The World Heath Organization is warning that Europe could experience a severe winter that could see half a million people die from COVID-19.
The WHO made the dire prediction on Thursday, as it spoke about a surge in cases in the EU and faltering vaccination rollouts in parts of Europe.
Large parts of Europe are dealing with surges in infection rates, with Germany this week reporting its highest number of new daily cases since the start of the pandemic, CNN reported.
WHO regional director Hans Kluge said that the rate of infection was of “grave concern.”
"We are, once again, at the epicenter," Kluge said in a statement. "According to one reliable projection, if we stay on this trajectory, we could see another half a million COVID-19 deaths in Europe and Central Asia by the first of February next year.”
In its weekly update, the WHO said that the EU had a six percent rise in cases from the previous week, the highest of anywhere in the world, with other regions having “declines or stable trends.”
"We are at another critical point of pandemic resurgence," Kluge said. "Hospitalization rates in countries with low vaccine uptake are markedly higher and rising more quickly than in those with higher uptake.”