The EC asks to strengthen international cooperation against the coronavirus
The European Commission (EC) called on Monday to strengthen international cooperation against the new coronavirus that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan and recalled that the measures to deal with the crisis correspond to the member states of the European Union (EU).
"It is time to join forces to stop this epidemic. It is crucial that the entire international community focus on preparedness and response efforts to fight against the coronavirus, taking into account international solidarity," said the European Commissioner for Crisis Management , the Slovenian Janez Lenarcic.
The Community Executive said that on Sunday, 95 European citizens were repatriated from Wuhan aboard a British flight, where nationals from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania were also traveling and Sweden
Non-British citizens were transferred from the United Kingdom to their countries of origin with co-financing from the European Commission through the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
Before, another 558 people, of which 447 were European citizens, had already been transferred from Wuhan to the EU on three other flights, two of them chartered by France and a third by Germany.
The EC added that it is closely monitoring the evolution of the new coronavirus outbreak through the European Center for Disease Control.
"It is up to the Member States to decide on the measures they deem most appropriate," including travel vetoes, which WHO has not included in their recommendations, the community spokesman in charge of Health explained in the EC's daily press conference, Stefan of Keersmaecker.
The ministers of Health of the countries of the European Union plan to address the response of the community club to the coronavirus during a meeting they will hold next Thursday in Brussels.
