The World Health Organization is worried about the spread of COVID-19 in Europe as the continent battles a fresh wave of infections.
Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken.
Dr Kluge said an increase in mask wearing could immediately help.
The warning comes as several nations report record-high infection rates and introduce full and partial lockdowns.
Dr Kluge said factors like the winter season, insufficient vaccine coverage and the regional dominance of the more transmissible Delta variant were behind the spread.
He called for increased vaccine uptake and the implementation of basic public health measures and new medical treatments to help fight the rise.
Austria became the first European country yesterday to announce that COVID-19 vaccination would become a legal requirement.
The new rules are set to come into force in February, as details of how the measure will be enforced are still being discussed.
The announcement, alongside that of a new national lockdown was made in response to record case numbers and low vaccination levels.
Many other European countries are also imposing new measures as cases rise.
[Source: BBC]
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