Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US edition

https://vidostream.com

Coronavirus: Which countries are under lockdown, and who's next?

Four European Union member states have imposed lockdowns to combat the spread of the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus while travellers hoping to get into the bloc are being turned away.
French gendarmes control a vehicle in Ustaritz, southwestern France, Thursday, March 19, 2020. - Copyright AP Photo/Bob Edme

French gendarmes control a vehicle in Ustaritz, southwestern France, Thursday, March 19, 2020. - Copyright AP Photo/Bob Edme

Belgium became the latest EU country to introduce a lockdown on Wednesday, joining France, Italy and Spain.

At least 3,426 people across the EU and the UK have died from the disease and the continent has now been dubbed the "epicentre of the epidemic" by the World Health Organisation.

Italy has been particularly affected, accounting for more than 70% of the bloc's fatalities, and is now on track to surpass China's own deadly toll.

Belgium

Belgium's nationwide self-isolation policy is to run until April 5, longer than the 15-day lockdown currently imposed in France and Spain.

Residents must stay at home unless they need to go to work, supermarkets, health facilities or visit people in need. They are also allowed to step out for physical activity.

"Authorities rely on the sense of duty of each Belgian and the respect towards these decisions taken to protect them, their relatives and loved ones. Only the personal commitment of each and everyone will allow these measures to have a real impact on the situation," the government said.

France

The lockdown in France is similar to the one in Belgium, except physical activity is to be done alone.

Gatherings of any kind have also been banned with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe stressing on Tuesday evening that people should not attend funerals of friends or loved ones during the lockdown, recognising that it may be "horrible to hear".

But three days into the lockdown, criticism is mounting in France with accusations of police brutality.

French citizens are being asked to justify their movements with a form they must present to authorities. Failure to do so or if they're deemed further away from home than strictly necessary can result in a fine of €135.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Wednesday evening that more than 4,000 such fines had been dished out on the first day of verbalisation.

Officials in France have already indicated that the lockdown could be extended past the initial 15-day period.

Italy

Italy was the first EU member state to introduce lockdowns. Northern regions were the first to be concerned by confinement measures which were extended across the country last week.

More than 43,000 people have so far been found to have violated containment measures, according to figures released on Wednesday by the ministry of interior.

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland is expected to introduce emergency legislation on Thursday to allow for a state of emergency and lockdowns.

UK

British parliamentarians are also poised to approve emergency legislation that could pave the way for a lockdown.

In London, the epicentre of the British outbreak, 40 tube stations were closed on Thursday with Mayor Sadiq Khan urging Londoners to heed the government's advice on social distancing.

"I can't say this clearly enough: people should not be travelling by any means unless they absolutely must. I want to see more Londoners following the expert advice, which means it's critical that we see far fewer Londoners using our transport network than is currently the case," he said.

Downing Street moved to assuage fears that a lockdown could be imposed on the capital saying in a statement that "there are no plans to close down the transport network in London and there is zero prospect of any restrictions being placed on travelling in and out of London."

The British Ministry of Defence has also announced that an additional 10,000 military personnel, including reservists, were being put on standby to support public services.

Germany

Berlin has so far eschewed a lockdown but called on citizens to voluntarily restrict their movements warning that curfews could otherwise be imposed.

Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also announced on Thursday that 2,300 reservists and 900 "health reservists" had been mobilised.

Other measures

EU member states not on official lockdown, as well as the UK, have all closed their schools and universities. Most have also shut down all non-essential shops including bars and restaurants and banned gatherings of all kinds.

Several nations, including Germany, have also closed their borders with other EU member states or severely restricted access with controls, creating traffic jams.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on member states on Wednesday to "unblock the situation" citing foreign citizens that are now "stranded within the European Union" and trans-border commuters who cannot go back and forth between their places of residence and work.

"And of course, we have a lot of traffic jam of lorries transporting goods. The flow of goods has to be swift, we need these goods for the functioning of the internal market," she also stressed.

Member states have however been allowed to implement temporary entry restrictions on external borders with a 30-day entry ban into the Schengen area for non-Europeans.

According to the DPA news agency, a group of travellers from Turkey were turned away at the Frankfurt airport on Tuesday.

Source: Euronews:

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second