By Lejla Biogradlija Aksan
SARAJEVO (AA) – As most of Europe pursues mass vaccination targets, COVID-19 deaths remain worryingly high across the continent.
Fatality numbers have been particularly alarming in countries such as the UK, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, France, Portugal, and Slovakia.
These states accounted for a majority of the around 4,000 virus-related deaths reported across Europe on Feb. 11.
The UK’s death toll of over 115,000 is, by far, the highest on the continent, and shows no signs of slowing.
In two months, the country of over 66 million, the first in the European Union to begin immunizations, has administered some 13.5 million vaccine doses, but its death rate is still soaring.
According to data from the online resource Worldometer, the UK reported its highest daily fatality count of 1,820 on Jan. 20.
Over the past week, the country reported an average of 790 deaths per day – 1,052 on Feb. 9, 1,001 on Feb. 10, and 678 on Feb. 11.
In Germany, where coronavirus curbs have been extended until at least March, some 3.5 million vaccine doses have been administered to date.
The daily fatality figure peaked at 1,244 on Dec. 29 and averaged around 540 over the past week – 674 on Feb. 9, 708 on Feb. 10, and 534 on Feb. 11.
Germany’s overall death toll is now over 64,500, according to the latest figures.
- Spain, Italy, France
The fatality count in Spain, where 2.2 million vaccine doses have been administered so far, has crossed 64,200.
The country reported an average of 480 deaths over the past week – 766 on Feb. 9, 643 on Feb. 10, and 513 on Feb. 11.
In Italy, some 2.7 million doses have been administered since vaccinations started in late December.
While the overall death toll is now over 92,700, fatalities in the country have dropped significantly over recent days.
The daily average was 360 in the past week – 422 deaths were reported on Feb. 9, 336 on Feb. 10, and 391 on Feb. 11.
In France, more than 80,800 lives have been lost to COVID-19 and the country has administered some 2.3 million vaccine jabs to date.
An average of 390 virus-related deaths were reported in the country over the past seven days – 508 on Feb. 9, 296 on Feb. 10, and 360 on Feb. 11.
- Portugal, Poland, Slovakia
As the overall death toll crosses 40,000, the situation remains grim in Poland, despite some 1.7 million vaccine doses having been administered so far.
The daily average was 260 over the past week, with 228 fatalities reported on Feb. 9 and 360 on Feb. 10.
Portugal, one of the worst-hit countries in a new wave of infections, has administered some 400,000 vaccine doses.
The death toll in the country is now over 15,000, following a spike this January that culminated in a peak of 303 on Jan. 31.
An average of 210 people died of virus-related complications per day over the past week – 203 on Feb. 9, 161 on Feb. 10, and 167 on Feb. 11.
In Slovakia, the daily fatality count is still above the 100 mark – 111 deaths were reported on Feb. 9, 120 on Feb. 10, and 127 on Feb. 11.
The country’s death toll is now over 5,700 and the number of vaccine doses it has administered is close to 250,000.
* Writing by Iclal Turan in Ankara