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“We should have done it earlier”
Ireland, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, etc. they have already announced quarantine or partial quarantine. As the number of COVID infections increases, it is likely that most EU countries will follow suit in the near future. Angela Merkel, the bloc’s German chancellor, made a particularly strong statement on the issue in a video conference of EU leaders on Thursday night. According to her, not all countries were able to respond in a timely manner.
In order to successfully prevent the spread of the pandemic, we must make and implement decisive decisions … In the near future, it will be extremely important for all countries, including Lithuania, to develop national vaccination and testing strategies.
“We should have done it sooner,” Merkel said, referring to the quarantine that Germany had announced in part since November.
“Every day counts. A decisive action, unequivocally at European level, based on two pillars: testing and identification of those exposed and vaccines, is what we need now,” said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, after the meeting.
Unlike the spring, this time the member states are trying to coordinate at least a little. During a video meeting on Thursday, EU leaders agreed to continue coordinating efforts on
quarantine rules, identification of people with cross-border exposure, testing strategies, common assessment of testing methods and time restrictions on unnecessary travel to the EU.
“At the previous European Council, leaders agreed to strengthen the overall response to the second wave of coronavirus. To successfully prevent the spread of a pandemic, we must make and implement decisive decisions, adequately inform the public about them, and share good practices. In the near future, it will be extremely important for all countries, including Lithuania, to develop national vaccination and testing strategies based on the recommendations of the European Commission, ”President Gitanas Nausėda said in the press release.
8 recommendations
The recommendations mentioned by the president were presented by the European Commission on Wednesday.
“Today we are taking additional measures to combat the virus, starting with better access to rapid tests, preparing for vaccination campaigns and ending with better travel conditions that are safe. I call on the Member States to work closely together. The decisive action we are taking now will help save lives and protect livelihoods. Faced with this pandemic, no country will be safe until everyone is safe, “said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who presented the measures to EU leaders on Thursday night.
The Commission’s recommendations consist of 8 points. In particular, it aims to exchange information as intensively as possible, to provide all the necessary data to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and to the Commission.
The Commission has also proposed that Member States exempt hospitals and doctors from VAT on vaccines and test kits.
Second, the Commission calls for effective testing by rapid antigen testing. Also, in mid-November, prepare national test strategies and acknowledge test results from other EU countries. The Commission itself will allocate 100 million euros. EUR for rapid tests to be distributed to Member States.
Third, the Commission draws particular attention to the importance of COVID devices. To date, Member States have developed 19 people alert and tracking applications, which have been downloaded for 52 million people. times and that they are interconnecting. Lithuania does not yet have such a device.
The Commission also calls for them to prepare for the development of national strategies for vaccines, which the Commission itself negotiates for all EU countries. It is true, as Mr von der Leyen acknowledged, that vaccines “are not surprising” and should not reach the EU population until April next year.
The European Commission also drew attention to the need to inform the public opinion of the EU countries, to intensify the fight against the so-called “anti-tax” propaganda. “All Member States should relaunch information campaigns to counter the false, misleading and dangerous information that continues to spread and to address the so-called pandemic fatigue problem. Vaccination is a specific area in which public authorities must intensify their efforts to combat disinformation and ensure public trust, “the Commission said.
All Member States should relaunch information campaigns to counter the false, misleading and dangerous information that continues to spread and to tackle the so-called problem of pandemic fatigue. Vaccination is a specific area in which public authorities must intensify their efforts to combat misinformation and ensure public trust.
As regards the procurement of medical devices, the Commission has extended the decision not to apply customs duties and VAT to medical devices from outside the EU. The Commission has also proposed that Member States exempt hospitals and doctors from VAT on vaccines and test kits.
The Commission pays particular attention to the preservation of the Schengen area, which practically collapsed in the spring, when states began to close one after another. It is necessary to follow up on previous recommendations of the Council and coordinate action. A common passenger questionnaire is also being developed across the EU and the Commission will try to reach an agreement with countries on a common approach to quarantine. The EU Aviation Safety Agency and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control are also developing a test protocol for travelers, which should be used by public health authorities, airlines and airports to allow travelers to arrive safely. The EU platform Re-open EU, which provides information on COVID restrictions and regulations in Member States, is also being improved.
At the same time, the Commission stresses the importance of the “Green Corridor” so that goods can cross borders in less than 15 minutes. The Commission proposes to broaden the ‘green corridors’ approach in areas such as rail, sea freight and air transport.
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