Europe's Covid protests - 24th November 2021

Europe has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases. Governments are returning to lockdown rules as some places see limited spaces in hospitals and the number of Covid deaths rising.

​​Austria is now in lockdown. The 8.9million people living there are only allowed to leave home for work, shopping and exercise.

The government has also made a new rule on vaccines. Covid vaccines will be essential for everyone starting from February 2022. This new vaccine rule led thousands of people to protest in Vienna.

There were similar protests in the Netherlands, Croatia and Belgium over the strict Covid rules. These countries now require Covid passports for venues. This has happened after Germany had a 50 percent rise in Covid-19 cases in a single week. And Norway has had a 67 percent increase in Covid deaths.

Hans Kluge directs the World Health Organisation in Europe. He thinks the low vaccine rate is responsible for this increase. He also thinks that stricter rules about vaccines, masks and Covid passports are necessary to prevent 500,000 deaths.