Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, has warned countries against premature easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Kluge’s warning on Thursday, March 18,  came as the region has been witnessing a rise in Covid-19 transmission rates, while its death toll was inching towards the 1 million mark, Xinhua news agency. Addressing a virtual press conference here, Kluge noted that “while 27 countries are currently in a partial or full nationwide lockdown, 21 are gradually easing restrictive measures”.

“Some are doing so based on the assumption that increasing vaccination uptake in countries would immediately lead to an improved epidemiological situation,” he said.

“Such assumptions are too early to make.”

Kluge stressed that with vaccination coverage in the region ranging from less than 1 per cent to 44 per cent, it is “far too early to demonstrate the effect of vaccines on overall Covid-19 hospitalisation and deaths”.

Despite “giant scientific leaps and the introduction of effective tools that give us power over the virus”, the WHO official acknowledged that in parts of the region, such as central Europe, the Balkans and the Baltic states, “case incidence, hospitalizations and deaths are now among the highest in the world”.