EU Member State Leaders to Discuss COVID-19 Response in Video Conference Next Week

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The 27 member state leaders of the European Union (EU) will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) through a video conference next week.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, tweeted on the 21st (local time), "We will hold a meeting on the 29th of this month," adding, "We need to strengthen our joint efforts to fight COVID-19."

The EU leaders recently agreed to hold regular discussions regarding COVID-19 response, and this will be their first meeting. During this meeting, the European Commission is expected to present plans to enhance coordination among member states on COVID-19 diagnostic testing, contact tracing, and quarantine periods.

Europe has recently seen a rapid resurgence of COVID-19. The number of new confirmed cases in Europe alone exceeds 100,000 per day, surpassing even the United States.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, EU member states revealed limitations due to differing responses and unilateral measures. The European Commission pointed out that coordination is necessary as COVID-19 response measures are still being implemented differently across countries. Until recently, the quarantine period for those who had contact with COVID-19 patients within the EU was 14 days, but some countries have shortened this period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.