The decision has been made by European Union countries to prohibit non-essential travel from all foreign nations for a duration of one month, after Europe has become the epicentre for the coronavirus. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has proposed this restriction which will prevent all non-essential travel into the 26-nation Schengen free travel area. These countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
At a press conference, Ms. von der Leyen emphasized that UK citizens, being European citizens, will not face any restrictions on traveling to the continent. The rationale behind the proposal is to mitigate the spread of the virus by reducing social interaction through limited travel.
The ban will have some exemptions, such as for long-term EU residents, family members of EU nationals, diplomats, doctors, and researchers working on combatting the health crisis. Additionally, doctors, nurses, care workers, and experts involved in addressing the pandemic will also be exempt.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 174,000 people and caused over 6,000 deaths.