VIRUS RULES tightening around Europe.

Europe is sharpening curbs on people and businesses to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus, risking another knock to battered economies even with the roll-out of a vaccine tantalizingly close.

Governments across the region are desperately trying to check a fresh surge in infections as they dampen expectations that immunizations could soon defuse health risks. With months of pandemic fighting ahead, authorities are tightening measures without resorting to the strict curbs that triggered a collapse in business activity in the spring.

After record daily cases and deaths Friday, Germany is urging but not requiring employers to close workplaces as it starts a hard lockdown Wednesday. Italy and the Netherlands are among the countries expected to sharpen restrictions as well.

The efforts come amid mounting concern that the imminent approval of a vaccine could prompt complacency with adhering to contact and hygiene rules. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for one more effort to protect loved ones as authorities warn that it will take months before a vaccine can have a tangible impact.

“The infection numbers are so high because the measures we took so far were inadequate,” Helge Braun, Merkel’s chief of staff, said Monday in an interview with n-tv. Europe’s largest economy will have to endure “difficult days” as long as a vaccine isn’t widely available, added Braun, a doctor.

The U.K. is already rolling out a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, and the U.S. began Monday. The European Union is lagging behind, favoring caution over speed. European Council President Charles Michel said Sunday he expects the first vaccines to be approved “in the coming weeks, maybe even before the end of the year.”

Hard-pressed governments are keen to begin administering shots as soon as possible. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Sunday that “all the necessary data are available” and said the nation is ready to start vaccinating citizens immediately after approval is granted by the European Medicines Agency.

“It’s also about the trust of citizens in the ability of the European Union to act,” Spahn said on Twitter. “Every day that we can start vaccinating earlier reduces suffering and protects the most vulnerable.”

Meanwhile, infections continue to tick up across the region and governments are being forced to respond. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned that hospitals could overflow soon if the current trend continues.

Over the weekend, Italy overtook the U.K. as the European country with the highest number of covid-19 deaths, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s administration. Officials are considering new curbs, effectively walking back recent moves to allow more activity during the period, Corriere della Sera reported Monday.

Irish medical authorities said Sunday they are concerned about rising infections. Ireland was the first western European country to reenter lockdown in late October, pushing case numbers down to about 250 a day. The shutdown was eased 10 days ago, and cases hit 429 on Sunday.