Europe braces for third wave of Covid as cases surge – BBC News

Continental Europe is preparing for a third wave of coronavirus amid a surge in new cases and a shortage of vaccines that can reduce the spread of the disease.

Large parts of France are going into lockdown again amid a sharp rise in cases. Only 8% of the population has been vaccinated.

Switzerland is extending its restrictions. Poland – where the surge is being driven by the variant from southern England – is going into partial lockdown.

The German chancellor Angela Merkel has said it’s probable that restrictions will have to be reimposed.

The vaccination programme across the EU has been slow with around 10% of the population protected so far. Confidence has been shaken after more than a dozen EU countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for a time over concerns about blood clots.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lucy Williamson in Paris.

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