Washington Post: Gloom settles over Europe as days darken and coronavirus surges
“The clocks were dialed back an hour across Europe this week, and the long nights come early. The hospitals are filling up as the cafes are shutting down. Governments are threatening to cancel Christmas gatherings. As new coronavirus infections surge again in Europe, breaking daily records, the mood is growing dark on the continent — and it’s not even November. Summer’s reprieve feels like a long time ago, and the continent is entering a serious funk…” (Booth et al., 10/28).

AP: Short of medics as virus surges, central Europe sounds alarm (Janicek/Gera, 10/29).

AP: Merkel warns Germans of a ‘difficult winter’ as virus surges (10/29).

AP: France braces for monthlong lockdown as virus deaths mount (10/29).

CBS News: Russia orders national mask mandate as coronavirus cases spike (Lewis, 10/27).

Financial Times: Scientists warn of new coronavirus variant spreading across Europe (Cookson, 10/29).

Financial Times: Minister rejects calls for lockdown in England as Covid infections soar (Neville/Cameron-Chileshe, 10/28).