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WORLD NEWS Saturday 6 June 2020

EU wants borders free of virus restrictions by end of June

By LORNE COOK and KAREL dia in Spain on Friday.
JANICEK The government leaders of
Associated Press the eurozone's third- and
BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe fourth-largest economies
could have its free travel want the European Centre
zone up and running again for Disease Prevention and
by the end of this month, Control to play a leading
but travelers from further role in "defining as soon as
afield will not be allowed possible these criteria to-
in before July, a European gether with the member
Union commissioner said states."
Friday after talks among Spain, which relies on tour-
the bloc's interior ministers. ism for 12% of its GDP, plans
Panicked by Italy's corona- to wait until July 1 to drop its
virus outbreak in February, 14-day quarantine require-
countries in the 26-nation ment for everyone who
Schengen travel zone — crosses its borders, Span-
where people and goods iards included.
move freely without border "Many of our member
checks — imposed border states are approaching the
restrictions without consult- date when they are going
ing their neighbors to try German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, right, and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio wear face to reopen their borders to
to keep the disease out. masks to protect against the coronavirus during a meeting in Berlin, Germany, Friday, June 5, tourist mobility," Sánchez
The moves caused mas- 2020. and Conte wrote. "How
sive border traffic jams and Associated Press this process is carried out
blocked medical equip- will largely determine our
ment. its neighbors; Austria, Ger- maining border checks on which have not fully citizens' perception of the
Free movement is a jewel in many and Hungary. Also June 15 like many other EU opened to Italian tourists, centrality of the European
Europe's crown that helps Friday, Switzerland said it countries, said "the internal Italian Foreign Minister Lu- Union in tackling this crisis."
its businesses flourish and plans to lift restrictions on border controls will be over igi Di Maio denounced the Germany's Seehofer said
many European officials travel from EU nations and in all of Europe at the end "ad hoc" measures put in most of the EU's interior min-
feared that the very future Britain on June 15. Switzer- of June." place by some countries isters want to extend the
of the Schengen area was land is not an EU member The news should come as as "a violation of the Euro- current entry ban on out-
under threat from coronavi- but is part of the Schengen a relief to millions of Euro- pean spirit that has always side travelers "by 14 days
rus travel restrictions. These travel zone. peans still trying to work distinguished us." until July 1."
added to border pressures Johansson said Europe's out their summer vaca- Di Maio said Rome would Visitors from the United
already caused by the ar- Centre for Disease Preven- tion plans — which begin provide regular infection States, Russia or Brazil, for
rival in Europe of well over 1 tion and Control believes for many in July once the data to Austria "so they example, would only be
million migrants in 2015. that confinement, social school year is over — and can have certainty about allowed back into Europe
"I personally believe that we distancing and other health who are anxious to know Italy's numbers." Last week, on based on how those
will return to a full function- measures are working. whether they will be al- he said Italy refused to be nations have brought the
ing of the Schengen area More than 175,000 people lowed to head to the con- treated as a leper after spread of the virus under
and freedom of movement have died in Europe's coro- tinent's beaches or moun- Greece announced a list of control, he said. Those three
of citizens no later than the navirus outbreak, accord- tains. It's also good news for 29 countries whose citizens nations account for 44% of
end of the month of June," ing to a tally by Johns Hop- European countries whose could visit without testing or the world's confirmed in-
European Union Home Af- kins University, mostly in Brit- economies have been rav- quarantine requirements, fections and nearly 38% of
fairs Commissioner Ylva ain, Italy, France and Spain. aged by the spread of CO- but excluded Italians, Brit- the world's confirmed coro-
Johansson said Friday af- "Physical distancing and VID-19 and are hoping for a ons and residents of other navirus deaths, according
ter the video-conference other health-related mea- much-needed boost from hard-hit countries. to Johns Hopkins.
meeting. sures are still needed, of their decimated tourism in- Spanish Prime Minister Pe- Worldwide, 6.6 million peo-
All but essential travel into course. But health authori- dustries. dro Sánchez and Italian ple have been confirmed
Europe from the outside is ties are clear that there is But the perception that Ita- Premier Giuseppe Conte infected by the virus and
restricted until June 15, but no longer a clear justifica- ly is still dangerous is weigh- have sent a joint letter to over 391,000 have died,
many ministers suggested tion for either travel restric- ing heavily on its tourism European Commission Pres- according to Johns Hop-
Friday that they want this tions or border measures sector, which along with ident Ursula Von der Leyen kins, but experts say the
deadline extended until within the EU Schengen related industries accounts urging "the lifting of restric- tally understates the true
early July. area," Johansson said. for 13% of Italy's gross do- tions at our internal borders toll of the pandemic due to
The meeting came as the German Interior Minis- mestic product. (...) in a coordinated, non- limited testing, missed mild
Czech Republic was eas- ter Horst Seehofer, whose In an apparent reference discriminatory manner." The cases and deliberate gov-
ing restrictions with some of country plans to lift its re- to Austria and Greece, letter was shared with me- ernment undercounts.q