All 27 European Union nations agreed to shut down entry into EU borders in an effort to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives across the continent.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the plan, set to last 30 days, on Tuesday during a teleconference meeting with other EU leaders. She said there would be “very, very limited exceptions.”
“The union and its member states will do whatever it takes,” said European Council President Charles Michel, who also noted the EU will arrange for the repatriation of citizens who live within the union.
The travel block will extend across 450 million people in all 27 countries within the European Union and is aimed at slowing the spread of the illness which has ravaged Italy and Spain, where hospitals are overwhelmed by infected patients. The area of land the ban will cover stretches from Portugal to Finland.
The announcement comes the same day that French President Emmanuel Macron announced a 15-day lockdown of France. French citizens who leave their houses without proper government documentation citing the reasons for being outside will be fined up to $150.
“We are at war,” said Macron repeatedly during a speech on Tuesday.
European citizens will still be able to travel within the EU.
