Merkel: Europe ‘on thin ice’ with virus variant

BRUSSELS — Europe is “on thin ice” in its battle against COVID-19, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday as EU leaders agreed that vaccinations should be sped up to fight the delta variant.

A stronger response to the pandemic was a main topic of discussion among EU heads of state and government leaders at a meeting in Brussels, where they also acknowledged that the bloc’s borders should be reopened in a cautious way.

In what might have been her last government declaration to the German parliament, Merkel noted that the number of COVID-19 cases in the 27-nation bloc continues to decline, while vaccination rates climb.

“But even though there is reason to be hopeful, the pandemic isn’t over, in particular in the world’s poor countries,” she said. “But in Germany and Europe, we’re also still moving on thin ice.”

“We need to remain vigilant,” Merkel added. “In particular, the newly arising variants, especially now the delta variant, are a warning for us to continue to be careful.”

Upon his arrival in Belgian capital, French President Emmanuel Macron also urged European countries to remain “vigilant” in order to properly tackle the delta variant, and to adopt a coordinated approach when reopening their borders to third countries.

In a report this week, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the delta variant would account for 90 percent of coronavirus infections across the continent by the end of August. The agency said people who had only received one shot of vaccine were vulnerable to the delta variant and that about 40 percent of people over 60 have yet to receive both vaccine doses.