International travel and internal movement in many countries will be severely curtailed by restrictions set to come into effect over the coming days.
Walls are being raised and mass quarantines enforced across Europe to combat the spread of the coronavirus, with Germany the latest to partly seal its borders, banning entrants from France, Switzerland and Austria from Monday.
The Guardian reports that more than 100 million people across the continent are on lockdown after Spain announced it would follow Italy in confining citizens to their homes for 15 days unless they had to buy food or medicine, go to work or seek medical treatment.
Spain’s death toll from the Covid-19 virus doubled on Sunday to 288 with more than 8,000 infections reported, the second-worst rates after Italy where more than 1,400 have died and more than 21,000 are sick. Italy announced a record one-day death toll of 368 on Sunday.
German media outlets said three of the country’s key borders would be closed amid more than 4,500 coronavirus cases and at least nine deaths, with exceptions made for cargo and commuters. Neighbouring countries Denmark, the Czech Republic and Poland have closed their borders to tourists.
Austria has banned anyone entering from the UK, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Russia.
With infections exponentially increasing in many countries, leaders of the G7 were preparing to hold an extraordinary summit via video link on Monday to try to coordinate a financial and medical response to the pandemic.
Several airlines reported drastic reductions in the traffic and services.
Via the Guardian
