Covid Climbing Globally, But Only Europe Sees Deaths Rise

AP: WHO: Europe Is Only Region With Increasing COVID Deaths
The World Health Organization says coronavirus deaths in Europe rose 5% in the last week, making it the only region in the world where COVID-19 deaths increased. The U.N. health agency said confirmed cases jumped 6% globally, driven by increases in the Americas, Europe and Asia. In its weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, WHO said COVID-19 deaths in all regions other than Europe remained stable or declined, and totaled 50,000 worldwide last week. Of the 3.3 million new infections reported, 2.1 million came from Europe. (11/17)

CIDRAP: Global COVID-19 Cases Continue To Climb
For the fourth week in a row, the rate of new global COVID-19 cases rose, mainly led by surges in Europe but also influenced by spikes in the Americas and Western Pacific countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly pandemic update. Cases were up 6% last week compared with the week before, and though deaths were stable or declining in much of the world, fatality levels rose in Europe. Of the top five countries that reported the most cases last week, four are in Europe: Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. However, the United States continues to lead the world with the most weekly cases. (Schnirring, 11/17)

Bloomberg: Europe Returns To Work From Home To Stem Soaring Covid Cases
European countries are increasingly forcing reluctant companies to let employees work from home in an effort to break the rapidly spreading fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Germany is poised to agree on mandatory remote working as long as there are no “operational reasons” that stand in the way, while in Ireland people have been instructed to work from home where possible starting Thursday. The Belgian government on Wednesday agreed that employees should work from home four days a week into mid-December. (Rogers, 11/18)

CNN: Covid: Germany Cases Hit Record High With Merkel Warning Of 'Dramatic' Situation 
Germany reported its highest single day surge of Covid-19 infections as Chancellor Angela Merkel said the "dramatic" situation was the result of the fourth wave "hitting our country with full force." The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's disease and control center, has reported 65,371 new cases within the last 24 hours -- it is an increase of 12,545 new infections compared to the 24 hour period before. (John and Schmidt, 11/18)

AP: German Disease Control Head Warns Of 'Terrible Christmas'
The head of Germany’s disease control agency has warned that the country faces a “really terrible Christmas” unless steps are taken to counter the sharp rise in coronavirus infections. German lawmakers are debating measures Thursday that would replace the nationwide epidemic rules, which will expire at the end of the month. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease control agency, said Thursday that 65,371 newly confirmed cases had been reported in a single day, continuing the upward trend that experts have been warning about for weeks. (11/18)

Bloomberg: Spain Plans Booster Shots For Health Workers, Elderly As Covid Cases Rise
Spain will roll out Covid-19 booster shots to health workers and people older than 60, as the country seeks to contain a surge in infections that’s hitting across Europe. The move, which will be discussed with authorities in autonomous regions, aims to protect vulnerable groups, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday. He said the country’s high vaccination rates of about 80% has so far shielded the former hot spot from the worst of the latest wave of the pandemic. (Soto, 11/17)

CNBC: Covid Update: Belgium PM De Croo Says He Wants To Avoid Lockdown
Belgium is toughening up social restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge, but Prime Minister Alexander de Croo tells CNBC the aim is still to keep society open. “It’s not the same virus anymore. This is a mutation of the virus, which is much more infectious,” the Belgian prime minister said in an exclusive interview Tuesday. (Amaro, 11/18)

Elsewhere around the world —

Politico: U.S. J&J Covid Vaccine Doses Will Be Sent To Thailand-Myanmar Border
Millions of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine doses will be directed to the border of Thailand and Myanmar in December as part of the Biden administration’s pledge to donate doses to conflict zones, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The doses will be sent through a vaccine-sharing program overseen by COVAX, the world’s vaccine distributor, that specifically facilitates immunizations for vulnerable individuals experiencing humanitarian emergencies because of conflict or living in areas inaccessible to governments because they are controlled by non-state armed groups.Many of the Johnson & Johnson doses will go to individuals in refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Thousands more people fled to the region earlier this year after a military coup in Myanmar in February. (Banco, 11/17)

The Hill: South Korea Nears Record COVID Case Count After Relaxing Restrictions
South Korea is seeing in new COVID-19 cases after relaxing pandemic restrictions three weeks ago, the Washington Post reported. The country reported 3,187 new COVID cases on Wednesday, the second-highest daily total since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported that 522 COVID patients are hospitalized with moderate to severe symptoms. The seven-day average for daily coronavirus deaths has risen to 20 in the country, according to Our World in Data. (Oshin, 11/17)

AP: SKorea Sees Record Virus Jump As Thousands Take College Exam
South Korea reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic as hundreds of thousands of masked students flocked to schools on Thursday for the country’s highly competitive college entrance exam amid growing concerns about the delta-driven spread. About 509,000 students were taking the one-day exam at 1,395 sites across the nation, including hospitals and shelters. (Tong-Hyung, 11/18)