International

A risk report by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) said its mortality monitoring system showed that deaths from all causes, including COVID-19, are above expected rates in Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland and Britain, mainly in over 65s.Despite early evidence from Italy and Austria that the numbers of cases and deaths are declining, “there is currently no indication that the peak of the epidemic has been reached”, the assessment said.Andrea Ammon, the ECDC’s director, said that based on the available evidence in the region and in the current situation, “continuous spread of the virus can be expected”.Led by Italy, much of Europe has gone into lockdown in recent weeks, with schools and businesses closed and citizens ask to stay at home as countries seek to limit the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.