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1 [1] (January 14, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govehlu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con gre &ionaI Resedrch SE hnformino Ahec Nisative debate sine 191 Updated January 14, 2022 Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations COVID-9 in Europe Like most of the rest of the world, European governments and the European Union (EU) have struggled to manage the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. European leaders have characterized the pandemic as Europe's biggest challenge since the Second World War, with potentially far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences beyond the public health impact. Members of Congress may be interested in COVID-19's implications for U.S. relations with Europe, including in NATO and with the EU, and in how the pandemic might alter certain U.S.- European dynamics, especially vis-a-vis China. Statistics Europe has experienced several waves of the pandemic since its onset in early 2020. As of January 14, 2022, about 84.2 million confirmed COVID-19 infections and nearly 1.1 million deaths had been reported across the 27-member EU, the United Kingdom (UK), Norway, and Switzerland (out of a combined population of roughly 527 million). As seen in Table 1, the pandemic has significantly affected countries in both Western and Central Europe. Table I. COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Europe: Top I 0 Affected Countries (by number of cases, as of January 14, 2022) Deaths Case Country Cases Deaths per Fatality 100,000 Rates UK 15,064,685 151,833 227.18 1.00% France 13,351,053 127,520 190.16 1.00% Italy 8,155,645 140,188 232.49 1.70% Spain 7,930,528 90,620 192.49 1.10% Germany 7,866,784 115,343 138.75 1.50% Poland 4,265,433 101,419 267.10 2.40% Netherlands 3,539,335 21,610 124.68 0.60% Czech Rep. 2,562,235 36,765 334.57 1.40% Belgium 2,347,164 28,566 248.74 1.20% Romania 1,875,887 59,150 305.58 3.20% Source: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center, updated daily at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/. The Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) have reported a combined 2.5 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 44,000 deaths to date (out of a combined population of roughly 18 million). Some parts of the region have among the highest case-fatality ratios in Europe. European Responses By March 2020, nearly all European governments had imposed national lockdown restrictions and social- distancing measures, including closing schools and nonessential businesses and banning large gatherings. Such measures varied by country in strictness, length, and other aspects. Sweden initially took a different approach that trusted citizens to practice social distancing and imposed few mandatory restrictions, but many public health experts questioned this strategy. Most European governments also enacted national border controls, and some limited internal travel. Several European countries, including Denmark, Germany, and Norway, implemented robust testing and tracing programs. Phased reopenings began in mid-April and early May 2020, but most European countries continued to restrict nonessential international travel. Subsequent waves of the virus in fall 2020 and in 2021 prompted new rounds of restrictions on social and business activity throughout Europe, although in some countries restrictions were less stringent than during the first wave. By early 2021, EU and other European countries had begun vaccination programs. According to Oxford University data, roughly 70% of the total EU population and 70% of the UK population are fully vaccinated (as of mid-January 2022). Western European countries generally have higher vaccination rates (of 70%-80%) to date than Central European countries (most between 40%-60%) or those in the Western Balkans (about 40% of the region's total population is fully vaccinated). Many European governments require a COVID pass (showing proof of vaccination, a recent negative test, or recent recovery) for access to certain venues and businesses, including restaurants. Amid rising cases throughout Europe due to the spread of the more transmissible omicron variant, most European governments are encouraging booster shots. Some European governments began to reinstitute selected social and commercial restrictions in late 2021 due to concerns that the omicron surge could overburden hospitals. Austria, the Netherlands, and Slovakia reimposed lockdowns for several weeks. Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and others implemented or are considering tighter restrictions for unvaccinated individuals and vaccine mandates. European leaders continue to grapple with balancing measures to contain the virus's spread with fostering economic recovery and managing growing pandemic fatigue. The EU estimates its total economy contracted by 5.9% in 2020 but grew by 5% in 2021; forecasts predict 4.3% growth in 2022. The speed of economic recovery has been faster than expected but varies among member states. National measures to mitigate the pandemic's negative economic repercussions include loan programs and credit ics

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