Chris Bryant: Europe risks blowing its best chance of taming Covid-19

Experiment of relaxing travel and social restrictions backfires as cases spike

Bathers on a packed Timmendorfer Strand, northern Germany, earlier this month. Picture: Bodo Marks/dpa via AP

Was it all for nothing? With Spain, France and Germany recording the highest number of virus cases since they emerged from lockdown, the danger that Europe blows its best chance of taming the coronavirus grows by the day.

The hope was that we could relax travel and social restrictions this summer because people are much less likely to catch the virus when they’re outside enjoying the warm weather. European economies depend on tourism and couldn’t afford a season of empty sun loungers and restaurants.