With Italy lockdown, Europe struggles to limit virus spread

Bloomberg

Europe struggled to find a unified response to the new coronavirus as Italy became the first democratic country since World War II to announce a nationwide lockdown.
As countries across the region put in place their own piecemeal measures to slow the spread of the highly infectious virus, Austria said it will block travellers from Italy unless they can provide medical certificates showing they’re healthy. Spain suspended flights from Italy. Schoolchildren in Greece and university students in Portugal were asked to stay home. Air France cancelled thousands of flights, Ireland scrapped St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and Madonna pulled out of concerts in Paris.
With people and businesses striving to work with the new restrictions, European leaders were expected to hold an emergency call on Tuesday to discuss a response. On the cusp of turning into a pandemic, the virus has claimed more than 520 lives on the continent.
Close to 500 of those deaths have been in Italy. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called this the country’s “darkest hour,” ordering Italians to “stay at home” as he explained that “we are forced to impose sacrifices.”
“We’re at the very beginning of this epidemic,” French President Emmanuel Macron said after a visit to the Necker children’s hospital in Paris, calling for pragmatism and flexibility as authorities respond to the outbreak. “We’re prepared.”
Globally, the number of those infected has surpassed 114,000, with deaths exceeding 3,900. While China, where the virus originated, is seeing the pace of new infections slow, there are no indications its spread is in check in Europe.

Cases have now been found in all 27 EU member nations.
“This cannot be business as usual,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, speaking to European lawmakers in Brussels. “We are facing an exceptional situation.”
Not every leader is on the same page on how best to respond. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it doesn’t make sense to restrict gatherings or travel yet. “What’s happening in other countries doesn’t necessarily mirror what’s happening here,” Johnson said.