Merkel: Europe 'on thin ice' amid delta virus variant rise

BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe is “on thin ice” in its battle against COVID-19, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday as EU leaders agreed that vaccinations should be sped up to fight the highly contagious delta variant.

A stronger response to the pandemic was a main topic of discussion among European Union heads of state and government leaders at a meeting in Brussels, where they also acknowledged that the bloc's borders should be reopened in a cautious way.

In what might have been her last government declaration to the German parliament, Merkel noted that the number of COVID-19 cases in the 27-nation bloc continues to decline, while vaccination rates climb.

“But even though there is reason to be hopeful, the pandemic isn't over, in particular in the world's poor countries,” she said. “But in Germany and Europe, we're also still moving on thin ice.”

“We need to remain vigilant,” Merkel added. “In particular, the newly arising variants, especially now the delta variant, are a warning for us to continue to be careful.”

Upon his arrival in Belgian capital,, French President Emmanuel Macron also urged European countries to remain “vigilant” in order to properly tackle the delta variant, and to adopt a coordinated approach when reopening their borders to third countries.

EU health officials predicted Wednesday that the delta variant will make up 90% of all cases across the bloc by the end of August, showing the need for as many people to be fully vaccinated as possible. In Germany, the delta variant now makes up about 15% of new cases.

Germany has pressed for EU countries to form a joint position on quarantines for travelers from areas where named variants are particularly prevalent. This includes England, where the delta variant — first detected in India — already makes...