Second night of anti-lockdown violence in Europe: Netherlands riots spread to the Hague while tens of thousands gather to oppose full lockdown in Austria and demonstrations kick off in Denmark, Croatia and Macedonia

  • Violence erupted in Vienna as 10,000 protesters took to the streets after new lockdown was announced
  • Two people were shot during an 'orgy of violence' amid anti-lockdown protests in Rotterdam Friday evening
  • Police confirmed the injuries to the rioters, but did not clarify what type of ammunition was used against them
  • Dutch protesters also gathered in Amsterdam, The Hague and Breda to demonstrate against measures today 
  • The Netherlands entered a partial lockdown on Saturday, sparking a furious backlash against the government 
  • Austria on Friday reimposed a full winter lockdown and neighbouring Germany warned it may soon follow suit

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Three people treated in hospital and inquiry launched after Dutch police fired warning shots during Rotterdam riots 

Three people were being treated in hospital in Rotterdam on Saturday after they were seriously injured when Dutch police fired shots during a violent protest against COVID-19 measures, authorities said.

Crowds of several hundred rioters torched cars, set off fireworks and threw rocks at police during the protests on Friday evening. Police responded with warning shots and water canons.

Rotterdam police posted on Twitter on Saturday that 51 people had been arrested, half of whom were under 18.

'Three rioters were wounded when they were hit by bullets, they remain in hospital,' police added, in an update after earlier reporting two wounded.

Authorities are investigating the shootings including whether the wounded people where hit by police bullets, they added.

The city's mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, said the protest had turned into 'an orgy of violence.'

'Police were forced to draw their weapons and even fire direct shots,' he told a news conference early on Saturday. 

Dutch Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said in a statement the 'extreme violence' against police and firefighters in Rotterdam was 'repulsive.'

'The right to protest is very important in our society but what we saw last night was simply criminal behaviour,' Grapperhaus said.

Protesters had gathered to voice opposition to government plans to restrict access to indoor venues to people who have a 'corona pass,' showing they have been vaccinated or have already recovered from an infection.

The pass is also available to people who have not been vaccinated, but have proof of a negative test.

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Europe descended into a second night of violent carnage on Saturday amid the return of strict lockdown rules aimed at curbing rising rates of Covid infection.

Thousands of people took to Amsterdam's central Dam Square and the Hague on Saturday, a day after the 'orgy of violence' during the Rotterdam riots that saw seven people injured. Police said seven arrests were made on Sunday after youths set streets ablaze and shot fireworks at officers. 

Video footage from the Hague showed motorists sounding their horns in support as a trio of small explosions could be clearly seen on the main road in the background. Elsewhere, protestors were pictured ripping down street signs in chaotic scenes.

Anti-riot police were forced to clear the wreckage of smouldering scooters and burnt-out bicycles that were torched by the anti-vax mob and left to block roads in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country since Covid restrictions were first implemented. 

Meanwhile, similar demonstrations against virus restrictions also took place in Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Northern Ireland, Austria and North Macedonia on Saturday, a day after Dutch police opened fire on protesters and seven people were injured in rioting that erupted in Rotterdam.

It comes as violence broke out in Vienna on Saturday as 10,000 protesters - many from far-right groups - took to the streets to demonstrate against new Covid-19 restrictions and mandatory vaccinations. 

Police were pictured arresting two protesters. A spokesman said there had been fewer than 10 arrests, for breaches of coronavirus restrictions and the ban on Nazi symbols. Some protestors mockingly wore doctor's scrubs, while others donned tinfoil hats. 

Chanting 'resistance!', waving Austrian flags and blowing whistles, the crowd swelled to more than 30,000. Many held signs mocking government leaders including Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein.  

Protesters rallied against coronavirus restrictions and mandatory COVID-19 passes needed in many European countries to enter restaurants, Christmas markets or sports events, as well as mandatory vaccinations. 

In Italy, 3,000 turned out in the capital's Circus Maximus, a field where in ancient times Romans staged popular entertainment, to protest against 'Green Pass' certificates required at workplaces, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, sports venues and gyms, as well as for long-distance train, bus or ferry travel within Italy.

In Northern Ireland, several hundred people opposed to vaccine passports protested outside the city hall in Belfast, where the city's Christmas market opened Saturday - a market where proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test was required.

The Northern Ireland government voted this week to introduce vaccine certificates for admission to nightclubs, bars and restaurants starting Dec. 13. 

'People like us never give up,' read one banner, in the red, white and green colors of the Italian flag. Virtually no one at the Rome protest wore a protective mask.

Switzerland saw 2,000 people protest an upcoming referendum on whether to approve the government's COVID-19 restrictions law, claiming it was discriminatory, public broadcaster SRF reported. 

In Croatia, thousands gathered at in the capital Zagreb, carrying Croatian flags, nationalist and religious symbols, along with banners against vaccination and what they describe as restrictions of people's freedoms.  

And in Denmark, more than one thousand gathered outside the Danish parliament in Copenhagen to push back against the reintroduction of the national health pass. 

North Macedonia also saw hundreds of anti-vaccination protesters march in downtown Skopje on Satruday evening against the country's health authority's recommendation of mandatory vaccinations.

Demonstrations against virus measures are also expected in other European countries - the latest in rising anger at the re-introduction of restrictions amid soaring cases on the continent

This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was 'very worried' about the spread of Covid-19 within Europe as the continent battles a fresh wave of infections.  

Regional director Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that some 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken.  

THE NETHERLANDS: A day after Rotterdam rioting that saw seven people injured, thousands more took to Amsterdam's central Dam Square and The Hague (pictured above), with seven arrests being made according to police

THE NETHERLANDS: A day after Rotterdam rioting that saw seven people injured, thousands more took to Amsterdam's central Dam Square and The Hague (pictured above), with seven arrests being made according to police

THE NETHERLANDS: Riot police were forced to clear the wreckage of smouldering scooters and burnt-out bicycles (left) that were set ablaze by the anti-vax mob and left to block roads

THE NETHERLANDS: Riot police were forced to clear the wreckage of smouldering scooters and burnt-out bicycles (left) that were set ablaze by the anti-vax mob and left to block roads

Anti-riot police used batons to restrain protestors including this man, above, who was hit on the leg and collapsed to the floor

Anti-riot police used batons to restrain protestors including this man, above, who was hit on the leg and collapsed to the floor

AUSTRIA: Protesters carrying a banner reading 'Control the border. Not your people' at the anti-lockdown demonstration held by the far-right Freedom Party in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Protesters carrying a banner reading 'Control the border. Not your people' at the anti-lockdown demonstration held by the far-right Freedom Party in Vienna today

THE NETHERLANDS: A scooter set on fire during a protest against the 2G policy in Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 19 November 2021. Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered to protest against the tightened coronavirus measures

THE NETHERLANDS: A scooter set on fire during a protest against the 2G policy in Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 19 November 2021. Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered to protest against the tightened coronavirus measures

ITALY: Demonstrators listen to speakers and show their mobile phones during a protest against restrictions for the unvaccinated, at Rome Circus Maximus, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021

ITALY: Demonstrators listen to speakers and show their mobile phones during a protest against restrictions for the unvaccinated, at Rome Circus Maximus, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021

DENMARK: A man waves the national flag of Denmark in front of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen as more than a thousand people gathered to protest the reintroduction of the national health pass

DENMARK: A man waves the national flag of Denmark in front of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen as more than a thousand people gathered to protest the reintroduction of the national health pass

NORTHERN IRELAND: Demonstrators take part in a protest against Covid certification in Belfast city centre. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 20, 2021

CROATIA: Demonstrators march in the centre of Zagreb to protest against Covid-19 measures such as obligatory certificates for public sector on November 20, 2021

CROATIA: Demonstrators march in the centre of Zagreb to protest against Covid-19 measures such as obligatory certificates for public sector on November 20, 2021

SWITZERLAND: Demonstrators protest against a planned coronavirus disease (COVID-19) law of the Swiss government, in Zurich, Switzerland November 20, 2021

SWITZERLAND: Demonstrators protest against a planned coronavirus disease (COVID-19) law of the Swiss government, in Zurich, Switzerland November 20, 2021

ROMANIA: Activists armed with banners march during a protest against vaccinations, the introduction of the controversial health pass, and Covid lockdown-style measures in Bucharest, Romania on Sunday, November 7

ROMANIA: Activists armed with banners march during a protest against vaccinations, the introduction of the controversial health pass, and Covid lockdown-style measures in Bucharest, Romania on Sunday, November 7

NORTH MACEDONIA: People protest through downtown Skopje, North Macedonia, on Saturday, November 20, 2021

NORTH MACEDONIA: People protest through downtown Skopje, North Macedonia, on Saturday, November 20, 2021

 

Elite troops sent in to police France's overseas territories amid looting and arson over Covid curfew

France sent dozens of elite police and counter-terrorism officers to its Caribbean island of Guadeloupe Saturday following looting and arson overnight in defiance of an overnight curfew.

The island's prefect on Friday introduced the night-time stay-at-home order after protests against the coronavirus vaccine pass spiralled into violence the previous night.

But the measure did little to quell the rioting. 'The night was very turbulent,' a police source said.

The security forces recorded 'some 20 incidents of looting or attempted robbery' in the seaside towns of Pointe-a-Pitre and Le Gosier, including at a jewellery shop, a bank, a betting shop and a shopping centre.

In the town of Saint-Francois to the east, 'gendarmes coming out of the station were threatened by blazing projectiles'.

A second source within the gendarmerie said an armoury had been looted.

The first source said 'firearms were used against police forces in four different areas' across the island, and one member was slightly wounded after a stone hit him in the face.

In the area of Le Petit-Bourg to the west, firemen had to put out fires in two mobile phone stores, which had also been plundered.

The interior ministry said 31 people had been arrested.

France late Saturday said it was sending around 50 personnel from both its RAID elite police force and its GIGN counter-terrorism unit to Guadeloupe.

The doctors' union in Guadeloupe warned against further trouble while the health system was so 'fragile'.

They criticised 'individuals who may have prevented patients from getting access to treatment, or medical staff from reaching their place of practice'.

While most people in mainland France have now received two vaccination doses, rates in its overseas territories have lagged behind.

By November 16, some 46 percent of adults in Guadeloupe had received at least one jab of a vaccine against Covid.

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Five police officers were injured during rioting at the Hague, with one taken to hospital suffering concussion and two suffering hearing damage from loud fireworks,.

A rock thrown by rioters also smashed the window of a passing ambulance carrying a patient, the city's police force said.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, two football matches in the Eredivise, the top professional league, were briefly halted after fans - banned from matches under a partial lockdown in force in the Netherlands for a week - broke into stadiums in the towns of Alkmaar and Almelo.

Earlier Saturday, two protests against COVID-19 measures went off peacefully in Amsterdam and the southern city of Breda.

Police said in a tweet that seven people were arrested in The Hague and five officers were injured. One needed treatment in a hospital. Local media reported that rioters threw bicycles, wooden pallets and motorized scooters on one of the fires.

The chaos in The Hague was on a smaller scale than the pitched battles on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night, when police said that three rioters were hit by bullets and investigations were underway to establish if they were shot by police. 

Officers in Rotterdam arrested 51 people, about half of them minors, police said Saturday afternoon. One police officer was hospitalized with a leg injury sustained in the rioting, another was treated by ambulance staff and 'countless' others suffered minor injuries.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told reporters in the early hours of Saturday morning that 'on a number of occasions the police felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves' as rioters rampaged through the port city's central shopping district, setting fires and throwing rocks and fireworks at officers.

'They shot at protesters, people were injured,' Aboutaleb said. He did not have details on the injuries. Police also fired warning shots. 

Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus condemned the events. 'The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are disgusting to see,' he said in a statement.

'Protesting is a great right in our society, but what we saw last night is simply criminal behavior. It has nothing to do with demonstrating,' he added.  

An independent investigation into the shootings by police was opened, as is the case whenever Dutch police use their weapons. 

As the march kicked off on Vienna's Heldenplatz, thousands of protesters gathered on the massive square. About 1,300 police officers were on duty. They used loudspeakers to tell protesters masks were required, but most did not wear them.

Chanting 'resistance!' and blowing whistles, protesters began to move slowly down the city's inner ring road. Many waved Austrian flags and carried signs mocking government leaders like Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein.

Some wore doctor's scrubs; others donned tinfoil hats. Most of the signs focused on the newly announced vaccine mandate: 'My Body, My Choice,' read one. 'We're Standing Up for Our Kids!' said another. 

By mid-afternoon the crowds had swelled to roughly 35,000 people, according to the police, and were marching down Vienna's inner ring road before heading back towards the Hofburg. 

Police were pictured arresting two protesters. A spokesman said there had been fewer than 10 arrests, for breaches of coronavirus restrictions and the ban on Nazi symbols. 

Meanwhile, a few hundred protesters gathered in Amsterdam today and a similar number marched through the southern city of Breda over the latest Covid-19 measures. 

Riots also erupted in the central 'Bible Belt' town of Urk and cities in southern Limburg province, while angry fans disrupted two football matches being played behind closed doors because of coronavirus rules, Dutch media said. 

It comes after violent riots last night in which 51 were arrested in Rotterdam after thousands of anti-lockdown protesters gathered on one of the city's main shopping streets. 

Dutch police fired water canons, 'warning shots' and bullets at protesters to disperse the crowd who had lit fires and set off fireworks. Police confirmed seven injuries, including officers, in the violence but did not say if live ammunition or rubber bullets were fired. 

The Netherlands re-imposed some lockdown measures last weekend for an initial three weeks in an effort to slow a resurgence of coronavirus contagion, but daily infections have remained at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. 

The Dutch government has said it wants to introduce a law that would allow businesses to restrict the country's coronavirus pass system to only people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 - that would exclude people who test negative.   

The violent scenes in Rotterdam mirrored much of the continent's reaction to similar schemes announced by Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia - with Italy and Greece also reportedly considering moves to restrict the movements of unvaccinated people.  

AUSTRIA: Anti-lockdown protestors hold lit torches and banners reading: 'Hands off our children' as they continue their protests against Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday, November 20

AUSTRIA: Anti-lockdown protestors hold lit torches and banners reading: 'Hands off our children' as they continue their protests against Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday, November 20

AUSTRIA: Police officers arrest a protester during a demonstration against new Covid-19 restrictions, including a lockdown from Monday and mandatory vaccines from February 1, announced by the Austria government yesterday

AUSTRIA: Police officers arrest a protester during a demonstration against new Covid-19 restrictions, including a lockdown from Monday and mandatory vaccines from February 1, announced by the Austria government yesterday

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators light flares during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party in Vienna today as governments across Europe impose Covid-19 restrictions amid soaring cases

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators light flares during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party in Vienna today as governments across Europe impose Covid-19 restrictions amid soaring cases

AUSTRIA: Violence today broke out in Vienna as 10,000 protesters took to the streets and lit flares to demonstrate against a new Covid-19 lockdown and mandatory vaccinations

AUSTRIA: Violence today broke out in Vienna as 10,000 protesters took to the streets and lit flares to demonstrate against a new Covid-19 lockdown and mandatory vaccinations

AUSTRIA: Riot police stand in a circle as they prepare for potential violence in Vienna hours after an estimated 35,000 protesters gathered in the Austrian capital to protests Covid-19 restrictions

AUSTRIA: Riot police stand in a circle as they prepare for potential violence in Vienna hours after an estimated 35,000 protesters gathered in the Austrian capital to protests Covid-19 restrictions 

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators pass the State Opera during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party in Vienna on Saturday

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators pass the State Opera during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party in Vienna on Saturday

AUSTRIA: A protester wears a respirator mask during a demonstration against the measures of the Austrian government to slow surging Covid-19 cases

AUSTRIA: A protester wears a respirator mask during a demonstration against the measures of the Austrian government to slow surging Covid-19 cases

AUSTRIA: A protester, with a sign reading 'No Covid vaccine', joins thousands of people demonstrating in Vienna against Austria's new Covid restrictions which are set to come into force on Monday

AUSTRIA: A protester, with a sign reading 'No Covid vaccine', joins thousands of people demonstrating in Vienna against Austria's new Covid restrictions which are set to come into force on Monday

AUSTRIA: Thousands of residents - one holding a sign reading 'no to mandatory vaccination' - today gathered in Vienna to demonstrate against new Covid restrictions amid soaring infection rates across the continent

AUSTRIA: Thousands of residents - one holding a sign reading 'no to mandatory vaccination' - today gathered in Vienna to demonstrate against new Covid restrictions amid soaring infection rates across the continent

DENMARK: Demonstrators in balaclavas hold torches and lit flares as they march during a 'Men in Black' protest against new government restrictions in Copenhagen

DENMARK: Demonstrators in balaclavas hold torches and lit flares as they march during a 'Men in Black' protest against new government restrictions in Copenhagen

THE NETHERLANDS: At least one person was shot and six more injured in Rotterdam last night as Dutch riot police opened fire on protesters in an 'orgy of violence'

THE NETHERLANDS: At least one person was shot and six more injured in Rotterdam last night as Dutch riot police opened fire on protesters in an 'orgy of violence' 

THE NETHERLANDS: An ambulance drives past bicycles and scooters that were set ablaze by a mob as riots erupt in The Hague over new controversial Covid restrictions

THE NETHERLANDS: An ambulance drives past bicycles and scooters that were set ablaze by a mob as riots erupt in The Hague over new controversial Covid restrictions

THE NETHERLANDS: Rioters set police vehicles ablaze as anti-lockdown protests turned to riots in Coolsingel street, Rotterdam, on Friday evening

THE NETHERLANDS: Rioters set police vehicles ablaze as anti-lockdown protests turned to riots in Coolsingel street, Rotterdam, on Friday evening

THE NETHERLANDS: Piles of burned bikes lay strewn across the streets of Rotterdam on Saturday morning following anti-lockdown protests after the government announced its 2G policy, restricted unvaccinated people's access to certain venues

THE NETHERLANDS: Piles of burned bikes lay strewn across the streets of Rotterdam on Saturday morning following anti-lockdown protests after the government announced its 2G policy, restricted unvaccinated people's access to certain venues

THE NETHERLANDS: Police manhandle a protester as anti-lockdown demonstrations in Coolsingel Street in Rotterdam turned violent yesterday evening

THE NETHERLANDS: Police manhandle a protester as anti-lockdown demonstrations in Coolsingel Street in Rotterdam turned violent yesterday evening 

DENMARK: A protestor addresses the crowd at the 'Men in Black' demonstration against new Government-led Covid restrictions in Copenhagen on Saturday, Nov 20

DENMARK: A protestor addresses the crowd at the 'Men in Black' demonstration against new Government-led Covid restrictions in Copenhagen on Saturday, Nov 20

DENMARK: Masked members of the 'Men in Black' demonstrations harass a group of customers enjoying an evening meal in Copenhagen as the group protests the reintroduction of the green pass in the country

DENMARK: Masked members of the 'Men in Black' demonstrations harass a group of customers enjoying an evening meal in Copenhagen as the group protests the reintroduction of the green pass in the country

ITALY: : People protest during a demonstration organized by No Green Pass and No Vax movements against the Green Pass Covid-19 health certificate, at Circo Massimo, on November 20, 2021 in Rome

ITALY: : People protest during a demonstration organized by No Green Pass and No Vax movements against the Green Pass Covid-19 health certificate, at Circo Massimo, on November 20, 2021 in Rome

CROATIA: A man burns a flag during a protest against vaccination and coronavirus measures in Zagreb, Saturday

CROATIA: A man burns a flag during a protest against vaccination and coronavirus measures in Zagreb, Saturday

The above graph shows the Covid infection rate per million people for western European countries from November last year. It reveals that Slovakia has the highest infection rate in the region, followed closely by Austria

The above graph shows the Covid infection rate per million people for western European countries from November last year. It reveals that Slovakia has the highest infection rate in the region, followed closely by Austria

Austria becomes first EU country to mandate jabs 

Austria on Friday became the first EU country to announce it would make coronavirus vaccinations mandatory and will next week impose a partial lockdown in the face of spiralling infections.

The lockdown, which comes into effect on Monday, constitutes the toughest restrictions introduced in Europe in recent weeks as Covid-19 cases surge continent-wide, fuelled by vaccine resistance.

Austrians will not be allowed to leave home except to go to work, shop for essentials and exercise. The restrictions will initially last 20 days with an evaluation after 10 days, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said. 

Vaccination against Covid-19 in the Alpine nation will be mandatory from February 1 next year, Schallenberg said. So far, the Vatican alone in Europe has imposed a vaccination mandate.

The World Health Organization continues to favour policies that 'demonstrate the benefit and safety of vaccines for the greatest possible acceptance of vaccines, rather than imposed mandatory vaccination,' spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters in Geneva. 

Austria has already imposed movement restrictions on those not vaccinated or recently recovered from the virus, ordering them to stay at home since Monday, becoming the first EU country to do so.

But infections have continued to rise. On Friday, a new record of more than 15,800 new cases was recorded in the EU member of nearly nine million people.

Reporting by AFP  

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Austrians are protesting against a new national lockdown and mandatory vaccinations, which the government said yesterday would be rolled out on February 1.   

Vaccinations in Austria have plateaued at one of the lowest rates in Western Europe - under 66 per cent - and hospitals in heavily hit states have warned that their intensive care units are reaching capacity.  

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said yesterday the country would go in lockdown for 10 days. 

The shutdown will then reevaluated and could be extended for a further 10 days.  

Most stores will close, and cultural events will be canceled. 

People will be able to leave their homes only for certain specific reasons, including buying groceries, going to the doctor or exercising. 

Average daily deaths have tripled in recent weeks and its infections are among the highest in Europe, with a seven-day incidence of 991 per 100,000 people. 

'We have not succeeded in convincing enough people to get vaccinated,' Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference.

'It hurts that such measures still have to be taken.'

Schallenberg also apologised to all vaccinated people on Friday night saying it was not fair they had to suffer under the renewed lockdown restrictions when they had done everything to help contain the virus.

'I'm sorry to take this drastic step,' he said on public broadcaster ORF.  

Despite the violence a day earlier, around 300 protesters marched through the southern Dutch town of Breda near the Belgian border on Saturday carrying banners with slogans such as 'No Lockdown'.

Organisers said they opposed Prime Minister Mark Rutte's plans to exclude the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants.

A group that had called an Amsterdam protest for Saturday, United We Stand Europe, said on Facebook it had cancelled the rally because 'last night, all hell broke loose in Rotterdam'.

But several hundred flag-waving protesters still gathered in central Dam Square, watched over by police vans, according to Dutch media and images on social media.

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators wave the flag of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party during a rally against a new national lockdown and mandatory vaccinations in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators wave the flag of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party during a rally against a new national lockdown and mandatory vaccinations in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: People burn smoke bombs as they take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: People burn smoke bombs as they take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Protestors with a banner 'Control the borders' attend a demonstration against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Protestors with a banner 'Control the borders' attend a demonstration against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: A demonstrator shouts during a protest against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna on Saturday

AUSTRIA: A demonstrator shouts during a protest against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna on Saturday

AUSTRIA: A demonstrator lets off a blue smoke bomb during a Vienna rally against new Covid-19 restrictions announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg

AUSTRIA: A demonstrator lets off a blue smoke bomb during a Vienna rally against new Covid-19 restrictions announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators shout slogans and light flares during a demonstration against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators shout slogans and light flares during a demonstration against measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic in Vienna

AUSTRIA: Saturday's demonstration in Vienna is the latest  in rising anger at the re-introduction of restrictions amid soaring cases on the continent

AUSTRIA: Saturday's demonstration in Vienna is the latest  in rising anger at the re-introduction of restrictions amid soaring cases on the continent 

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators on top of a building near Maria Theresien Platz square in Vienna light flares as they protest new Covid-19 restrictions announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg yesterday

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators on top of a building near Maria Theresien Platz square in Vienna light flares as they protest new Covid-19 restrictions announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg yesterday

AUSTRIA: demonstrator in Vienna holds a placard asking 'European friends' to 'help us' after the Austria government yesterday announced the country would go back into lockdown from Monday

AUSTRIA: demonstrator in Vienna holds a placard asking 'European friends' to 'help us' after the Austria government yesterday announced the country would go back into lockdown from Monday

AUSTRIA: People take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday afternoon

AUSTRIA: People take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday afternoon

AUSTRIA: People carrying the flag of the far-right Freedom party walk past the parliament as they take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna

AUSTRIA: People carrying the flag of the far-right Freedom party walk past the parliament as they take part in a demonstration against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators light flares during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party against Covid restrictions after Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced the country would go back into lockdown from Monday

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators light flares during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party against Covid restrictions after Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced the country would go back into lockdown from Monday

AUSTRIA: Thousands of people turned out to protest in the Austrian capital, Vienna, today after the government announced vaccinations would be mandatory from February 1

AUSTRIA: Thousands of people turned out to protest in the Austrian capital, Vienna, today after the government announced vaccinations would be mandatory from February 1

AUSTRIA: A man wearing a hazmat suit and carrying a cucumber with the slogan 'Mobile PCR tester' attends a protest against new Covid-19 measures in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: A man wearing a hazmat suit and carrying a cucumber with the slogan 'Mobile PCR tester' attends a protest against new Covid-19 measures in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Police walk in front of a demonstration march through the capital, Vienna, today as thousands gather to protest against new Covid-19 restrictions

AUSTRIA: Police walk in front of a demonstration march through the capital, Vienna, today as thousands gather to protest against new Covid-19 restrictions

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators climb on a fence in central Vienna, Austria, to gain a better vantage point over protests over new restrictions today

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators climb on a fence in central Vienna, Austria, to gain a better vantage point over protests over new restrictions today

AUSTRIA: Police officers detain a man during a demonstration on Vienna's Heldenplatz in which thousands of protesters gathered on the massive square. They used loudspeakers to tell protesters masks were required, but most did not wear them

AUSTRIA: Police officers detain a man during a demonstration on Vienna's Heldenplatz in which thousands of protesters gathered on the massive square. They used loudspeakers to tell protesters masks were required, but most did not wear them

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators hold up banners and placards during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party against the government's latest Covid-19 measures in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Demonstrators hold up banners and placards during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party against the government's latest Covid-19 measures in Vienna today

AUSTRIA: Thousands of people today took part in a demonstration in Vienna against the country's Covid-19 restrictions after the government said yesterday Austria would go back into lockdown from Monday and make vaccinations mandatory

AUSTRIA: Thousands of people today took part in a demonstration in Vienna against the country's Covid-19 restrictions after the government said yesterday Austria would go back into lockdown from Monday and make vaccinations mandatory

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters light candles ahead of a moment of silence during an anti-lockdown protest in Amsterdam today

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters light candles ahead of a moment of silence during an anti-lockdown protest in Amsterdam today

THE NETHERLANDS: A protester holds a sign reading 'the truth becomes clear when we unwire fear' during a protest against Covid-19 restrictions in Amsterdam on Saturday

THE NETHERLANDS: A protester holds a sign reading 'the truth becomes clear when we unwire fear' during a protest against Covid-19 restrictions in Amsterdam on Saturday

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters dance during a rally in Amsterdam against new Covid-19 restrictions amid soaring cases in Europe

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters dance during a rally in Amsterdam against new Covid-19 restrictions amid soaring cases in Europe

THE NETHERLANDS: Several hundred flag-waving protesters still gathered in central Dam Square in Amsterdam, watched over by police vans, according to Dutch media and images on social media

THE NETHERLANDS: Several hundred flag-waving protesters still gathered in central Dam Square in Amsterdam, watched over by police vans, according to Dutch media and images on social media

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters pass the window of a sex worker (right) during a demonstration against new Covid-19 restrictions in the Netherlands

THE NETHERLANDS: Protesters pass the window of a sex worker (right) during a demonstration against new Covid-19 restrictions in the Netherlands

THE NETHERLANDS: Demonstrators carrying signs reading 'taking things away from people until they say yes is not a choice' march through Amsterdam during an anti-lockdown protest today

THE NETHERLANDS: Demonstrators carrying signs reading 'taking things away from people until they say yes is not a choice' march through Amsterdam during an anti-lockdown protest today

THE NETHERLANDS: People march during a protest against the latest measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the cancellation of the event after violence marred protests in Rotterdam last night

THE NETHERLANDS: People march during a protest against the latest measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the cancellation of the event after violence marred protests in Rotterdam last night

Footage from the Rotterdam violence showed burnt out police cars and rioters throwing fireworks and rocks at police, while photos in Dutch media showed at least one police car ablaze and another with a bicycle smashed through the windshield.

Local news outlet NL Times reported that a journalist was attacked of the street, while local broadcaster Rijnmond said the reporter was beaten and his camera was destroyed. Local media also reported gangs of soccer hooligans were involved in the rioting. 

One eyewitness - a press photographer – told local media they saw shell casings 'everywhere on the floor'. 

Cops also said it was 'unclear how or by whom' two people were shot during the chaos. Video from social media on Dutch broadcaster NOS appeared to show the person being hit in Rotterdam, but there was no explanation on what happened. 

Officers arrested 51 protesters last night and were expected to detain several more after studying video footage from security cameras.  

Late on Friday night, police said downtown Rotterdam remained restive and there was still a heavy police presence on the streets. 

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told reporters in the early hours of Saturday morning that 'on a number of occasions the police felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves' as rioters ran rampage through the port city's central shopping district, setting fires and throwing rocks and fireworks at officers.

'They shot at protesters, people were injured,' Aboutaleb said, adding that several officers were injured in the violence.

Police spokesperson Patricia Wessels confirmed that police fired shots, though it was not immediately clear what type of rounds were fired.

'We fired warning shots and there were also direct shots fired because the situation was life-threatening,' she said. 'We know that at least two people were wounded, probably as a result of the warning shots, but we need to investigate the exact causes further.' 

Police said that riot police later launched charges at the demonstrators, adding: 'The water launcher has been deployed.' 

The situation had largely calmed late on Friday but the smoking wreckage of a burned-out police car and dozens of smashed bicycles littered the scene, an AFP reporter said. 

Police tweeted that rioters started fires and threw fireworks during the rioting and authorities closed the city's main railway station and officers lined up on the streets of Rotterdam

Police tweeted that rioters started fires and threw fireworks during the rioting and authorities closed the city's main railway station and officers lined up on the streets of Rotterdam

Pictured: A scooter is seen set ablaze in Rotterdam on Friday night as people too to the streets against Covid restrictions

Pictured: A scooter is seen set ablaze in Rotterdam on Friday night as people too to the streets against Covid restrictions

A scooter in Rotterdam city centre that was burnt out during anti-lockdown riots on Friday night after thousands of people took to the streets over the government's 2G policy that restricts unvaccinated people from certain venues

A scooter in Rotterdam city centre that was burnt out during anti-lockdown riots on Friday night after thousands of people took to the streets over the government's 2G policy that restricts unvaccinated people from certain venues

Hundreds of people gather during a protest against the 2G (Covid-pass) policy in Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 19 November 2021

Hundreds of people gather during a protest against the 2G (Covid-pass) policy in Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 19 November 2021

Demonstrators take part in a protest against a partial coronavirus lockdown and against the government policy on Coolsingel street on November 19, 2021 in the port city of Rotterdam

Demonstrators take part in a protest against a partial coronavirus lockdown and against the government policy on Coolsingel street on November 19, 2021 in the port city of Rotterdam

Pictured: A grab from footage that appeared to show a person being shot in Rotterdam on Friday night (circled)
Pictured: A grab from video showing a police officer in Rotterdam being kicked over on Friday night

Left: A grab from footage that appeared to show a person being shot in Rotterdam on Friday night (circled). Right: A grab showing the moment a police officer was kicked over in the riots, capture on video

Damaged police cars and bikes littered the streets after an anti-lockdown protest turned into the riots in Coolsingel street in Rotterdam on Friday night

Damaged police cars and bikes littered the streets after an anti-lockdown protest turned into the riots in Coolsingel street in Rotterdam on Friday night

A burned police car surrounded by warped bike frames seen on the streets of Rotterdam early on Saturday after an 'orgy of violence' during anti-lockdown protests

A burned police car surrounded by warped bike frames seen on the streets of Rotterdam early on Saturday after an 'orgy of violence' during anti-lockdown protests 

Carnage lined the streets of Rotterdam on Saturday morning after a night of violent demonstrations in which one person was shot and at least six more injured

Carnage lined the streets of Rotterdam on Saturday morning after a night of violent demonstrations in which one person was shot and at least six more injured

There appeared to be dried blood on the streets of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, early on Saturday following violent anti-lockdown protests in the city overnight

There appeared to be dried blood on the streets of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, early on Saturday following violent anti-lockdown protests in the city overnight 

Britain's SAGE adviser says UK WON'T see a spike in Covid cases but warns Europe lockdown riots are a 'warning to us'

A SAGE adviser has moved to reassure Britons the UK will not see a spike in Covid-19 cases like Austria and Germany - but warned Europe's lockdown riots should act as a 'warning' and urged people to get their booster jabs.  

Professor John Edmund said today that opposition to stringent restrictions on the continent have demonstrated the importance of booster jabs, warning, 'it is pretty clear immunity does wane'.    

'What you see now in central Europe with these rapid increase in cases, you see the importance of vaccination,' Mr Edmund told Sky. 

But Mr Edmund said the UK was unlikely to be hit by the Christmas chaos because the country 'is in a slightly different position.' 

He added: 'Frankly here in the UK, we've had high rates of infection for many months now so we're in a slightly different position to Austria and Germany and so on.

'I don't think things will quite happen in the same way here as they have done there. But it is a warning to us. I think it's pretty clear that immunity does wane.

'I'm sure you do still have some protection from the vaccine but it's nowhere near as strong as shortly after you've been vaccinated. It's very clear the booster doses do give a very clear boost to your immune system.'

Asked whether the Government should re-introduce control measures, Mr Edmund told Sky: 'The plan B measures, we could've implemented them at any point. It's a government decision whether to take that step.

'They have to look at the potential effectiveness and measure that against the potential cost of some of those things.'

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Riot police carrying shields and batons were directing groups of people away from the area. Officers on horseback and in police vans patrolled the streets.

Police also cordoned off several scenes to comb for evidence, with a human finger visible on the ground at one of them, the AFP correspondent said.

'Most of the demonstrators are now gone. There only remain a few groups in a few places,' police spokesman Jesse Brobbel told AFP. 

Dutch justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus said in a statement that the 'extreme violence' against police and fire fighters in Rotterdam was 'repulsive'.

'The right to protest is very important in our society but what we saw last night was simply criminal behaviour,' Grapperhaus said.  

Dutch police said units from around the country were brought in to 'restore order' to Rotterdam.

'Dozens of arrests have now been made, it is expected that more arrests will follow. Around seven people have been injured, including on the side of the police,' a police statement said.  

At least one police car was set on fire during the protest, a police spokesman confirmed to AFP. The spokesperson could not confirm the number of people injured. 

Several electric scooters and other items were also torched, with several hundred protesters involved in the riots, images on Dutch media and social media showed. 

Local authorities issued an emergency order banning people from gathering in the area in a bid to prevent further violence, and the authorities also called on bystanders and people who recorded images of the riots to send the footage to police for further investigation.

Police tweeted that rioters started fires and threw fireworks during the rioting and authorities closed the city's main railway station.  

The several hundred people had gathered to voice opposition to government plans to restrict access to indoor venues to people who have a 'corona pass' showing they have been vaccinated or already recovered from an infection.

The pass is also available to people who have not been vaccinated, but have proof of a negative test. 

'This is a very serious situation which requires action with the highest priority,' said the emergency order by the Rotterdam municipality. 'It is therefore necessary to issue this emergency order so as to maintain public order and to protect the safety of persons.'  

Pictured: A burning car and bikes are seen on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night

Pictured: A burning car and bikes are seen on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night

Pictured: A torched police car is shown in a still grab from a video on Friday night taken amid riots against Covid measures

Pictured: A torched police car is shown in a still grab from a video on Friday night taken amid riots against Covid measures

Pictured: Still grabs from video shot from a nearby building show fires on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night amid riots
Pictured: Still grabs from video shot from a nearby building show fires on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night amid riots

Pictured: Still grabs from video shot from a nearby building show fires on the streets of Rotterdam on Friday night amid riots

Covid-19 infections soar in the Czech Republic 

Coronavirus infection rates in the Czech Republic have hit a new record for the second time this week, the Health Ministry said.

It announced that the daily tally jumped to 22,936 on Friday, almost 500 more than the previous record set on Tuesday.

The country's infection rate has risen to 929 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days.

In a worrying sign, 110 people died on Thursday, the ministry said, with the daily death toll surpassing 100 for the first time since April.

The government has approved new restrictions to tackle the surge, targeting the unvaccinated in an effort to increase a vaccination rate that is below the European Union average.

Starting on Monday, most unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to show negative coronavirus tests in order to attend public events, go to bars and restaurants, visit hairdressers, museums and similar facilities or use hotels.

Only people who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will remain eligible. Overall, the nation of 10.7 million has registered almost two million cases with 32,005 deaths.

 

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Local political party Leefbaar Rotterdam condemned the violence in a tweet. 'The centre of our beautiful city has this evening transformed into a war zone,' it said. 'Rotterdam is a city where you can disagree with things that happen but violence is never, never, the solution.' 

Like much of the rest of Europe, the Netherlands has seen Covid cases soar to record levels in recent days, with more than 21,000 new infections reported on Friday. 

The latest restrictions were announced on November 12, and sparked clashes between demonstrators and police outside the justice ministry in The Hague. 

The restrictions came into force the following day, shuttering bars, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets at 8:00 pm daily, while non-essential shops must shut at 6:00 pm.

People are limited to having four visitors at home and have been advised to work at home unless absolutely necessary. Public events have been scrapped while football matches must be played behind closed doors. 

Schools however remain open, and people are allowed to leave their homes without restrictions. The Dutch government has said it will review the situation on December 3.

It is considering excluding the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants, limiting admittance to people who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from the disease, but there was significant opposition to the plan during a debate in parliament this week. 

The Netherlands suffered its worst riots in four decades in January after a night-time Covid curfew, the country's first since World War II, came into force. 

Earlier Friday, the government banned fireworks on Dec. 31 for the second straight year. The ban is intended 'to prevent, as much as possible, extra strain on health care, law enforcement and first responders,' the government said Friday. 

The riots in Rotterdam come after Austria said on Friday that it will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full Covid-19 lockdown, while neighbouring Germany warned it may follow suit, sending shivers through financial markets worried about the economic fallout. 

Restrictions have also been placed on the unvaccinated in Germany – where they have been banned from restaurants – as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.    

Pictured: Riots in Rotterdam as seen from a nearby building
Pictured: Riots in Rotterdam as seen from a nearby building

Pictured: Riots in Rotterdam on Friday night as seen in a video captured from a nearby building

Pictured: A flare is seen on the streets of Rotterdam near a police car amid clashes between protesters demonstrating against new Covid measures and officers

Pictured: A flare is seen on the streets of Rotterdam near a police car amid clashes between protesters demonstrating against new Covid measures and officers

Pictured: The aftermath of the riots in Rotterdam on Friday night that saw people take to the streets over Covid measures

Pictured: The aftermath of the riots in Rotterdam on Friday night that saw people take to the streets over Covid measures

The situation had largely calmed later but the smoking wreckage of a burned-out police car and dozens of smashed bicycles littered the scene, pictures from Rotterdam on Friday showed

The situation had largely calmed later but the smoking wreckage of a burned-out police car and dozens of smashed bicycles littered the scene, pictures from Rotterdam on Friday showed

First German states cancel all Christmas markets over virus 

The German states of Bavaria and Saxony on Friday cancelled all their Christmas markets and unveiled drastic curbs on public life as the country scrambles to contain soaring coronavirus infections.

'The situation is very, very serious and difficult,' Markus Soeder, premier of the southern state of Bavaria, said as he also announced a shutdown of clubs, bars and night service at restaurants.

The eastern state of Saxony unveiled similar measures and went even further by closing all sporting and cultural venues, banning tourism, public consumption of alcohol and barring the unvaccinated from non-essential shops and hairdressers.

Saxony premier Michael Kretschmer - whose state has Germany's lowest vaccination rate at just under 60 percent of the population - admitted that many of the restrictions would affect the vaccinated as well.

But he said tough action was needed to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed and called for 'solidarity' from all citizens. 'We need more 'we' and less 'I' in this pandemic,' he told reporters.

Bavaria and Saxony are among the hardest hit regions in the ferocious fourth Covid wave sweeping Germany. 

Reporting by AFP 

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Following the announcement, Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl posted a picture on Facebook with the inscription: 'As of today Austria is a dictatorship.' 

The party is planning a protest on Saturday, but Kickl cannot attend because he has tested positive for Covid-19 and must self-isolate for 14 days.

Europe has again become the epicentre of the pandemic, accounting for half of global cases and deaths, the WHO said. 

A fourth wave of infections has plunged Germany, Europe's largest economy, into a national emergency, Health Minister Jens Spahn said, warning that vaccinations alone will not cut case numbers. 

Both decisions infuriated many in a country where scepticism about state mandates affecting individual freedoms runs high, encouraged by the far-right Freedom Party, the third biggest in parliament.  

Asked if Germany could rule out an Austrian-style full lockdown, Spahn said: 'We are now in a situation - even if this produces a news alert - where we can't rule anything out. 'We are in a national emergency,' he told a news conference.  

Looming lockdowns weighed on a range of financial market sectors on Friday, pushing stocks and oil down and boosting the dollar.

'We expect targeted measures (against COVID-19) across some countries mainly according to the health situation, but other factors, such as domestic political situations, will be relevant,' Oxford Economics analysts said in a note.

'And while it might take a while before a political consensus can be reached in other countries, it is clear that the tide has turned.' 

As cases rise again, a number of European governments have started to reimpose limits on activity, ranging from Austria's full lockdown to a partial lockdown in the Netherlands and restrictions on the unvaccinated in parts of Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Niels Van Regenmortel, the intensive care units coordinator at the ZNA Stuivenberg hospital in Antwerp, said there was an increasing risk hospitals in Belgium will have to resort to triage as ICUs fill up amid soaring COVID-19 numbers, calling on the government to restrict night life. 

Crowds in some places in Breda, The Netherlands with people going home after the closing of the catering industry in the city. The catering industry has to close at 8pm due to a coronavirus curfew

Crowds in some places in Breda, The Netherlands with people going home after the closing of the catering industry in the city. The catering industry has to close at 8pm due to a coronavirus curfew

Pictured: People are seen walking through the streets of Breda in The Netherlands after restaurants and bars closed at 8pm

Pictured: People are seen walking through the streets of Breda in The Netherlands after restaurants and bars closed at 8pm

Pictured: Empty tables are seen in Breda in The Netherlands after restaurants and bars closed at 8pm due to the Covid curfew

Pictured: Empty tables are seen in Breda in The Netherlands after restaurants and bars closed at 8pm due to the Covid curfew

This graph shows the number of daily Covid tests carried out per 1,000 people. It also shows that Sweden is carrying out the fewest number of tests. It has told double-vaccinated people not to get swabbed for the virus because they face very little risk from it, although this advice will be reversed from December 1

This graph shows the number of daily Covid tests carried out per 1,000 people. It also shows that Sweden is carrying out the fewest number of tests. It has told double-vaccinated people not to get swabbed for the virus because they face very little risk from it, although this advice will be reversed from December 1

The above graph shows the proportion of the population that has received two doses of the Covid vaccine by nation. It reveals that Sweden is in the bottom half of countries for vaccine uptake, but ahead of nations including the UK and Germany

The above graph shows the proportion of the population that has received two doses of the Covid vaccine by nation. It reveals that Sweden is in the bottom half of countries for vaccine uptake, but ahead of nations including the UK and Germany

Europe has become the epicentre of the pandemic once again, with the World Health Organisation warning that the Continent was the only region in the world where deaths had increased - with Covid-related fatalities spiking by five per cent just this week

Europe has become the epicentre of the pandemic once again, with the World Health Organisation warning that the Continent was the only region in the world where deaths had increased - with Covid-related fatalities spiking by five per cent just this week

What Covid restrictions are in place in Sweden? 

The country- which dodged a lockdown unlike most other nations -  also has next to no Covid restrictions in place.

It dropped its final measures recommending people to work from home where possible on September 29.

And advice for people to wear face masks on public transport was abandoned on July. Unlike in other countries the coverings were never compulsory.

On November 11 Swedish health authorities went even further telling double-vaccinated people they no longer needed to swab themselves for the virus.

But this move has now been reversed after critics said it left the country in a dangerous position just before winter. 

Some travel restrictions are still in place for people coming to the country from non-EU nations and Britain.

All arrivals are required to show a certificate they have been double-vaccinated.

When this is not possible they are asked to show a negative Covid test result from to come to the country from non-EU countries.

All arrivals are also required to prove they up to 48 hours before they travelled. 

Sweden will impose further restrictions from December 1 requiring everyone attending events of more than 100 people to show proof they are double-vaccinated.

Officials have warned more Covid restrictions may be needed this winter.  

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Whether or not countries opt to lock down again depends on a wide range of factors, including vaccination rates, mask mandates and the extent to which booster shots are being made available.

Germany has said further measures will be decided based on when hospitalisation rates hit certain thresholds, while Friday saw its first states - Saxony and Bavaria - cancel all their Christmas markets.

The Bavarian state capital of Munich on Tuesday had become the first major German city to cancel its Christmas market for the second year in a row. Saxony's cancellations means the famed Dresden Christmas market is also scrapped. 

Germany hosts some 2,500 Christmas markets each year, cherished by visitors who come to savour mulled wine and roasted chestnuts, and shop for seasonal trinkets among clusters of wooden chalets.

In pre-pandemic times, they drew about 160 million domestic and international visitors annually who brought in revenues of three to five billion euros ($3.4 billion to $5.6 billion), according to the BSM stallkeepers' industry association.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear he thinks high levels of vaccinations should be enough to avoid future lockdowns.

Britain, with higher numbers of infections than most countries in Europe, is rolling out third shots - or boosters - to offset waning protection from the first two and help keep the economy open. 

While the new measures across Europe are not seen hitting the economy as much as the all-out lockdowns of last year, analysts say they could weigh on the recovery in the last quarter, especially if they hurt the retail and hospitality sectors over Christmas.

A full lockdown in Germany would be more serious, however.

'With Germany ... imposing new restrictions, any thoughts that the vaccines would offer a way to a more normal Christmas period appear to have gone up in smoke for now, in Europe at least,' said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

'Although there is a nagging fear this could ripple out across the region.' The pressure on intensive care units in Germany has not yet reached its peak, Spahn said, urging people to reduce contacts to help break the wave. 

'How Christmas will turn out, I dare not say. I can only say it's up to us,' he added.

Pictured: Police officers check the vaccination status of visitors during a patrol on a Christmas market in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Pictured: Police officers check the vaccination status of visitors during a patrol on a Christmas market in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Pictured: A sigh that says "Please wear a mask" at Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz on November 19, 2021 in Berlin, Germany

Pictured: A sigh that says 'Please wear a mask' at Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz on November 19, 2021 in Berlin, Germany

Although Sweden chose not to lock down completely early in the pandemic, it did introduce stricter legally-binding curbs last winter as cases and deaths rose. A couple hug and laugh as they have lunch in a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden

Although Sweden chose not to lock down completely early in the pandemic, it did introduce stricter legally-binding curbs last winter as cases and deaths rose. A couple hug and laugh as they have lunch in a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden

EU issues advice on using Covid-19 pill for adults

The European Union's drug regulator has issued advice on using Merck's COVID-19 pill for adults and began a review of a rival tablet from Pfizer to help member states decide on quick adoption ahead of any formal EU-wide approval.

In two separate statements on Friday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) detailed efforts to advance use of the experimental but promising options, as infections and COVID-related deaths are rapidly rising in the region and forcing renewed lockdowns. 

Merck's COVID-19 tablet, Lagevrio, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, should be given early and within five days of first symptoms to treat adults who do not need oxygen support and are at risk of their disease worsening.

It advised against treatment during pregnancy and for women who plan to or could get pregnant, while adding that breastfeeding must also be stopped around the time of using the pill, which is to be taken twice a day for five days.

Drugs in the same class as Merck's Lagevrio have been linked to birth defects in animal studies. The drugmaker, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has said animal testing shows its pill is safe, but the data have not been made public. 

EMA said it was studying available data on the Pfizer pill Paxlovid, days after the drugmaker sought U.S. approval, adding that a more comprehensive rolling review was expected to start ahead of any approval. It did not specify when that review would be.

The EMA last month began a rolling review of the Merck pill and expects to conclude that evaluation by the end of the year. 

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Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday Germany will limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are becoming dangerously full of COVID-19 patients to those who have either been vaccinated or have recovered from the illness.

'It's clear from our experience in England and from what's happening across Europe that while vaccines do a lot of the heavy lifting ... other interventions are required to prevent case numbers rising,' said Lawrence Young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.

'Less mask wearing, more mixing indoors due to colder weather and waning immunity are also contributing to the high case levels across Europe.'  

Sweden, meanwhile, has the lowest Covid infection rate in western Europe — after double-vaccinated nationals were told they don't have to test for the virus even if they get symptoms.

The Scandinavian nation — which was subject to international scrutiny last year when it refused to lockdown — is currently recording 85.4 cases per million people, according to Oxford University research site Our World in Data.

By comparison, the rate is nearly 1,400 per million in Europe's current Covid capital Austria, which today announced it is going back into a full lockdown from Monday.

Sweden's infection rate is far lower than other Western European countries like the Netherlands (1,048.7), Britain (581), Germany (536), and France (201). 

And for the first time in the pandemic, Sweden is recording fewer cases per population size than its Scandinavian neighbours Denmark (655), Norway (351) and Finland (150).

But critics say Sweden has been left 'in the dark' over the true extent of its coronavirus wave because the double-vaccinated, equivalent to almost seven in ten people, are not being routinely swabbed.

Last week, Sweden broke ranks with its European neighbours once again and told Swedes they did not have to get tested if they were fully jabbed, even if they had symptoms. Covid swabbing rates plunged 35 per cent last week, compared to a month earlier. 

But this week the policy was reversed in response to rising cases on the continent. A fresh wave of Delta is rolling across the continent and putting pressure on hospitals once again, which has forced most in the EU to bring back some form of curbs.

Latest figures show Sweden is only carrying out 1.26 tests per 1,000 people, which is also the lowest number in western Europe.

The threat of fresh lockdowns comes as optimism grows about experimental drugs developed by Pfizer and Merck that cut the chance of hospitalisation and severe illness, more weapons in the world's fight against the virus.

On Friday, the EU drug regulator said it was reviewing data on Pfizer's COVID-19 pill to help member states decide on quick adoption ahead of any formal EU-wide approval. 

Slovakia has also seen a surge in infections, with 9,171 reported on Friday, its biggest daily tally since the pandemic began. The country of 5.5 million earlier in the week tightened restrictions on people who have not had COVID-19 shots.

With a seven-day incidence of 11,500 new cases per million inhabitants, the country has the worst reported epidemic situation in the world, according to Our World in Data statistics.

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