EU to sign Brexit agreement; on alert over coronavirus

The European Union said it would take important steps to finalise the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the bloc when the presidents of the European Commission and European Council sign the agreement on Friday.

The European Parliament then has to vote the withdrawal agreement into law before January 31 for the deal to be finalised on the EU side.

Meanwhile, the new virus outbreak in China has put the European Union health service on alert, with the European Center on Disease Prevention Control raising its risk assessment of viruses entering the EU from low to moderate.

European Commission spokesperson, Stefan De Keersmaecker said: "I would like to stress that for the Commission it is very important that we coordinate very well responses with all members states."

The Commission says it is in direct contact with health ministers from France and Italy because both countries have direct flight connections with the region of Wuhan, China.

"Which is the region as you know where the virus has been detected for the first time," said De Keersmaecker