Christmas In Europe: Will The Season Be Rescued From Covid-19’s Claws?

One after the other, the governments in Europe have announced this week new and varied emergency restrictions imposed on its already-exhausted citizens in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is endangering Christmas and New Year Holidays celebrations.

With December fast approaching, Christmas mood in the air and dangerous levels of contagion, governments are making tough and unpopular decisions in the hope that by the second week of December, restrictions can be eased and, at least in a “moderate” way, Europeans will be able to get together and enjoy the desperately-longed-for festivities.

“A more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses,” is what the prime minister of Italy, currently suffering the highest number of deaths since the end of March, told his citizens to expect.

The restrictions vary from country to country. “It is in the anguish of a third wave that the 27 European Union countries frame the end-of-year celebrations,” writes Le Point, adding that “not a single leader in Europe approaches the Christmas season with confidence, fearing the idea of reproducing the mistakes of the summer: too rapid loosening of restrictions.”

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that “a too-rapid and excessive relaxation of measures becomes a risk for a third wave after Christmas.”

Total or partial lockdowns are in place around most of Europe, with most restaurants, bars, gyms and sports facilities closed, meetings of more than four people forbidden, travel restricted, Christmas markets banned and even ski resorts — derided as “covid’s nests” in a number of countries — have been ordered to cease activity at least until year’s end.

A number of heads of government including the Italian prime minister and Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, have asked for a coordinated European Union effort to keep all ski resorts closed at least until January 10.

Yet, Switzerland will keep them open while France, after considering a total ban, decided to close only the ski lifts.

Austria (1,030 cases per 100,000 people), which along with Luxembourg (1,284 per 100,000 cases) is among the countries with the higher coronavirus contagion in Europe already has opened ten ski resorts and has announced the rest will open on December 18.

Austria also has set December 6 as the official date to end its confinement.

Luxembourg , which has been under curfew from 11 p.m to 6 a.m, on Thursday closed bars, restaurants, gyms, sports facilities and movie theaters for three weeks.

“We must reduce contact between people who do not live together,” Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said when announcing the new strict restrictions, which also bar more than two visitors to residents’ homes.

The general expectation is that the strict new emergency measures will start to be relaxed by the second week of December if a lowering of contagion levels is achieved.

Here’s an overview of the latest announcements:

Germany ready

Germany, has extended its “light lockdown” until December 20 and has announced clear standards for the holidays: From December 1, two households with a maximum of five people will be permitted to meet.

The rules will ease for the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, with gatherings up to 10 adults from several families allowed, and children up to 14 years old not included in the count.

The government recommends families self-quarantine before and after the holidays and recommends religious communities to establish measures to reduce contact at services.

“Unfortunately we have to say that we cannot promise an easing for Christmas and New Year’s,” chancellor Angela Merkel warned parliament.

The restrictive measures will be in place at least until the end of December.

United Kingdom’s tiers

In Great Britain, 10 people from three families will be allowed to meet for Christmas celebrations but only for five consecutive days between December 23 and 27.

“Under rules revealed by the prime minister on Tuesday,” explains The Guardian, “up to three households can form a ‘bubble’ for five days over Christmas.”

“Why 10? Why 5 days, and not 4 or 6? Why 3 different families?” asks France’s Le Point. “The United Kingdom left the E.U. for its too-finicky standards. (Prime Minister Boris) Johnson now realizes that there is no collective life without common rules, even absurd ones.”

The government announced restrictions that will be determined according to three tiers from very high alert to high alert to medium alert, applied starting December 2 by local authorities in various regions. 

The majority of England will enter the two toughest tiers of Covid-19 restrictions starting next week, with fears that they will have to stay in place until the spring.

London will escape the tightest restrictions once England’s national coronavirus lockdown ends next week and the tiered system is applied.

Other major cities including Manchester and Birmingham face at least two more weeks of tough rules while those areas suffering the worst case rates will enter the highest Tier 3.

According to The Guardian, “British stocks fell on Thursday amid heightened concerns over economic growth after the health minister, Matt Hancock, said more than a third of the population would remain under tough Covid-19 restrictions at the end of a national lockdown.”

Netherlands on alert

Although the epidemic has slowed, the government is considering reinforcing measures before the Christmas holidays. So far, the Dutch have restricted social contact to three guests per household.

“If the Dutch want to celebrate Christmas together, with less restrictive rules, we will really have to concentrate all our efforts on the coming week,” warned Hugo de Jonge, the Health Minister expected to announce the new measures on December 8.

Finland has worsened

Finland, which after Iceland had Europe’s lowest level of coronavirus contagion, has seen a rapid worsening in recent days. Prime Minister Sanna Marin warned that the number of new cases was rising at a worrying pace.

Speaking at a press conference, Marin strongly appealed to local and regional authorities “to work together to ensure that the disease situation is kept under control.”

The country expects to return to normal by the fall of 2021 when it is hoped that more than 80% of the population will be vaccinated.

Leaks in Spain

Before the government made an official announcement, it was leaked by the media that season festivities should be limited to households or a maximum of six people for those not living under the same roof for Christmas and New Year’s holidays, with a curfew set at 1 a.m.

The Spanish autonomous regions were not happy to learn about the central government’s proposal through the newspapers and it still can be subject to change.

In Spain, the year-end festivities last from Christmas Eve until Three Kings Day (Reyes) on January 6 and are celebrated with parades, nativity scenes, processions, parties and Christmas concerts, many of which will be allowed as long as social distancing can be maintained and presence limited to 50% of the usual capacity.

The document also recommends “Mascarilla (wearing a facemask), Manos (regular washing of hands) Metros (maintaining a social distance of 1.5 meters) Maximizar ventilacion (maximum ventilation either by meeting outside or keeping windows and doors open), Minimizar numero de contactos (minimizing the number of people in social groups) and “Me quedo en casa” (staying at home when you show symptoms, have tested positive or been in contact with someone who has),” explains The Local.

“The proposal outlines rules on travel around Spain suggesting that ‘trips which are not strictly necessary should be avoided’ but that the regional governments will have the authority to close borders around their territory or limit movement between municipalities.”

Sweden and the second wave

It’s expected that the second wave of Covid-19 infections that has hit Sweden in the last weeks could peak in mid-December, according to health officials.

“New infections have hit record levels after a lull in the summer, throwing the country’s light-touch approach to fighting the pandemic into renewed focus,” Le Point reports.

The latest count marks 6,622 deaths from Covid-19 in Sweden, a far higher per capita figure than in neighboring Norway, Denmark and Finland, which applied stricter lockdowns during the spring, but lower than many larger European nations.

Tougher restrictions in place since mid-October have helped slow the spread of the disease, with the Public Health Agency expecting infections to peak in coming weeks.

Sweden’s regions have been given a deadline of January 15 to report back on actions taken to improve the situation and what they plan to do in future.

France in lockdown

France, which has been under strict lockdown for several weeks, will launch a three-step plan to ease restrictions, permitting non-essential stores to reopen starting in December, and possibly relaxing travel before the Christmas holidays depending on the evolution of Covid-19 infections and the rate of hospitalizations.

Winter sports resorts are free to open for the Christmas holiday season, although ski lifts will remain shut.

President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday that coronavirus risks made it “impossible” to ease things soon, adding that he hoped restrictions could be lifted in January.

“France’s 350 ski resorts have been up in arms over the decision, saying the weeks around Christmas and new year are crucial for their survival as they account for up to a quarter of their annual revenues,” RTL reports.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said mountain holidays were still allowed but downhill skiing – by far the most popular pastime for crowds of French and foreign skiers in Alpine and Pyrenees resorts – is effectively ruled out.

“Naturally, everybody is free to travel to resorts to enjoy the clean air of our beautiful mountains, and the shops which will be open, although bars and restaurants won’t be,” Castex told a news conference.

“France reported 13,563 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, compared with 16,282 on Wednesday and 21,150 a week ago, suggesting the spread of the virus continued to slow in the fourth week of a national lockdown,” The Guardian reports.

Greece natiowide lockdown

Greece has been implementing a health strategy that drafts military planes to airlift patients stricken with Covid-19 from different islands and other areas of the country to Athens to help ease the strain on overstretched hospitals in farther regions as the government announced an extension of the nationwide lockdown until December 7. 

Of the 1,902 fatalities recorded since the start of the pandemic in the country, 1,257 had occurred since November 1, with 99 fatalities over 24 hours.

Greece has been under nationwide lockdown since November 6 and government officials believe that it should be extended through the holidays.

Croatia enters tough restrictions

Croatia has announced that it will close cafes and restaurants and ban weddings until Christmas as the number of coronavirus cases hit a record high on Thursday with 21,725 active cases, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced that the measures — including restricting outdoor and public gatherings to 25 people, private parties to 10, public transport to 40% and cafes and restaurants closed — will enter into effect on Saturday and last at least until Dec. 21.

“Croatia’s eastern neighbor, Serbia, reported a record 51 deaths and 7,606 new infections in the past 24 hours. A state of emergency was introduced in the second-largest city of Novi Sad,” Reuters reports.

Serbia, which has a population of 7.2 million, has reported 148,214 coronavirus infections to date and 7,579 deaths.

North Macedonia introduced a state of emergency last week, bringing in the army and private hospitals to help counter the spike in infections.

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