The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge stated on Tuesday that some countries lifted COVID-19 restrictions “too brutally,” resulting in a current rise in cases. He listed the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Germany, France and Italy as examples of countries where the number of coronavirus infections has particularly rebounded. Kluge said the WHO will “remain vigilant” in the European region, reassuring he is “optimistic” about the course of the pandemic. The region, which includes some central Asian states, has seen over 5,1 million new cases and 12,496 deaths in the last seven days.
Air travel industry welcomes scrapping of Covid restrictions
Companies and trade organisations in the air travel industry have welcomed the end of remaining Covid travel restrictions. Heathrow Airport said it would be dropping the requirement for passengers to wear masks in its premises following the Government’s announcement that all measures, including passenger locator forms, will end on Friday. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday the changes will allow “greater freedom in time for Easter” and will mean “you can travel just like in the good old days”. The move has been welcomed with open arms by some, including Heathrow Airport, which said it would be dropping mask requirements on Wednesday. “We have worked hard to keep our passengers and colleagues safe during the pandemic,” she said. “We acted quickly to institute face coverings as one of our first lines of defence and we’re pleased that we’re now able to move away from a mandatory requirement as society learns to live with Covid longer term. “While we still recommend wearing them, we can be confident the investments we’ve made in Covid-secure measures – some of which aren’t always visible – combined with the fantastic protection provided by the vaccine will continue to keep people safe while travelling.” NN: The flying incubators are back… And once again they will infect millions and kill thousands…