In December 2019 in Wuhan China, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus started. Most patients experience mild illness but it can be more severe for older people and people with underlying health conditions. As Coronavirus cases increase in Europe, with Italy at Forefront, governments are taking steps towards preventing it from spreading further, including strong measures such as several countries’ decision to close their borders.
On Tuesday (17 March), EU leaders agreed to seal its borders banning travellers from outside the bloc for 30 days. The measure applies to 26 EU states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The ban came as a common action in Europe’s fight against the spread of the virus and for the mitigation of the economic fallout. The European Commission also released €140m for research on vaccines and treatment.
Find here updated information regarding the precautionary measures taken by The Hague Academy for Local Governance.