Where, what and when? EU commission lockdown advice by euobserver

The EU Commission rolled out recommendations to member states on Wednesday (15 April) on how to manage easing their lockdown measures while restarting the economy.

Countries will decide on the measures themselves, but the EU executive urged coordination to better control the spread of the virus.

Here is an overview of the recommendations, which describes Europe living with the virus for a year with half-full schools and stores, mobile tracing apps, continued social distancing and closed borders.

Preconditions

The commission set out three conditions on when lockdown measures could be eased in member states.

One is that spread of the disease has significantly decreased and stabilised for a sustained period of time. Second, is that the there is sufficient health system capacity for more than only Covid-19 patients. Large-scale testing should also be a pre-requisite to easing measures, meaning testing in the communities - not only at hospitals.

What should be open?

The EU executives wants countries to coordinate, warning that a lack of coordination risk have negative effects for all member states, and create "political friction". It calls for member states to notify each other and the commission about their planned measures.

The commission emphasised a gradual reopening of shops, starting locally and then progressively - taking some time between different easing measures to see their effect on the spread of the virus.

Most vulnerable groups should be protected for longer, it argued, including the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases.

What about borders?

The passport-free Schengen zone was quick to fall apart at the start of the pandemic, when most EU countries shut their borders to try to keep the virus out. The move threatened essential cross-border workers and the smooth operation of supply chains, risking shortages.

See more here: https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/148079

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