COVID-19 Coronavirus: EU Parliament, premises in Strasbourg to host screening centre, with beds and doctors’ offices

On 2 April, the President of the European Parliament announced the intention to provide “the Brussels authorities”, should they need it, “with part of our building to be used for patient care” and a fleet of 100 vehicles. The offer was also extended to the Luxembourg and Strasbourg authorities for “these cities host us and we want to be with the citizens of these cities in these extremely difficult times”. The French authorities welcomed the proposal, and European Parliament sources confirmed today that Sassoli “gave his approval to an arrangement between the European Parliament’s General Secretariat and the Lower Rhine Prefecture”. Part of the European Parliament’s building in Strasbourg will host a screening centre, with beds and doctors’ offices. “There will be no plenary session before the summer, so the health authorities can use the premises for some months”. The vehicles, too, can be used for the transportation of the medical staff. Roland Ries, mayor of Strasbourg, said in a tweet: “this humanist gesture does honour to a great European, David Sassoli, and shows the European Parliament’s unwavering commitment to Strasbourg”. “This decision is also a sign of the mutual assistance that EU countries must provide to one another in the fight against the epidemic”.
Valentina Bombelli