Based on current developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) fears that another 700,000 people will die from Covid-19 in Europe before March.
The death toll would thus rise from 1.5 to 2.2 million.
Of the 53 countries in the European scope of the WHO, 49 are expected to be exposed to high or extreme stress in hospital intensive care units.
Several countries are already sending corona patients to neighbouring countries because of the great pressure on hospitals.
WHO regional director Hans Kluge calls on people to get vaccinated and follow other measures to prevent lockdowns. About 54 percent of the population in the European area is fully vaccinated, although there are large differences between countries.
