EU officially declares 3rd COVID-19 wave

The President of the European Union (EU) Commission Ursula von der Leyen declared on Thursday that the third wave of Coronavirus has officially started.

During her speech at the EU Summit, von der Leyen asserted discussed a plan to impose more restrictions for vaccine exportations from the European bloc to the rest of the world.

She explained: "The EU has exported 77 million doses of vaccines to 33 countries since 1 December 2020. In addition, as a lead donor to COVAX, it has contributed to exports to low & middle income countries. While remaining open, the EU needs to ensure Europeans get a fair share of vaccines."

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1375090365254934531

On the other hand, she referred to AstraZeneca delays over vaccine shipments to the bloc. The President of the EU Commission underscored: "We could have been much faster if all pharmaceutical companies had fulfilled their contracts."

“AstraZeneca has committed to a lower number of doses than was contracted,” she added in the press conference held after the EU summit.

In the same context, several European countries have imposed more protective restrictions to compete for the third wave of the COVID-19 such as France, Germany, and Italy.

On the other hand, European leaders are trying to speed the mechanism of the vaccination rollout in the bloc.