Coronavirus: Europe to remain closed to the world until later in the year

European Commission unveils Covid-19 exit strategy, including plans for travel from non-EU nations

The President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen holds a press conference on the European Union (EU) response to the coronavirus COVID-19 disease crisis at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium EPAShow less

The EU has announced the resumption of travel to Europe from outside its borders will not be phased in until after internal restrictions for the coronavirus are lifted, probably later in 2020.

Presenting a roadmap for removal of lockdown restrictions across the 27 member states, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said Europe would not return to normality until a vaccine against Covid-19 became available.

Ms von der Leyen said that in the meantime, any easing of restrictions could only be temporary as it would “unavoidably” create a sudden rise in new cases.

About 80,000 people, or two thirds of the global toll, have died in Europe from Covid-19, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says.

Ms von der Leyen said the EU would gradually lift travel and internal restrictions, starting with journeys “between areas with comparably low levels of risk”.

She said borders would have to be closely monitored in areas where one side had reopened but the other remained under lockdown measures.

If managed incorrectly, travel over borders could again risk a resurgence of cases.

The opening of Europe’s external borders would have to come later, the European Commission said, with each nation being judged on its coronavirus situation before travel could resume.

With some nations under lockdown restrictions for more than a month, those such as Austria and Denmark, which have been spared the worst of the pandemic, have cautiously relaxed measures.

Health staff wear protective equipment to help stop the spread of the coronavirus outside the Menara City One condominium under a lockdown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AP Photo

People wearing masks walk past a mural depicting the coronavirus in Los Angeles. AP Photo

A Russian serviceman wearing a protective mask looks out of a military vehicle during a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Reuters

Brazilian 99-year-old former WWII combatant Ermando Armelino Piveta gestures as he leaves the Armed Forces Hospital, after being treated for the coronavirus disease in Brasilia, Brazil. Reuters

US President Donald Trump answers questions during the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. REUTERS

Newborn babies are seen in a hospital wearing protective face shields amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters

A health worker walks inside the Chennai trade centre, which is being converted into an isolation ward. AFP

A medical technician gestures at a testing and sample collection centre in Chennai. AFP

Healthcare workers hold a tablet in front of a patient during a video call with relatives at the Intensive Unit Care (ICU) of the Ramon y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. AFP

A person walks past a poster thanking the healthcare personnel, shopkeepers, the French national security, the post office staff members and farmers, in Paris. AFP

A banner thanking frontline health workers hangs on a high-rise building construction site in St Julian's, Malta. REUTERS

Members of the armed forces disinfect at Brasilia International Airport, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brasilia, Brazil. REUTERS

Workers are seen at a production line within the Shona Textiles Export Processing Zone in Athi River near Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS

A woman receives free rice in Hanoi, Vietnam. EPA

Colombian soldiers disinfect a zone at neighborhood next to a military base as part of the campaign against the spread of coronavirus in Bogota, Colombia. EPA

A worker from the railway cleaning services disinfects a grip bar in a train wagon in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. EPA

The EU has said it will only consider easing emergency measures after infections have decreased significantly for a sustained period.

It said hospitals must also have enough beds and capacity for testing to monitor the spread of the virus must be available.

Brussels is looking to redeem itself with its plan to reopen Europe.

The 27-member bloc is deeply concerned about the damage that could be done if each EU nation charted its own course.

There was panic after the pandemic first spread in Italy, with unannounced border closures sparking huge traffic jams and export bans depriving hard-hit countries of medical equipment.

The EU was also criticised over the initial announcement of its exit strategy, which members states said gave the wrong message while they were trying to persuade millions of citizens to stay at home.

"This is not a signal that confinement, containment measures can be lifted as of now," Ms von der Leyen said on Wednesday.