COVID-19 pandemic in Europe

COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Confirmed deaths per million residents as of 4 March 2021   > 1578.1   1087.0–1578.1   728.3–1087.0   457.2–728.3   258.3–457.2   116.2–258.3   < 116.2
Cumulative confirmed cases per 100,000 people as of 21 December 2020. The numbers are not comparable, as the testing strategy differs among countries and time periods.   > 4.000   3.300–4.000   2.500–3.300   1.500–2.500   < 1.500
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Europe
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China[1]
Index case	Bordeaux, France
Arrival date	21 January 2020 (1 year, 11 months and 4 days ago)
Confirmed cases	55,070,693
Recovered	no data
Deaths	1,168,758
Territories	57

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The global COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Europe with its first confirmed case in Bordeaux, France, on 24 January 2020, and subsequently spread widely across the continent. By 17 March 2020, every country in Europe had confirmed a case,^[2] and all have reported at least one death, with the exception of Vatican City.

Italy was the first European nation to experience a major outbreak in early 2020, becoming the first country worldwide to introduce a national lockdown.^[3] By 13 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Europe the epicentre of the pandemic^[4][5] and it remained so until the WHO announced it has been overtaken by South America on 22 May.^[6] By 18 March 2020, more than 250 million people were in lockdown in Europe.^[7] Despite deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, Europe became the pandemic's epicentre once again in late 2021.^[8]

The European countries with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.^[9] The countries with the highest death toll are Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany, each having reported over 100,000 deaths. Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania have the highest death rates, each with more than 3,500 deaths per million population.

As the outbreak became a major crisis across Europe, national and European Union responses have led to debate over restrictions of civil liberties and the extent of European Union solidarity.

Statistics by country and territory[]

Summary table of confirmed cases in Europe^[10][11]

Country/Territory	Cases	Deaths	Deaths per 1M populationi[12]	Recoveries	Ref
United Kingdom	11,891,292	147,857	2,141	no data	[13]
Russia	10,343,353	302,269	1,982	9,180,379	[14]
Turkey	9,002,968	78,778	924	6,453,201	[15][16]
France	8,934,479	122,357	1,839	no data	[17][18]
Germany	6,997,815	110,908	1,263	6,048,766	[19][20]
Spain	5,718,007	89,019	1,889	no data	[21]
Italy	5,567,644	136,386	2,235	4,970,584	[22]
Poland	4,032,796	94,041	2,342	3,522,816	[23][24]
Ukraine	3,637,038	94,432	2,104	3,408,294	[25]
Netherlands	3,040,560	20,661	1,170	no data	[26][27]
Czech Republic	2,442,600	35,640	3,218	2,221,551	[28]
Belgium	2,023,285	28,067	2,358	no data	[29][30]
Romania	1,801,798	58,507	3,028	1,730,994	[31][32]
Serbia	1,288,395	12,544	1,402	no data	[33]
Sweden	1,273,313	15,265	1,487	no data	[34]
Portugal	1,266,037	18,851	1,838	1,155,239	[35]
Austria	1,260,751	13,617	1,449	1,214,967	[36][37]
Hungary	1,237,330	38,307	3,785	1,071,772	[38]
Switzerland	1,214,633	11,997	1,348	no data	[39][40]
Greece	1,064,243	20,292	1,860	no data	[41][42]
Slovakia	824,172	16,290	2,810	no data	[43]
Bulgaria	733,139	30,476	4,298	605,346	[44]
Belarus	691,072	5,466	559	683,403	[45]
Croatia	689,831	12,232	2,856	655,755	[46]
Ireland	705,322	5,890	1,174	no data	[47]
Denmark	675,844	3,187	518	no data	[48][49]
Lithuania	509,497	7,249	2,615	477,368	[50][51]
Slovenia	454,296	5,529	2,601	no data	[52][53]
Moldova	373,752	9,575	2,330	359,490	[54]
Norway	370,134	1,257	207	no data	[55][56]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	287,276	13,269	3,973	no data	[57][58]
Latvia	271,106	4,494	2,357	256,298	[59][60]
Estonia	235,668	1,907	1,395	220,356	[61][62]
Finland	230,392	1,504	256	no data	[63][64][65]
North Macedonia	222,666	7,879	3,712	209,602	[66][67]
Albania	207,221	3,187	1,091	198,833	[68]
Montenegro	162,364	2,386	3,741	157,729	[69]
Kosovo	161,262	2,989	-	157,961	[70][71]
Cyprus	149,580	627	483	no data	[72][73]
Luxembourg	98,983	907	1,389	92,259	[74]
Malta	43,806	473	1,060	39,289	[75][76]
Iceland	22,087	37	102	19,428	[77]
Andorra	21,730	139	1,717	19,870	[78]
Jersey	17,211	89	-	15,574	[79]
Isle of Man	13,430	67	782	12,605	[80]
Gibraltar	8,084	100	2,969	7,444	[81]
San Marino	7,160	96	2,762	6,202	[82]
Guernsey	6,416	17	-	5,365	[83]
Liechtenstein	5,854	69	1,750	5,438	[84][85]
Faroe Islands	5,115	13	265	4,626	[86]
Monaco	4,670	38	908	4,272	[87]
Holy See	27	0	-	15	[88]
Total	55,070,693	1,168,758		47,830,555

Weekly diagnosed cases per million inhabitants of COVID-19 in major countries in Western Europe. Displayed on semi-log scale as 3-week average.

Weekly Deaths per million inhabitants from COVID-19 in major countries in Western Europe. This shows the distinctly different pattern of deaths in Germany and Sweden.

Percentage of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in major countries in Western Europe during 2021

In late August, 88% of COVID-19 deaths in Europe were among people over age 65, according to a 30 August report from the WHO.^[89]

Cumulative number of deaths per million inhabitants for a selection of European countries, over time. The legend is sorted in descending order of these values. Logarithmic vertical axis. Data source: ECDC.^[90]

Pandemic by country and territory[]

Albania[]

Andorra[]

Austria[]

Belarus[]

Belgium[]

This section is an excerpt from COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium.[]

Map of Belgium and its provinces with the spread of COVID-19 as of 9 July 2020^[101]

The COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Belgium on 4 February 2020, when one of a group of nine Belgians repatriated from Wuhan to Brussels was reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus.^[102][103] Transmission within Belgium was confirmed in early March; authorities linked this to holidaymakers returning from Northern Italy at the end of the half-term holidays.^[104][105] The epidemic increased rapidly in March–April 2020. By the end of March all 10 provinces of the country had registered cases.^{[citation needed]}

By March 2021, Belgium had the third highest number of COVID-19 deaths per head of population in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, Belgium may have been over-reporting the number of cases, with health officials reporting that suspected cases were being reported along with confirmed cases.^[106] Unlike some countries, which publish figures based primarily on confirmed hospital deaths, the death figures reported by the Belgian authorities include deaths in the community, such as care homes, confirmed to have been caused by the virus, as well as a much larger number of such deaths suspected to have been caused by the virus, even if the person was not tested.^[107] Such differences in methods of counting complicate any attempt to compare death rates in different countries.

Bosnia and Herzegovina[]

This section is an excerpt from COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[]

The COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Bosnia and Herzegovina on 5 March 2020, when a patient in Banja Luka, who had travelled to Italy, tested positive. Later on the same day, a second case, who was the son of the first case, was reported.^[108] On 21 March, the first death in the country from COVID-19 was announced in a hospital in Bihać. The patient was an elderly woman who had been hospitalized two days before.^[109]

On 17 March, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared a state of emergency in the entire country.^[110]

Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 deaths in the world as well as one of the lowest test rates in Europe.^[111]

Bulgaria[]

This section is an excerpt from COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria.[]

The COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bulgaria when the country's first cases, a 27-year-old man from Pleven and a 75-year-old woman from Gabrovo, were confirmed on 8 March 2020. Neither of the two had traveled to areas with known coronavirus cases which is maybe because the PCR test that was used is deffective. The man tested positive for the virus after being hospitalized for a respiratory infection, and authorities announced plans to test several people who were in contact with the two individuals.^[112] Two other samples in Pleven and Gabrovo were positive on 8 March.^[113] Patient zero remains unknown.^[114]

After the number of patients in the country had reached 23, the Bulgarian Parliament voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency from 13 March until 13 April.^[115] A 14-day preventive house quarantine was introduced for citizens who have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient or have returned from an overseas region with a high number of cases. For patients tested positive for the virus a 21-day house quarantine was introduced. This time span is counted from the day a subsequent test comes out negative after they have been treated in a hospital or at home. After the World Health Organization (WHO) has established that COVID-19 is more resilient than the initial data was showing, the National Crisis-management Staff increased the recovery house quarantine by a week to 28 days.^[116] With the continuing increase of COVID-19 cases on a daily basis, the Bulgarian government requested on 1 April that Parliament extend the state of emergency by one month until 13 May.^[117]

As of 1 February 2021, there are 218,748 officially confirmed cases spread throughout all Bulgarian provinces, with 9,045 recorded deaths and 187,052 recoveries. A total of 1,391,560 PCR tests (or 201,163 per million citizens) had been performed by 1 February, with 15.71% being positive.^[118]

Croatia[]

On 25 February, Croatia confirmed its first case, a 26-year-old man who had been in Milan, Italy.^[119] On 26 February, two new cases were confirmed, one being the twin brother of the first.^[120] In March 2020, a cluster of cases were reported in numerous Croatian cities. On 12 March, the first recovery was reported, and on 18 March the first death from the virus was confirmed. On 19 March, the number of recorded cases surpassed 100. On 21 March, it surpassed 200. On 25 March, it surpassed 400. On 31 March, it surpassed 800. The pandemic in Croatia occurred during the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.^[121]

On 22 March, an intense earthquake hit Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, causing problems in enforcement of social distancing measures set out by the Government. The earthquake could also be felt across much of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria.^[122][123]

According to Oxford University, as of 24 March, Croatia was the country with the world's strictest restrictions and measures for infection reduction in relation to the number of infected.^[124] The government set up a website for all information about the virus and a new phone line 113 that has volunteers answering questions.^[125]

Cyprus[]

On 9 March, Cyprus confirmed its first two cases, one in Nicosia and one in Limassol.^{[126][127][128]}

Cases reached 500 in April, 1,000 in July, 4,000 in October and 10,000 in November.^{[citation needed]}

Czech Republic[]

It is forbidden to enter the front section of buses of the Brno Public Transport during the pandemic (14 March 2020)

The first case was reported in the country on 1 March.^[28] As of 22 March there had been 1120 confirmed cases, with one lethal outcome.^[28]

On 12 March, the Czech Republic declared a 30-day state of emergency and barred entry to non-residents from China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Norway, Denmark and France.^[129]

The Czech Republic banned people from going out in public without wearing a face mask or covering their nose and mouth.^[130]

Denmark[]

On 27 February, Denmark confirmed its first case.^[131]

As of 16 March, there have been 898 confirmed cases in Denmark, including 11 in the Faroe Islands (see below).^[132]

Numerous preventive measures gradually were implemented. Starting on 13 March, schools, universities and similar places were closed, while most people in non-essential functions have been sent home to work.^[133] On 14 March, the borders were closed for all entries, except Danish citizens, people with a residence permit, people with an important reason for visiting, and transport of goods.^[134][129]

Estonia[]

On 27 February, Estonia confirmed its first case, an Iranian citizen, travelling from Iran via Turkey.^[135]

As of 11 March, there were 17 confirmed cases in Estonia. 12 of them had returned with the infection from Northern Italy, one from France, one from Iran and one from undisclosed risk area.^[136][137] First two cases of virus transmitting locally were in Saaremaa after international volleyball competition involving a team from Milan.^[138]

From 12 March, the virus was spreading locally. The number of infected grew fast reaching 109 on 14 March.^[139]

Finland[]

The first case was reported in the country on 28 January.^[140][141] As of 21 July there were over 7,000 confirmed cases.^[142] As of 9 December (2020) the confirmed cases in Finland are 28,732 over the entire period.^[143] A total of 433 deaths associated with the disease have been reported until now.^[144]

France[]

Empty supermarket shelves in Annonay, France, on 14 March 2020.

On 24 January, the first case in Europe was confirmed in Bordeaux. Two more cases were confirmed in Paris by the end of the day, all of them originated from China. A cluster of infections was discovered in Haute-Savoie which originated from a British national who had visited Singapore.^{[145][146][147]}

From 31 January to 9 February, nearly 550 people were repatriated from Wuhan on a series of evacuation flights arriving at Creil Air Base in Oise and Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in Istres.^[148]

On 14 February, an 80-year-old Chinese tourist died in Bichat–Claude Bernard Hospital, Paris, marking the first death from COVID-19 in Europe and France.^[149]

According to regional council president Jean Rottner, the starting point for the first intense wave in Alsace was the Fasting Meeting of the Protestant Free Church of La Porte Ouverte in Mulhouse, with more than 2500 visitors, in mid-February.^[150] On 12 March, French president Emmanuel Macron announced on public television that all schools and all universities would close from Monday 16 March until further notice. The next day, the Prime Minister Édouard Philippe banned gatherings of more than 100 people, not including public transportation. The following day, the prime minister ordered the closure of all nonessential public places, including restaurants, cafés, cinemas, and discothèques, effective at midnight.^[151]

As of 14 March, there had been 4,499 confirmed cases (a near-four-fold increase over the number 5 days previously), and 91 deaths in France.^[152]

As of 20 March, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 12,612, while the number of deaths reached 450.^{[citation needed]} As of 30 March, more than six hundred doctors and other medical workers are suing the former Minister of Health and the Prime Minister for "culpable negligence" in failing to prepare for the epidemic.^[153]

Until 1 April, the daily update of the number of deaths in France included only deaths in hospitals, with deaths in retirement homes or at home not included in the update.^[154] Deaths in retirement homes were included in the reported figures from 2 April, causing totals to increase substantially.^[155]

On 4 May, retroactive testing of samples in one French hospital showed a patient "who had COVID-19 as early as Dec. 27, nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases."^[156] According to the researchers who reported the discovery, this indicates that the virus was present in the population well before the first confirmed cases, a finding also echoed by US researchers.^[157] In July 2020, Prime Minister of France Jean Castex, announced that health care pay workers will see $9 billion in pay raises, as a result of their efforts during the corornavirus pandemic.^[158]

Germany[]

In Germany, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in the state of Bavaria on 27 January 2020. Daily case numbers began to decrease after 8 April, but rose sharply again in October. As of 30 January 2021, 2,207,393 cases have been reported with 56,286 deaths and approximately 1,930,592 recoveries.^{[9][159][160][161][162]} The case fatality rate is 2.5%.^[163] The low preliminary fatality rate in Germany, compared to Italy and Spain, has resulted in a discussion and explanations that cite among others the country's higher number of tests performed, absence of COVID-19 analyses in autopsies and higher proportion of positive cases among younger people. Hessian state finance minister Thomas Schäfer committed suicide on 28 March 2020. State Premier Volker Bouffier said that Schäfer had had considerable worries in particular over the economic burden that the COVID-19 pandemic would place on the population.^[164]

Gibraltar[]

First case was identified on 4 March 2020, only 187 cases to the end of July then increases with 100 added in August and the same in September. A contact App "BEAT Covid Gibraltar" was released on 18 June.^[165]

Greece[]

On 26 February, the first case in Greece was confirmed, a 38-year-old woman from Thessaloniki who had recently visited Northern Italy.^[166] The next day, the first patient's 9-year-old child and another 40-year-old woman, who had travelled to Italy, also tested positive.^{[167][168][169]} Subsequent cases is Greece were mainly related to people who had travelled to Italy and a group of pilgrims who had travelled to Israel and Egypt, as well as their contacts.^[170][171] Health and state authorities issued precautionary guidelines and recommendations, while measures up to that point were taken locally and included the closure of schools and the suspension of cultural events in the affected areas (particularly Ilia, Achaea and Zakynthos).^[171] The first confirmed death from COVID-19 in Greece was a 66-year-old man, who died on 12 March.^[172]

By 27 July there were 4,227 confirmed cases in Greece, some of which detected among tourists arriving to the country from mid-June onwards, 202 deaths and 3,562 recoveries.^[173][174] The Greek National Public Health Organization (NPHO), in collaboration with local authorities and doctors, is tracking and testing everyone who came in close contact with the patients.^[175][176] By 10 March, with 89 confirmed cases and no deaths in the country, the government decided to suspend the operation of educational institutions of all levels nationwide and then, on 13 March, to close down all cafes, bars, museums, shopping centres, sports facilities and restaurants in the country.^[177][178] On 16 March, all retail shops were also closed and all services in all areas of religious worship of any religion or dogma were suspended.^[179][180] On 18 and 19 March, the government announced a series of measures of more than 10 billion euros to support the economy, businesses and employees.^[181]

On 22 March the Greek authorities announced significant restrictions on all nonessential transport and movement across the country, starting from 6 a.m. on 23 March.^[182] Starting from 4 May, Greece has begun easing its lockdown restrictions after a 42-day lockdown, with the gradual lifting of movement restrictions and restart of business activity.^[183]

Guernsey[]

On 9 March, the first case in the Crown dependency was confirmed.^[184] On 27 May it was announced that there were no known active cases in the Bailiwick.^[185] There were no active cases for 129 days before an arrival from the UK tested positive on 6 September.^[186]

Hungary[]

On 4 March Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that two Iranian students had been infected with the virus.^[187] The students are asymptomatic and have been transported to Saint Ladislaus Hospital in Budapest.^[187]

Iceland[]

The first case was confirmed in Iceland on 28 February, an Icelandic male in his forties who had been on a ski trip to Andalo in Northern Italy and returned home on 22 February.^[188]

Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management declared a state of emergency on 6 March after two cases of community transmission in Iceland were confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 43.^[189] On 13 March, it was announced at an official press conference that a four-week ban on public gatherings of more than 100 persons would be put into effect as of Monday 16 March. Universities and secondary schools will be closed for four weeks. International airports and harbours will remain exempt from these measures.^[190]

Ireland[]

COVID-19 14-day rate per 100k population in Ireland by county

The National Public Health Emergency Team of Ireland announced the first case in the Republic of Ireland on 29 February, involving a male student from the east of the country, who had arrived there from Northern Italy.^{[191][192][193]} On 3 March, a second case was confirmed of a female in the east of the country who had been to Northern Italy.^[194] Response to the outbreak has included cancellation of St Patrick's Day parades and all festivals.^[195] On 11 March, an elderly patient in Naas General Hospital in County Kildare became Ireland's first fatality from the virus.^[196] On 12 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities.^[197] On 20 March, an emergency legislation was signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins giving the state permission to detain people, restrict travel and keep people in their homes to help combat the spread of the pandemic.^[198]

Cases reached 1,000 in March, 20,000 in April, 30,000 in September, 60,000 in October, 80,000 in December, 100,000 in January 2021 and 200,000 in February 2021^{[citation needed]}

Lockdown[]

On 12 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities in Ireland until the end of August.^[199][200] On 27 March, Varadkar announced a national stay-at-home order. All non-essential shops and services, including all pubs, bars, hotels and nightclubs closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned.^[201][202]

On 1 May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a roadmap to easing restrictions in Ireland which began on 18 May,^[203] and was replaced by the government's Living with COVID-19 plan on 15 September. The plan includes five levels of restrictions to indicate what public health measures are in place in different areas of the country at any given time.^[204]

All non-essential businesses and services closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned again on 21 October following the Government's announcement to move the entire country to Level 5 lockdown restrictions for six weeks until 1 December.^{[205][206][207]} On 27 November, the Government of Ireland agreed to ease restrictions from 1 December.^{[208][209][210]}

On 15 December, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced the Government's National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, which outlines the country's high-level plan for safe, effective and efficient vaccination of the Republic of Ireland, while safeguarding continued provision of health and social care services.^{[211][212][213]}

A third wave of COVID-19 arrived in Ireland on 21 December.^{[214][215][216]} The Government of Ireland acted swiftly and on 22 December, Level 5 lockdown restrictions (subject to a number of adjustments) were announced, which came into effect from 24 December (Christmas Eve) until 12 January 2021 at the earliest.^{[217][218][219]}

All non-essential businesses and services closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned again on 31 December (New Year's Eve) following the Government's announcement to move the entire country to full Level 5 lockdown restrictions from 30 December until 31 January 2021 at the earliest, in an attempt to get a third surge in cases of COVID-19 under control.^{[220][221][222]} On 26 January, the Government extended the Level 5 lockdown restrictions until 5 March.^{[223][224][225]} On 23 February, the Government extended the Level 5 lockdown restrictions for another six weeks until 5 April (Easter Monday) at the earliest, while its new revised Living with COVID-19 plan was published.^{[226][227][228]}

On 30 March, the Government announced a phased easing of restrictions from Monday 12 April.^{[229][230][231]} On 29 April, the Government announced a reopening plan for the country throughout May and June from 10 May.^[232] On 28 May, the Government announced a further reopening plan for the country throughout June, July and August from 2 June,^[233] with a further reopening planned announced on 31 August that would see all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland eased by 22 October.^[234]

After a sudden rise in COVID-19 figures, on 19 October, the Government published a revised plan for the easing of restrictions on 22 October, with nightclubs allowed to reopen, however the continued use of masks, vaccine certificates and social distancing measures would remain in place until at least February 2022.^[235] On 3 December, the Government reintroduced a series of measures that would commence from 7 December to 9 January amid concerns of the Omicron variant, with nightclubs to close, indoor cultural and sporting events to operate at 50% capacity and a maximum of four households allowed to meet indoors.^[236]

As of 15 November 2021, the Department of Health have confirmed 503,013 confirmed cases and 5,566 deaths.^[237]

Italy[]

Paramedics carrying a patient under biocontainment, in Cervia, Emilia-Romagna

On 31 January, the first two cases were confirmed in Rome. Two Chinese tourists, who arrived in Milan on 23 January via Milan Malpensa Airport and travelled to Rome on a tourist bus, tested positive for and were hospitalised in Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases.^[238]

On 6 February, one of the Italians repatriated from Wuhan, China, tested positive, bringing the total number of cases in Italy to three.^[239] On 22 February, the repatriated Italian recovered and was discharged from the hospital.^[240] On 22 and 26 February, the two Chinese tourists hospitalized in Rome tested negative.^[241]

On 21 February, a cluster of cases was detected starting with 16 confirmed cases in Lombardy,^[242] with additional 60 cases on 22 February,^[243] and Italy's first deaths reported on the same day.^[244] As of late February, Italy was hit harder than anywhere else in the EU by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[245]