|
 A meeting of European affairs ministers approved the recommendation,
which aims to end a confusing patchwork of restrictions and to
restore free movement - a cherished principle in the 27-member bloc
- when conditions allow.
With cases spiking across Europe, only a few areas would currently
qualify for the lowest-risk "green" band allowing unrestricted
travel. They include most of eastern Germany, parts of the Nordic
and Baltic countries, some areas of Bulgaria and Greece, and one
zone in Italy.
EU nations will be encouraged to apply "proportionate" measures for
medium-risk orange and high-risk red zones, which could include a
quarantine or a test but not a blanket bar on entry.
by Kate Abnett and Andrew Cawthorne)
[to top of second column] |
The 27 nations are to supply data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control on numbers of new cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days, plus
numbers of tests and percentage of positive tests in the past week. The agency
will then produce a colour-coded map.
Though individual EU countries are free to determine their own measures, they
are urged to be consistent. "We welcome this agreement to bring more order to a
currently confusing situation," the European Commission said in a statement.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
