European countries are racing to contain coronavirus outbreaks as the continent struggles with a second wave of Covid-19. Here’s what you need to know
Germany
Germany’s largest cities have become coronavirus hotspots over the last few days.
Berlin has reported a spike in cases, while the cities of Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen and Stuttgart have also recorded a rise in infection rates.
Stuttgart has requested military assistance to manage the crisis, an unusual move for a major German city.
The country reported 2,467 new coronavirus cases on Monday, which is less than the record daily cases seen over the weekend, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s public health institute.
Germany now has 325,331 coronavirus case and 9,621 deaths according to the RKI.
The Netherlands
Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of the Netherlands’ second-largest city — Rotterdam — has tested positive for coronavirus.
The city said Aboutaleb was “home with mild symptoms, and based on the advice of the municipal health service must remain in isolation for seven days,” in a statement published Monday.
A spokesperson for the mayor told CNN that he began showing symptoms on Friday, and tested positive for the virus on Sunday evening.
She added that the mayor is carrying out his duties from home.
England
The English city of Liverpool, in the country’s northwest, is to be placed under tier three lockdown restrictions, the strictest of the country’s new Covid-19 rules.
The region’s rising infection rate is worrying the UK government.
The restrictions, which are stricter than those imposed on southern areas, have caused tensions between politicians in northern regions and the British government, based in London.
Liverpool’s mayor reacted with fury on Monday and accused Boris Johnson’s government of imposing “lockdown by diktat.”
“Let’s be clear that, having ignored my pleas for over a month, the Government now blame us, and impose ‘lockdown by diktat’ without a full financial package and support for businesses we are levelling down not levelling up,” Joe Anderson tweeted Monday.
“We will continue to stand up for our local businesses.”
Johnson is due to reveal more details about the new system of restrictions later on Monday.