European Union considers banning on "non-essential travel" to Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed a temporary halt to non-essential travel to the European Union for 30 days, in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Bloomberg reports.

Von der Leyen informed leaders of the Group of Seven advanced industrial economies about the ban during a conference call on Monday, March 16. The restrictions, which are subject to approval by EU leaders, can be prolonged “as necessary” after the initial 30-day period, she said on Twitter.

The proposal by the commission, the EU’s executive arm, comes as increasing numbers of member states across the 27-nation bloc take steps to ban travel to and from affected regions as they seek to stem the outbreak at home. Travel between the EU and the U.K will be allowed under the plan, which will be finalized Tuesday, von der Leyen said.

With Europe now the epicenter of the outbreak, the new plan aims for a common approach by EU members so that the bloc’s wide single market can continue to operate without disruption and allow for the free movement of goods.

Under this plan, several exemptions will be granted for travel, including for for EU citizens coming back home, for healthcare workers, scientists working on treatements for the virus as well as for so-called frontier workers, who commute across EU borders for their jobs.

Germany is the latest European country to seal off its borders in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak, as the number of deaths in Europe jumped overnight, according to CNBC.

Germany has a total of 5,813 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 13 deaths, data from Johns Hopkins University showed Monday morning. Italy, Spain and France experienced the highest daily jump in the number of coronavirus-related deaths Sunday. The latest deaths brought their respective totals to 1,809; 297 and 127, according to Hopkins.