Europe remains “very much in the grip of this pandemic", although about three quarters of the countries in the region mitigate restrictive measures, AP reported.

The head of the European office of the World Health Organization, Dr. Hans Kluge noted a reduction in cases in the region due to measures of social distancing. “We must monitor this positive development very closely.”

He said Italy, Britain, France, Germany, and Spain still have high numbers of cases and pointed to increases in cases in Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.

According to Kluge, of the 44 countries in the WHO European Region that have introduced internal restrictions, 21 have already begun to mitigate these measures, and another 11 plan to do so in the coming days.

“This virus is unforgiving. We must remain vigilant, persevere and be patient, ready to ramp up measures as and when needed,” he said. “COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon.

“The European region accounts for 46 percent of cases and 63 percent of deaths globally,” he added. “The region remains very much in the grip of this pandemic.”