Covid lockdowns bring recession threat back to Europe

New slump on cards as four biggest economies battle with coronavirus restrictions

A worker moves chairs after closing time at a restaurant in the Saint Germain district, ahead of a national lockdown in Paris last week. Picture: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

Europe’s economic recovery is being cut short as governments implement new restrictions to fight the coronavirus that risk driving the region toward another recession.

The four biggest economies are going into various forms of lockdown, overshadowing data that showed a record surge in third-quarter output.