French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out bringing the nation to a halt and Spain's government appeared rudderless as Europe struggles with a resurgence of the coronavirus that threatens its tentative recover, reports The Straits Times.
France on Wednesday (Aug 19) reported 3,776 new infections, the largest daily increase in three months, while Spain - which has re-emerged as an epicentre of the pandemic on the continent - recorded 3,715 new cases, the most since April 23.
German infections increased by more than 1,000 for a third straight day on Thursday, and Austria reported the highest daily increase since April 4.
Europe's economies were decimated by the crisis in the second quarter and governments are desperate to foster a swift recovery without triggering a broad new wave of the disease.
The uptick in cases in recent weeks has been blamed on social gatherings and travellers, but officials are reluctant to resort to the strict lockdowns imposed during the initial peak of the pandemic in March and April.
"We cannot shut down the country because the collateral damage of confinement is considerable," Mr Macron, who hosts German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks later on Thursday, said in an interview with Paris Match magazine.