Europe, Canada to get prepared as second COVID-19 wave reaches

Many countries around the world, including European countries and Canada, are under the threat of the second wave of COVID-19, pushing those countries to take necessary measures to cope with the pandemic.

"We're now seeing a second wave coming in... clearly we are going to keep everything under review," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sept. 18.

The COVID-19 epidemic continues for many months and shows no signs of slowing down. A lot of countries, however, have gained experience in handling the issue after the first wave of COVID-19. Following are measures taken by major countries in Europe and Canada to contain the second wave of COVID-19.

Britain:

The British government announced recently that more restrictions will be put in place from Sept. 22 for more areas, including north west, West Yorkshire and midlands to tackle rising infection rates.

The restrictions include that residents must not socialize with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens, and leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas, are required to close between 10:00 p.m. (2100 GMT) to 5:00 a.m. (0400 GMT), according to a statement by the government.

France:

"The rule is simple: wearing a mask is now compulsory in all closed spaces where several people gather," said French Prime Minister Jean Castex.

Teachers in kindergartens, schools, colleges and universities as well as students older than 10 years are now required to wear mask.

Furthermore, the wearing of face masks would also be mandatory on the streets of Paris and the neighboring cities, which make up the country's most populated region.

Germany:

German hospitals were prepared for a second wave. In contrast to the first wave, however, hospitals should not generally keep a fixed amount of unoccupied beds for COVID-19 patients but instead manage beds in a demand-orientated way, said Susanne Johna, first chairperson of the Marburger Bund.

"Because the pandemic is building up slowly, we need to provide graduated treatment options for COVID-19 patients," stressed Johna.

Canada:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians once again to wear masks in public, get the flu shot this fall, and download the government's COVID Alert app that notifies users when they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Trudeau also said his government has signed billions of dollars worth of agreements to buy vaccines, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment.

TV BRICS reports with reference to Xinhua News Agency.



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