A+ A-

EU proposes common approach to tackle increase of coronavirus pandemic in Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
BRUSSELS, Dec 1 (KUNA) -- President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen Wednesday put forward a common and coordinated EU approach to address effectively the challenges from the resurgence of COVID-19 in Europe.
"The arrival of the presumably highly contiguous omicron variant calls for our utmost attention. But I am convinced that the EU is up to the task to tackle these challenges," she told a press conference in Brussels this afternoon.
"Today we are presenting a broad array of actions, from stepping up our vaccination efforts and investment in treatments, to improving monitoring and prevention, and reinforcing our global solidarity," she said.
Von der Leyen reiterated her urgent call, "get vaccinated, get a booster and follow the rules to protect yourselves." She called upon EU Member States to continue to implement a joint strategy to limit the entry of the omicron variant into the EU, with regular, daily reviews of essential travel restrictions. "The EU and member states should stand ready to impose all necessary controls," she stressed.
On her part, EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides told the press conference that "the emergence of the omicron variant only adds to the urgent need to vaccinate and to boost our immunity in order to break transmission chains." "Where needed, effective public health measures, including social distancing and masks need to be introduced. We must act quickly and decisively to limit the spread of the virus and mitigate its impact," she said. (end) nk.ag