The deterioration of the epidemiological situation across Europe is reflected on this week’s map on the spread of COVID-19 issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Thursday.
Cyprus remains for another week in the “red” category, however many areas in central and eastern Europe are now in the “deep red” category, while the situation has worsened in France and Italy.
The “deep red” category, signifying a quicker spread of COVID-19, includes most or all of Iceland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Lichtenstein, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Greece.
Meanwhile, half or more of Germany, Poland and Romania are still in the red category, while most regions in Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as Denmark and Cyprus, remain in the red category.
The only countries at least in part in the orange category are Portugal, Italy and Malta (which was a safe country in the green category last week).
The epidemiological situation is worsening in France, where many regions have passed into the red zone. There is no data available on Spain this week.
Sardinia in Italy is the only area in Europe that currently falls within the green category.
Orange zone areas are defined as the areas where the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is below 50 and the test positivity rate of tests for COVID-19 infection is 4% or more, or the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is between 50 and 75 and the test positivity rate is 1% or more, or the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is between 75 and 200 and the test positivity rate is lower than 4%.
Red zone areas are defined as the areas where the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate ranges from 75 to 200 and the test positivity rate of tests for COVID-19 infection is 4% or more, or the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is more than 200 but less than 500 (when the cumulative rate exceeds 500 the area enters the “deep red” zone).
ECDC publishes relevant maps and data every Thursday, in support of the Council recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The maps are based on data reported by the Member States to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) by midnight on Tuesday.
