Borders open, but non-essential travel is not recommended – With the closure of the borders, the Union and the internal market would have plunged back into the situation of chaos of a year ago. Brussels has instead opted for coordination of targeted travel measures, with a strong discouragement to undertake non-essential travel. The work will be developed in the coming weeks, even if the competence of the initiatives remains national.
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The dark red zone – “We must redefine our mapping” of the geography of the epidemic “to identify high-risk areas, introducing a dark red category. Those departing from these areas can be asked for tests before leaving and quarantine after arrival. All of them. non-essential travel must be highly discouraged “, explained the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, specifying that Europe must be seen as” a single epidemiological zone “, on which to intervene in a targeted way.
Border checks and tests – The ECDC (European Agency for Disease Control and Prevention) also recommended the need for restrictive measures to freedom of movement. Measures that will also be facilitated by the decision on mutual recognition of tests – including rapid ones – throughout the Union. An indication, that of the ECDC, which confirmed Angela Merkel’s line, for days in pressing to convince colleagues to align themselves on health checks at the borders, with additional tests and quarantines, and a decisive crackdown on non-travel necessary.
France, a buffer for those who also come from EU countries – Definitely on the Berlin line, the French Emmanuel Macron, struggling with new violent outbreaks and the suspicion of an unknown mutation of the most contagious virus that in some areas of France would have caused infections to spurt. The Elysée has in fact announced that, starting from Sunday at midnight, all travelers within the European Union must possess, before leaving for France, the certificate of a negative molecular swab carried out 72 hours before departure. The test will be mandatory for “all non-essential journeys”. Cross-border workers and land transport workers remain exempt from the obligation. The Austrian Sebastian Kurz, the Dutch Mark Rutte and the Belgian Alexander De Croo also moved along the lines of the general measures proposed by the European institutions.
The “tourist” countries and the vaccination passport – A blow to the heart the new restrictions for countries with a high tourist vocation such as Greece, Spain and Malta, worried about their economies in view of the spring-summer, which have tried to advance the idea of a vaccination passport to facilitate movements between states. An idea to be evaluated “with extreme caution”, and in any case not at this stage, said Michel. The proposal was launched in recent days by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who at the videoconference returned to illustrate it to his colleagues, supported by the Maltese Robert Abela, and by the Spaniard Pedro Sanchez.
The vaccine issue – All the leaders have instead agreed on the need to speed up vaccine doses, especially after Pfizer’s delays this week. Von der Leyen assured that the deferrals will be reabsorbed by mid-February, with the levels of deliveries returning to 100% of those forecast for the week, as early as Monday. Meanwhile, Merkel has opened the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine with the authorization of the EMA, while the government of the Hungarian Viktor Orban has gone ahead with the green light right now.
The doses and the distribution plan – In all, the Commission expects the delivery of over 150 million doses in the first quarter, thanks also to the expected green light for new vaccines. While from the second the numbers should rise, for this it is necessary to prepare to use them all well. The target is to vaccinate 80% of health workers and over 80 by March, and 70% of adults by the summer. An ambitious undertaking, but the EU can do it.
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