Europe tightens COVID-19 curbs as global death toll crosses 1.3 million

As European nations enforced new restrictions amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the global death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1.3 million.

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The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has risen to 53 million even as Greece, Italy, Austria and Portugal put new measures in place to prevent a deadly second wave.

Also Read: Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, Iran to tighten restrictions from next Saturday

The Austrian government announced schools and shops selling non-essential goods to close, just two weeks after a partial lockdown was announced.

Chancellor Sebastien Kurtz said: "There are still many who say that infections don't happen at school, in shops or services, adding," But the truth is the authorities can no longer trace 77 per cent of new infections, which means they no longer know where contamination is happening."

Meanwhile, Greece reimposed nationwide nighttime curfew while shutting down schools.

Italy declared  Tuscany,  Campania, Naples and Florence as "red" zones as the country continues to grapple with the virus months after it went on a lockdown in March. The death toll due to the virus in the country has risen to 44,683.

Tension over prolonged virus restrictions boiled into the streets as police in Frankfurt, Germany used water cannon at protesters who were demonstrating against enforced mask-wearing.

In Portugal, several hundred people demonstrated defying night curfew as French restaurant owners announced legal action against government measures which closed them from end October.