Europe Plans Full Border Closure in Battle with Coronavirus

By Staff, Agencies

The European Commission is planning to ban all non-essential travel throughout Europe's Schengen free travel zone as more countries close their borders in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Relatively, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will ask leaders to implement the measures on Tuesday.

"The less travel, the more we can contain the virus," she said.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron earlier said the EU's external borders would be closed to travelers.

"Concretely, all trips between non-European countries and EU countries will be suspended," Macron said in a televised address on Monday.

Long-term residents, family members of EU nationals and diplomats would be exempt as well as cross-border and healthcare workers and people transporting goods, von der Leyen added during a video conference.

The measures would stay into effect for at least 30 days.

The Schengen agreement allows people to move freely between EU countries without border checks.

However, citizens of non-Schengen EU member states will also be invited to apply the travel ban, including the UK.