EU confirms border closure to foreigners for 30 days

EU leaders have agreed to prevent foreigners from entering the European bloc for 30 days as they fight to contain the deadly coronavirus.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the proposal “got a lot of support by the member states. It’s up to them now to implement. They said they will immediately do that.”

At a press briefing on Tuesday night, Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organizations regional director for Europe, said that 152 countries were now affected by COVID-19, creating a “new reality” for millions of people across the world.

“Europe is the epicentre of the first pandemic of coronavirus and every country, with no exceptions, need to take their boldest actions to stop or slow down the virus spread. Boldest action should include community action. Thinking that “this does not concern me” is not an option,” he said.

Italy now has nearly a third of the world’s deaths from coronavirus as Rome announced 345 more fatalities on Tuesday, taking the countries death toll to more than 2,500.

Global deaths from the outbreak – the epicentre of which has moved from China to Europe – are around 7,800.

Italy’s civil protection agency said there had been a further 3,500 new infections and that intensive care beds were full in Bergamo, a city in the worst-hit region of Lombardy.

Italy, which has the world’s second-oldest population after Japan, has been blindsided by a virus that appears to be deadlier for the elderly and infirm. The entire country remains on a strict lockdown, but it has so far failed to stem the flow of new infections.

France began its own lockdown on Tuesday, joining its neighbour Spain.

The UK – which saw 400 new cases in just 24 hours – has urged Britons to socially distance and stay away from bars, clubs and restaurants. But, unlike some other European countries, they remain open, as do schools.

On Tuesday, the UK announced €360 billion in loans and credit to British businesses to protect them against any fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Madrid announced its own €200 billion euro stimulus package.

The UK’s health service said all “non-urgent elective surgery” to increase capacity for coping for an increase in infections.

Meanwhile, tests on an experimental vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus have begun in the United States, the first of many efforts around the world to create a vaccine as cases continue to grow. But experts warn it could take a year to 18 months to approve it.