Hospitals in Europe are filling up amid a resurgent tide of coronavirus infections and deaths flooding the continent's emergency wards.
Several countries are in partial lockdowns, with many hoping that restrictions will begin to have an effect as intensive care units fill up.
Here is a recap of what's happening in key countries across the continent.
Czech Republic: one of Europe's worst-hit now sees some promising signs
Infections in the Czech Republic have started to decline after a two-month rise to record-high levels. The number of people hospitalised also dropped below the 8,000 mark.
The eastern European country has recorded an additional 7,874 cases, down from more than 15,000 last week.
But the country still has the EU's highest 14-day incidence rate for COVID-19 deaths with 27.2 fatalities per 100,000 population. Of the country’s 5,755 dead from the virus, around 2,270 of them died in November.
The government responded by shutting hospitality businesses, schools and limiting public gatherings to two people. The army has set up a 500-bed field hospital in Prague.
If cases continue to fall, the government has said that some children could return to school.
Meanwhile, volunteers are being trained to take the pressure off a health service under huge pressure.
Belgium: Virologists believe it has passed its peak
Belgian health authorities said on Monday (9 November) they're confident that the country has now passed the peak of hospital admissions in its second wave. It's been just over a week since the country reinstated its lockdown.
The small country of 11.5 million has lost 13,891 inhabitants since the beginning of the pandemic and it has the most cases worldwide as a proportion of the population. The situation got so bad in one hospital in Liege, nurses were asked to carry on working even if they tested positive for COVID-19.
Some 7,000 virus patients are being treated in Belgian hospitals now, a number up slightly since the previous week, the authorities said.
To break the chain of transmission, Belgium has returned to partial lockdown measures including closing nonessential shops, bars and restaurants, as well as extending the autumn school holidays to 15 November.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the new measures would stay in force for "at least a month and a half", at a press conference prior to the lockdown.
France: COVID patients make up 95% of intensive care units
French intensive care units are nearing saturation with 95% of them currently treating COVID-19 patients, said Prime Minister Jean Castex on 12 November.
France, which entered a second national lockdown in October, will likely stay restricted past December 1, with bars and restaurants unlikely to reopen in early December.
All non-essential shops have been closed but some may be able to reopen in December, the prime minister said. People currently need to fill in a form to justify getting out of their houses but schools, factories and building works will continue.
With more than 1.8 million infections since the start of the health crisis, France has Europe's highest cumulative total of recorded cases and the fourth-highest worldwide.
Germany: New record number of infections as officials warn of tough months ahead
Germany recorded a record number of new infections on November 13, reporting 23,542 in a single day. That's an increase of 1,700 infections compared to the previous day.
Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, said that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming months. He said despite a slowdown of infections, they cannot relax rules and there is unlikely to be a quick return to normal.
The country was seen as a role model in the spring for its fast and aggressive testing and contact-tracing method, which was credited with keeping the country's death toll down.
However, rising cases pushed the government to announce a partial lockdown from 2 November. Bars, cafes and restaurants are among the businesses that have closed nationwide.
Meanwhile, German Health Minister Jens Spahn came under fire for saying that nurses who test positive for COVID-19 could continue working with the proper protective measures in place.
More than 751,095 cases have so far been confirmed in Germany, with a death toll currently standing at 12,200.
Italy: Country passes one million confirmed cases
Italy recorded more than one million cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic on Wednesday, a grim record already present in France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The country recently instituted local lockdowns in four regions and a nationwide curfew in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading.
Amid a "worrying" surge in infections, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had imposed measures including nighttime curfews and the closure of cinemas, theatres, gyms and swimming pools.
The governor of an autonomous Italian Alpine province famed for its ski resorts has declared it a “red zone,” shutting down as of Monday most non-essential shops, bars, cafes and restaurants from serving meals and forbidding citizens to leave their towns except for essential reasons like work.
The southern country was the first in Europe to impose local and then a national lockdown in early March to stem the quick spread of the virus.
The new restrictions were met with anger with protests breaking out in Rome and other cities.
The country has recorded more than 30,000 new daily cases on three occasions in the last few days, and currently has a total of 790,377. Its death toll is the second highest in Europe after the UK at 39,764.
Austria sees record spike in cases
Austria has imposed new restrictions as the country experiences a big spike in cases.
On November 7 it counted its record daily number of more than 8,000 cases, and the country has seen a total of 191,228 confirmed cases and 1,661 deaths.
While schools and nurseries remain open, people are not allowed out between 8pm and 6am and private meetings are limited to a maximum of two homes.
Additionally, museums, theatres and other cultural and sporting venues are closed, events are cancelled, and even Christmas markets have been shut.
Poland: National stadium turned into a field hospital
On 7 November Poland recorded its one day record for coronavirus cases with more than 27,000.
The total number of confirmed infections is now up to 665,547 with the death toll standing at 9,499.
Soldiers are being mobilised to conduct COVID-19 testing, so medical professionals can focus on helping patients while other spaces, including Warsaw's National Stadium, are being transformed into field hospitals.
Bars and restaurants have been closed and gatherings of more than five people have been banned.
The authorities are partly blaming the rise in cases on protests against a ruling from the constitutional court wich further restricted abortions in the country.
Spain: Curfews and confinements amid a state of emergency
Authorities in Spain declared a national state of emergency last week that is to last a minimum of 15 days but could be extended for up to six months, which Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said was the amount of time "necessary to overcome the most damaging stage of the pandemic".
Nighttime curfews have been imposed across the country and travel between regions is strongly discouraged.
The country was hit hard and fast by the first wave and imposed one of the strictest lockdowns.
More than 1.4 million people have been infected with COVID-19 in Spain since the beginning of the outbreak while nearly 40,461 have succumbed to the disease.
Sweden: Has its more relaxed strategy helped it avoid COVID fatigue?
Sweden, which drew criticism during the first wave for eschewing a strict lockdown and betting on herd immunity, is now urging people to avoid stores and transport.
The country of 10 million people now has 177,355 reported cases and over 6,000 deaths.
"We are going in the wrong direction. The situation is very serious," Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said. "Now, every citizen needs to take responsibility. We know how dangerous this is."
New measures which came into force on Tuesday include limits on capacity in restaurants and cafés with a maximum of eight people at any table. The prime minister will also attempt to ban the sale of alcohol after 10pm from November 20.
The country also announced local restrictions in three more counties which are home to Sweden's largest cities. Restrictions on nightclubs have also been introduced.
UK: Deaths surpass 50,000, the most in Europe
The United Kingdom has become the first European country to pass 50,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to latest figures.
It comes after England entered a full national lockdown on 5 November in an effort to curb the spread and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.
All non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes have been closed and people have been told to work from home where they can. Schools remain open throughout the lockdown.
Coronavirus restrictions vary between UK countries and Wales is now emerging from a 'firebreak' lockdown which was imposed earlier than the England lockdown.
The government has been criticised for its handling of the pandemic and opposition leaders have said the country should have been locked down sooner.
A study released last Wednesday said that as many as 100,000 people are contracting the disease daily in England with the outbreak doubling every nine days.
Portugal and Hungary impose curfew amid cases surge
Portugal, which like other European countries has seen new cases and hospital admissions surge in recent weeks, imposed a state of emergency and ordered some 7 million people — around 70% of its population — to stay home on weeknights from 11 pm to 5 am for at least the next two weeks.
They'll be even more limited over the weekends, allowed out only in the morning until 1 pm unless to buy essentials at supermarkets.
Hungary also imposed its strictest measures so far: an 8 pm to 5 am curfew announced by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. All businesses must close by 7 pm.
Other measures in Hungary mirrored those becoming depressingly familiar across Europe, including limits on eateries and sports events, family gatherings limited to 10 people and remote learning for high school and university students. The restrictions kick in Tuesday at midnight and will remain for at least 30 days.
Every weekday at 1900 CET, Uncovering Europe brings you a European story that goes beyond the headlines. Download the Euronews app to get an alert for this and other breaking news. It's available on Apple and Android devices.
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