Covid surges in Europe,countries re-imposing restrictions

A second wave of COVID-19 has returned to Europe, forcing many countries to reimpose curfews, partial lockdowns and other restrictions. Countries across Europe are implementing new measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, as infections surge and new cases hit record high in the European Union while the continent passed the threshold of 250,000 deaths. The gloom around the resurgent virus weighed on financial markets, where oil prices dropped on concerns of another slide in demand and stock markets also fell.
Polish authorities ordered schools and restaurants closed for two weeks, while France extended its curfew to affect over two-thirds of the population. France has reported a record number of daily infections. France posted more than 50,000 daily cases for the first time on Sunday-  German capital implemented new mask-wearing requirements on busy streets. “We are facing very, very difficult months ahead,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a meeting of leaders from her Christian Democrat party. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock cautioned that the vaccine would not be widely available until next year and said “we’re not there yet”.
In Denmark, the government has announced a ban on evening alcohol sales and tightened the cap on public gatherings. The government has also reduced the number of people allowed to attend gatherings from 50 to 10.Belgium ordered pubs and restaurants to close this week, along with a night-time curfew and strict limits on gatherings. The country also tightened curbs on social contacts by banning fans from sports matches and limiting numbers in cultural spaces. Spain also announced emergency measures including curfew.Under the emergency measures, local authorities can also ban travel between regions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he will ask parliament to extend the new rules for six months. In Italy, new restrictions were also announced yesterday. The government said the steady rise in cases is causing a huge strain on the country's health services. Spain had more than 1 million cases of the disease.

Italy, the country worst hit in the early stages of the crisis in March, also imposed new curbs, ordering restaurants and bars to close from 6 p.m. and shutting down cinemas, and gyms and imposing local curfews in several regions. Street clashes with small groups of protestors over the weekend and angry criticism from restaurant owners and business groups about the impact of the measures underlined the increasingly tense climate facing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
After the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania registered record infection tallies, the two countries implemented new measures to combat the virus. These include limits on the number of participants allowed at events and new mask requirements.