Europe's second wave raises threat of double-dip recession

Europe’s economy is sliding towards a double-dip recession, with economists warning that rising coronavirus infections and fresh government restrictions on people’s movement are likely to cut short the region’s recent recovery. Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have all announced measures in the past week to contain the second wave of Covid-19 infections, with more expected in the coming days. Belgium on Sunday announced the closure of all bars and cafés for four weeks, while Switzerland widened its mandate for wearing masks. France put into effect a night curfew in Paris and other cities from Saturday. The measures follow a sharp rise in case numbers, with a number of European countries reporting record new daily infection figures over the weekend.