Europe has recorded two million cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, according to a tally by the AFP news agency. The continent was the epicenter of the pandemic until cases skyrocketed in the United States.
Europe passed the two million mark on Saturday, meaning the continent now accounts for nearly two-fifths of the world’s confirmed cases.
New infections and deaths have fallen in the worst-stricken European countries. As summer approaches, lockdown measures have been relaxed, and Spain – the world’s fourth-worst affected country – will reopen for international tourism from July onwards, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday. Greece, Portugal and Italy will all welcome visitors again next month, while France will open its borders with neighboring Switzerland and Germany.
Though a relaxation may be coming soon, visitors to these countries will still need to abide by social distancing rules, and in some cases, may have to quarantine themselves upon arrival.
While the disease originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, an explosion of cases in Italy, Spain, and France made Europe the coronavirus hotspot of the world from March onwards.
However, the United States then saw a skyrocketing rate of infection, and now accounts for more than 1.6 million cases. Brazil and Russia have also reported drastic rises in infections, with both countries now reporting more than 330,000 cases each.
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