Europe is currently at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, and the number of infections in the region is close to 1 million, Reuters reported referring to the WHO’s European director, Hans Kluge.

“Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million,” the WHO’s European director, Hans Kluge, told reporters.

About 50% of the global burden of COVID-19 was in Europe, he said adding that over 84,000 people in Europe have died in the epidemic.

“The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region,” Kluge said.

As some countries start to consider whether restrictions may be eased, he said it was critical to understand the complexity and uncertainty of such transitioning.