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Europe fears second coronavirus wave as cases surge in several countries

29 August 2020
Dan Ackermann

Several European countries have reported a jump in new coronavirus cases in recent weeks after a drop in cases over June and July, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Why it matters: The surge could indicate that Europe is on the verge of a second wave, though currently fewer people are dying from the virus and new cases have needed less medical treatment than those who got it in the spring, according to the Washington Post.

By the numbers: France experienced 7,462 new cases on Aug. 28, the largest jump since May 16.

  • Germany reported around 1,737 cases and 3 deaths on Aug. 21, the highest increase in new cases since May 24.
  • Italy had 1,460 cases on Aug. 28, its largest jump since April 1.
  • Spain announced 9,779 cases on Aug. 28, which was a single day record for the country.

The big picture: The surge comes as almost every European country is planning to in-person schooling this school year with many starting next week. Public health officials worry that the classes could exacerbate the spike in cases, according to the Post.

  • Paris implemented a mandatory public mask mandate on Friday as the number of "red zones" where the virus is actively spreading inside the country has risen from two to 21, according to the BBC.
  • Police in Berlin disbanded a large protest over Germany's coronavirus restrictions after tens of thousands of participants refused to maintain social distancing on Saturday.
  • In Spain, cases have increased in Madrid but have stabilized in Catalonia and Aragon after rising earlier in August, Reuters reports.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.