced in homes, pubs, and restaurants, and people who do not respect the new measures face the possibility of fines, the UK’s Ministry of Health announced.
In Spain, about 1.1 million inhabitants of Madrid and the surrounding area are allowed to leave their settlement only for necessary things, such as going to work or to the store, after the measures to control the coronavirus were extended to additional parts of the city on Monday. So far, the measures have affected 850,000 residents in the south and southeast, mostly populated by workers and immigrants, and as of Monday morning, an additional 167,000 residents have been added to the list of those included in the new measures, also in the southeast.
Residents of these neighborhoods are allowed to go out only when going to work, to hospitals, schools, to the courts, or to take care of dependents. Entry without a valid reason is also prohibited. Police occasionally stop vehicles and check documents with the address of residents, so many carry documents issued by employers when going to work. In the case of unjustified exit and entry, fines of 600 euros are envisaged.
Numerous regions in Italy have announced stricter outdoor measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Sicily has announced that all foreign travelers will have to be tested on arrival. From Wednesday, it will be mandatory to wear a mask in public for those over six. The measures will be in force at least until October 30. “With the arrival of the flu season, we are entering a delicate phase of the epidemic,” said the president of that southern Italian region, Nello Musumeci.
Last week, the southern Italian region of Campania introduced a measure of mandatory wearing of masks in public, which will last at least until October 4. Masks must also be worn by residents of the northwestern port city of Genoa. Across Italy, masks are mandatory in shops, trains and other enclosed spaces during the busiest times.