People dine under a canopy at a restaurant which is designed to keep different groups of diners separated and safe following the government's COVID-19 guidelines in London, Britain, Sept. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
-- "Rule of six" to fight COVID-19 comes into effect in UK;
-- Romanian gov't extends state of alert as coronavirus continues march;
-- New school year starts in Albania amid COVID-19 pandemic.
BRUSSELS, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.
LONDON -- In order to curb the rise in coronavirus cases, tough new limits on social gatherings came into force in Britain on Monday, meaning that in most regions, it is now illegal for groups of more than six to meet up.
The "rule of six" kicked off at midnight across England, Wales and Scotland in the latest push to curb the recent surge in coronavirus infections.
The new rule applies across indoor and outdoor settings, with police able to disperse gatherings of over six people and fine individuals involved.
Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus in Bucharest, Romania, on August 1, 2020. (Photo by Gabriel Petrescu/Xinhua)
BUCHAREST -- The Romanian government announced on Monday the extension of the state of alert by another 30 days starting Tuesday, as the COVID-19 situation remains severe.
This is the fourth extension of the state of alert, which was first announced in mid-May following a two-month higher-level state of emergency.
The government has also decided to implement several measures in connection with the local elections scheduled for Sept. 27. Election rallies and demonstrations can take place with a maximum 100 people and in full compliance with hygiene rules. Voters will be obliged to disinfect their hands before entering and leaving the polling stations.
Students wait to enter a school in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 14, 2020. Schools reopened across Albania on Monday. (Photo by Arben Celi/Xinhua)
TIRANA -- The new school year 2020-2021 in Albania started on Monday and primary and secondary school students were required to follow the special protocols of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Around 480,000 students of the pre-university system returned to school since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in early March.
Unlike previous years, students, teachers and schools' staff will have to follow special protocols. Schools with over 1,000 students will alternate classes in two, three or four shifts, and each class has no more than 20 students.■
