France 24
Covid-19: EU calls to limit travel, Paris will impose PCR test on European travelers
At the end of the summit of the Twenty-Seven, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen estimated Thursday evening that “all non-essential travel” between the countries of the bloc should “be strongly discouraged”. For its part, France will demand from European travelers, from Sunday, the presentation of a PCR test carried out 72 hours before departure. The European Union has called for avoiding non-essential travel between the countries of the bloc to face the threat of new variants of the coronavirus, deeming the health situation “very serious”, at the end of a summit of Twenty-Seven by videoconference, Thursday, January 21. France announced in the wake of Sunday that it would impose on travelers from other European countries the presentation of a PCR test carried out 72 hours before departure. An obligation which does not, however, concern essential travel, border workers. Echoing the European epidemic agency (ECDC), the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen estimated Thursday evening that “all non-essential travel “should” be strongly discouraged “. “We are more and more worried about the different variants” of the coronavirus, admitted Ursula von der Leyen. Risk zones She proposed a new more precise definition of risk zones from a health point of view, with a new category “red dark”. Within the EU, travelers from these regions may be required to undergo a pre-departure test and self-quarantine upon arrival. For non-EU countries, “we will be proposing measures to additional security for essential travel to Europe, for example by requiring a test before departure, “she added. Border control is a national prerogative, but Europeans are trying to coordinate to keep the internal market, the transport of goods and the daily life of cross-border workers. They want to avoid the chaos that followed the border closures in dispersed order during the arrival of the epidemic last spring.Variants Faced with the more contagious variants of the coronavirus (British, South African), several countries have already hardened the restrictions in recent days, such as Germany on Tuesday. The Netherlands announced a curfew from 9 p.m. on Thursday evening, Portugal a closure of its schools. On the eve of the summit, the Europeans had finally reached an agreement on mutual recognition of test results, both PCR and rapid antigens, a breakthrough validated Thursday evening. To detect coronavirus mutations, the European Commission has urged EU states to increase sequencing, deeming the current level to be insufficient. She also called on them to speed up vaccination, protecting 70% of the adult population by the end of the summer and 80% of health workers and those over 80 by March. Objectives supported by the 27, according to Ursula von der Leyen. “It is an enormous effort but it is doable”, she insisted. Vaccination certificate under discussion The President of the European Council Charles Michel assured that “all possible means” would be “examined to ensure a rapid supply” in vaccines, while delays in deliveries from Pfizer-BioNTech – one of two authorized in the EU – have forced several countries to slow down their initial schedule. In addition to Pfizer-BioNTech, the Moderna vaccine is also authorized in the EU and the opinion of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on that of AstraZeneca, already in use in the UK, is due before the end of the month.The EU has in total signed six contracts for vaccines with laboratories pharmaceuticals and is in discussion with two others (Novavax and Valneva), for more than 2.5 billion potential doses. Athens called for the establishment of a “standardized” vaccination certificate within the EU, a proposal discussed at the top. Greece wants to save its tourism industry, but the idea of using this certificate to allow vaccinated people to travel is considered premature by several member states, due to the low proportion of the vaccinated population and uncertainties about the effect. vaccine on virus transmission. “We should be able to agree” on common standards for these certificates, said Charles Michel. “In a second step we will be able to see if and under what circumstances this certificate can be used.” With AFP
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