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Posted By admin on December 5, 2020

EU stops short of advising against holiday travel over virus

As millions of European citizens gear up for the festive season, the European Unions executive commission urges member countries to keep strong anti-coronavirus restrictions in place to avoid a post-holiday surge of cases and deaths but stops short of advising against travel.

The European Commission says in non-binding recommendations that easing pandemic-containment measures this month would jeopardize the efforts that have helped slow infections across the EU in recent weeks.

According to predictions made by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, lifting all anti-coronavirus restrictions on December 21 would result in a subsequent increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions as early as the first week of January 2021.

New confirmed cases are falling steadily across Europe, where more than 300,000 people with COVID-19 have died. Until vaccines against the virus are rolled out, the EU commission is recommending prudence.

A pedestrian wearing a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus walks past the Christmas-themed window displays of shops in central London on November 27, 2020, as a second lockdown continues in England. (Tolga Akmen / AFP)

Every 17 seconds a person loses their life due to COVID-19 in Europe, EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides says. The situation may be stabilizing, but it remains delicate. Like everything else this year, end of the year festivities will be different. This year, saving lives must come before celebrations.

EU health ministers discuss the European Commissions strategy Wednesday as European countries famous for their skiing resorts struggled to find a common approach.

The commission, however, did not discourage tourism and cross-border traveling.

Whilst travel itself is a risk factor, the generalized widespread transmission of COVID-19 across member states means that at present, intra-EU cross-border travel does not present a significant added risk, it says.

Still, the commission strongly discouraged people with coronavirus symptoms from traveling and recommended vaccination against the seasonal flu for travelers.

AP

Excerpt from:

Ashkenazi: Netanyahu didn't mention budget once in his remarks - The Times of Israel

Category: Ashkenazi
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