Brussels demands confinement of Spain

Commission proposes update to coordinated approach on free movement restrictions. An update to the agreed colour code for the mapping of risk areas would be necessary to control the virus, in addition to stricter measures applied to travellers from higher-risk areas.

Today @EU_Commission proposes:
☑️to add a new dark red colour to @ECDC_EU‘s weekly map
☑️that all non-essential travel should be strongly discouraged until the epidemiological situation has considerably improved

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➡️https://t.co/EgHaYvwVzt#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/1nKmcgTRP2

— EU Justice (@EU_Justice) January 25, 2021

In light of new coronavirus variants and high numbers of new infections across many Member States, it is necessary to strongly discourage non-essential travel, while avoiding border closures or blanket travel bans and ensuring that the functioning of the Single Market and supply chains remain uninterrupted. Spain is above 800 cases per day, so Brussels recommends that Spain isolate some areas where there are more than 500 cases per day, leaving the majority in the high-risk zone.

Facing the crisis to avoid a third wave, he Commission proposes that all non-essential travel should be strongly discouraged until the epidemiological situation has considerably improved. This especially concerns travel to and from ‘dark red’ areas. In addition to the existing colours of green, orange, red and grey, the Commission is proposing to add ‘dark red’ to indicate areas where the virus is circulating at very high levels. This would apply to an area where the 14-day notification rate is more than 500 per 100 000 people.

For people travelling from a ‘dark red’ area, Member States should require them to undergo a test prior to arrival and quarantine as recommended by the Health Security Committee and currently practiced by several Member States.

More information

Full article – European Comission