French Civil Protection volunteers arrive at the room of a COVID-19 patient at an EHPAD (Housing Establishment for Dependant Elderly People) in Epinay sur Seine near Paris, France, on April 22, 2020. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)
Up to half of the deaths in Europe occurred in long-term care facilities, according to Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization regional director for Europe.
Kluge announced the tally on Thursday, terming it a "deeply concerning picture."
It's an "unimaginable human tragedy," he said.
Europe has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, having registered more than 110,000 fatalities.
The figure means the continent has accounted for more than 59 percent of global COVID-19 fatalities.
The global death toll exceeds 186,000.
Some countries in Europe are however considering lifting travel restrictions that have been in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Sections of leaders in countries including France and the U.K. argue that the lockdowns have done a lot of harm economically. The leaders are pushing for a conversation of live beyond the disease, rather than simply surviving the pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom has however warned countries against rushing to reopen, saying that could pose a risk of a second wave of infections.
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency