EU urges border health checks as Coronavirus case count mounts

European Union urged member countries Friday to put health screening procedures in place at ir borders to slow spre of vel coronavirus but said y must coordinate so people can still quickly get medical care y need.

With Italy reporting most virus cases and deaths anywhere in world except China, pandemic is increasingly wearing on EU’s cherished core principle, which envisions a border-free Europe where citizens can freely live, work and travel.

Countries that border Italy, including Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland have moved to reintroduce border controls and restrict traffic from outside. But several or EU nations, including Poland, Slovakia and Cyprus, anunced restrictions that go far beyond travellers from Italy.

Poland’s prime minister said that starting at midnight Saturday, country’s borders with all its neighbours would be closed and all foreigners denied entry unless y lived in Poland or h personal ties re. n-citizens who are let in will be quarantined for 14 days.

Slovakia took similar action. An entry ban on foreign nationals in Cyprus only excepts European citizens if y live or work in ethnically divided island nation. President Nicos Anastasies said foreigners would also be prohibited from entering Cyprus’ internationally recognized south from breakaway rth.

More than 22,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across Europe, and nearly 1,300 people with virus have died on continent. Earlier Friday, EU’s executive commission recommended coordinated border health screenings as a way to dress infections.

“In last few hours, we’ve seen travel bans and controls being put in place in a number of member states,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of EU’s executive commission, said Friday. “Certain controls may be justified, but general travel bans are t seen as being most effective by World Health Organization. Moreover, y have a strong social and ecomic impact, y disrupt people’s lives and business across borders.”

Preliminary checks for signs of infection could be done at borders between 26 nations that make up passport-free Schengen Area, but also at EU’s external borders and within individual countries, von der Leyen said.

ID check-free area, which includes many EU members but also n-members like Switzerland, rway and Iceland, is a jewel in Europe’s crown. Besides smoothing travel arrangements, it allows businesses and transportation to move easily across borders of countries within zone.

“Any measure that is taken must be proportionate” and coordinated with Brussels, she said. “Member states, especially neighbouring ones, need to work very closely toger. In this way, and it’s only way, we can make sure that our citizens receive health care that y need immediately wherever y are.”

screening recommendations were put to interior ministers of EU member nations Friday as y try to build a unified response to virus. bloc’s institutions have a very limited role to play in combating COVID-19 pandemic.

European Commission led by von der Leyen polices Schengen Area’s rules, but individual countries are responsible for ir own health and public safety policies.

“ problem is on different levels in different countries,” Swedish Interior Minister Mikael Damberg told reporters, but he said “we hope that all countries that take new measures also inform or European countries.”

“ transportation system must work when it comes to food and to health care materials and se kinds of things that are important to all European countries so that we don’t make problems for each or handling crisis,” Damberg said.

Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozivic, who is chairing talks because his country currently holds EU’s rotating presidency, said, “This crisis shows that as a European Union we need to have models to act in a more coordinated way.”

“If we are acting in one way, it would be much better for all of us,” he said.

ministers were also expected to discuss 30-day travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump on Europeans leaving Schengen Area for United States. EU leers have lamented that move was taken without consultation involving a disease that kws borders.

measures anunced by Trump don’t apply to United Kingdom, Ireland or any of Balkan countries.

He has branded COVID-19 a “foreign virus” and claimed that European travelers “seeded” infection clusters in United States.

“I hope Mr Trump understands that you can’t make a deal with a virus,” said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

European Union Aviation Safety ncy directed airlines across EU to disinfect planes after each flight or within 24 hours after departure from “a high-risk airport.”n is mandated later than 24 hours after departure from a high-risk airport.