COVID-19 Coronavirus: EU Commission, economic aid package. “It is not possible to stop the virus, but it is possible to slow down its spread”

“We are all put to the test: healthcare systems, the economy. But above all people”. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not fail to provide a general picture of the spread of the coronavirus epidemic at a press conference in Brussels where she presented the economic package to respond to the outbreak. “We are only at the beginning”, she said with concern. “It is not possible to stop the virus, but it is possible to slow down its spread”. For this reason, “we must slow down our public life” to give our healthcare systems the time to treat the patients. Almost all countries are taking restrictive measures: in addition to Italy, von der Leyen mentioned France and Germany. She stressed the need for an adequate supply of medical equipment, through increased production and immediate distribution. “The single market - she said - has to function”, including the free circulation of goods, to avoid “a domino effect”. And she added: “Certain controls may be justified”, but “general travel bans are not seen as being” “effective by the World Health Organization; moreover they have a strong social and economic impact” and “disrupt people's lives and business across the borders”. In other words, no internal border checks within the Schengen area for now. “Any measure that is taken must be proportionate”.
Valentina Bombelli