Europe: COVID-19 cases in eastern part surpass 20 million

Europe: COVID-19 cases in eastern part surpass 20 million

The number of coronavirus infections recorded so far in eastern Europe surpassed 20 million on Sunday, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag.

Countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with less than half of the population having received a single dose. New infections in the region have steadily risen and now average over 83,700 new cases per day, the highest level since November last year. Although it has just 4% of the world’s population, eastern Europe accounts for roughly 20% of all new cases reported globally.

3 of the top 5 countries reporting the most deaths in the world are in eastern Europe – Russia, Ukraine and Romania.