EU leaders on Tuesday agreed to immediately impose travel restrictions on most foreigners entering Europe for at least 30 days to limit the spread of COVID-19, and to set up fast-track transport lanes to keep vital medical equipment, food and goods flowing smoothly inside the bloc.
As the virus case count in Europe climbed to more than 60,000 and with more than 2,700 people dead, nervous national governments have introduced quick-fix measures such as partial border closures and quarantines with little consultation.
The EU sought over three hours of video talks to forge a united front against an illness that is also wreaking economic havoc.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We reaffirmed the need to work together and do everything necessary to tackle the crisis and its consequences,” European Council President Charles Michel told reporters.
He said the 27 EU countries agreed to impose border restrictions on tourism and non-essential business “as fast as possible.”
The plan exempts long-term EU residents, diplomats, some healthcare and transport workers.
Photo: AFP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her proposal for the restrictions “got a lot of support by the member states. It’s up to them now to implement. They said they will immediately do that.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the leaders agreed in a conference call to an entry ban with “very, very limited exceptions,” and that Germany would start implementing it immediately.
Merkel said citizens of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the UK and Norway are exempt.
The EU leaders also agreed to coordinate the repatriation of EU citizens stranded outside the bloc, the chancellor said.
Von der Leyen said they also backed a proposal to set up “green lanes” for trucks and other priority vehicles aimed at beating the traffic jams that have formed around crossing points on internal borders, where no ID or vehicle checks were required just days ago.
Those transport guidelines, “have to be implemented now,” she said.
The leaders agreed to meet again for a third video conference and to cancel a summit they planned to attend in Brussels late next week.
“We are ready to do everything that is required. We shall not hesitate to take additional measures as the situation evolves,” Von der Leyen told reporters.
After Italy, ground zero in Europe’s battle with COVID-19, Spain and now France have imposed lockdowns, confining citizens to their homes except for urgent business such as buying food or heading to any hospital that might still have the capacity to treat them.
Nine countries have informed the European Commission that they have reintroduced ID checks inside Europe’s passport-free Schengen Area, including Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The EU proposals endorsed on Tuesday are relatively modest, as Europe’s centralized powers in this crisis are limited.
Russia yesterday said it would introduce temporary restrictions on flights to the UK, the US and the United Arab Emirates starting tomorrow in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
However, the restrictions would only apply to certain passenger flights and some airlines would also be allowed to service Moscow flights to and from London, New York and Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, an internal EU document says that Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust.
“A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,” said the document, dated Monday.
“The overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries ... in line with the Kremlin’s broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies,” said the document, produced by the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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