Brussels plan to ban all travel to Europe
BRUSSELS yesterday moved to ban all travel to Europe in a bid to control coronavirus.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen put forward a proposal for an initial 30-day travel ban, which could be extended.
The restrictions – which will not apply to the UK – came as ailing airlines called for a Government rescue package.
British Airways, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and holiday giant Tui are all slashing flights by up to 80 per cent to cut costs, in the face of plummeting demand and worldwide travel restrictions.
Tui suspended virtually all of its operations including flights and package holidays.
EasyJet warned that all European airlines faced a “precarious future”, while Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary described the crisis as “unprecedented” as he considered grounding his entire fleet.
Virgin Atlantic led the calls for the Government to lend the industry up to £7.5billion to weather the storm, after announcing it will suspend up to 85 per cent of its flights.
It also asked staff to take eight weeks’ unpaid leave over the next three months, with the cost spread over six months’ salary.
The Centre for Aviation added to the gloom. It declared: “By the end of May 2020, most airlines in the world will be bankrupt.”
It said the likely survivors will be state-backed carriers such as China’s and some European airlines.
But yesterday Ms von der Leyen was unapologetic about the need to ground planes.
She said: “Here in Europe we are heavily affected by the virus and we know that everything that reduces social interaction also reduces the speed of the spread of the virus.
“The less travel, the more we can contain the spread of the virus.”
But she stressed that the ban, which needs to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states, would not apply to UK residents. The announcement came amid steep rises in the number of cases and deaths from coronavirus across the continent, in countries including the Netherlands, Spain, France and Switzerland.
Italy yesterday recorded 368 new deaths bringing its total to 1,809, Spain recorded 97 more deaths for a total of 288, and France reported 29 deaths, giving a total of 120.
Germany reintroduced border checks with five countries – France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg – where people “without a significant reason to travel” were told they would not be allowed to pass.
In France, the coronavirus outbreak was now “very worrying” and “deteriorating very fast”, the head of the country’s health service said yesterday morning.
The Czech government has introduced stringent lockdown measures: people will only be allowed to go to and from work, buy food or medicine, or make urgent family visits.
The Italian Football Federation, meanwhile, called for the postponement of Euro 2020 to give the country time to complete the Serie A season.
Elsewhere in Europe, Switzerland confirmed 841 new coronavirus cases, raising the country’s total to 2,200. The death toll now stands at 14. Austria announced it was
banning gatherings of more than five people from yesterday, while today’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations have been curtailed in the Republic of Ireland – pubs have been asked to shut until March 29.
In the Netherlands, coronavirus infections have risen by 278 to 1,413 and the death toll rose by four to 24 from Sunday.
There were also reports of people stockpiling cannabis before the country is placed into lockdown.