Medicine
Asia & Pacific
Could bad data be to blame for high coronavirus death toll
European countries saw some of the highest death told for coronavirus over the last month. Deaths in Italy have surpassed those in China many...
Archive
Italian doctors warn of 'bio bombs' from patients sent to care homes
Italian doctors have warned that the government’s policy to send patients discharged from hospital but still positive for coronavirus to care homes is like...
Archive
Ireland's private hospitals to be used as public amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Irish government announced that the country’s private hospitals are set to be leased for use as public ones for the duration of the...
Archive
France green lights use of chloroquine for certain coronavirus patients
The French government officially authorised the prescription of chloroquine to treat hospitalised coronavirus patients, after dozens recovered within five days.
Speaking at a press conference,...
Analysis
Europe's masked corona ball
Response from the Cabinet of Commissioner Lenarčič:
At the end of January, as the outbreak intensified in Wuhan coronavirus epicentre, President von der Leyen triggered...
Archive
Europe's infectious disease agency says coronavirus is likely to survive warmer weather
As of 25 March 2020, more than 416,916 cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide by more than 150 countries, with 204,930 cases and 11,810...
Asia & Pacific
Locked down, without answers
Most European governments are turning to increasingly harsh lockdowns to confront the coronavirus pandemic. They did so in the wake of watching Italy’s attempt...
Archive
Von der Leyen calls for united front against Coronavirus
Speaking to an extraordinary European Parliament Plenary held in Brussels on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen slammed the lack of solidarity...
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France launches special train to relocate coronavirus patients
France launched a new high-speed TGV train to relocate patients infected by the coronavirus from the hard-hit east of the country to other regions,...
Australia
Gulf nations have been quick to prevent economic downturn and Europe must do the same
From the outset of the novel coronavirus outbreak, it became clear that its repercussions would go far beyond public health. As countries have scrambled...
Archive
Elderly found dead and abandoned in care homes in Spain
Elderly people were found abandoned and in some cases dead at nursing homes in Spain, during disinfection operations carried out by soldiers, in response...
China
A few of us might die from COVID-19, but the current worldwide lockdown will kill many more people
Since January, COVID-19 has taken the planet by storm, causing an unprecedented panic that frequently borders on hysteria.
Footage of Chinese people allegedly falling dead...
Archive
Eurocarers warn over informal carers in vulnerable situation amid coronavirus outbreak
As older adults and individuals with chronic conditions are the ones at high risk of getting severely ill from a coronavirus infection, informal carers...
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MEPs call for comprehensive budgetary package for COVID-19 emergency
MEPs of the Budgetary Committee in the European Parliament have urged the EU Commission and Council for the adoption of a coordinated and bold...
Albania
In desperate times, EU approves new Balkan Enlargement steps
Moving on a trajectory that senior EU leaders publicly outlined at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, the EU’s General Affairs Council (GAC) agreed...
Archive
MEPs urge evacuation of hotspots on Greek islands to stop COVID-19 spread
As Lesvos island has confirmed its first COVID-19 case, MEPs are urging the European Commission to evacuate migrant camps, the so-called 'hotspots' on Greek...
Archive
Trials for coronavirus vaccine could start next month in the UK
The British government’s health agency said that safety trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at Oxford University could start on humans next...
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Czech Republic sends masks to Italy after Chinese shipment seized by mistake
The Czech Republic is due to send 110,000 masks to Italy after a Chinese shipment of medical equipment heading to Italy to help tackle...
Archive
European Parliament to hold extraordinary plenary on March 26
With the number of COVID-19 cases dramatically rising every day across the EU27 bloc, the European Parliament decided to hold an extraordinary plenary session...
Archive
First Coronavirus-related death in EU institutions recorded
A 42-year-old external contractor to the European Parliament is the first victim of COVID-19 in the EU institutions, a spokesperson of the Parliament confirmed...
Archive
EU enables immediate support to hard-hit fisheries sector
As the novel Coronavirus pandemic has driven several member-states across the European bloc to impose a nationwide lockdown, with restaurants and canteens closing down...
Archive
Spain moves to extend state of emergency as virus death toll rises
Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday he would ask parliament to extend a state of emergency until April 11 in a bid to...
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Chancellor Merkel into self-quarantine
German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into self-quarantine on Sunday, after coming into contact with a doctor who tested positive for COVID-19.
Merkel, 65, had received...
Archive
MEP Asimakopoulou sees up to 18-month transition for 'return to normality'
As the novel Coronavirus hits the EU and the death toll continues to climb each day, Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, an MEP of the European...
Archive
Commission announces creation of 'rescEU' stockpile of medical equipment
Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced on Thursday the creation of a 'rescEU' stockpile of medical equipment with the aim of tackling shortages...
Archive
With Covid-19 travel restrictions, US takes a further step towards isolation
While having not completely terminated international travel, the US took a major step in that direction on March 19 with the issuance of a...
Archive
UK to close schools and cancel exams amid Coronavirus pandemic
Schools, colleges and nurseries across the UK are to close on Friday for an unspecified period of time, in an effort to stem the...
Archive
Following talks with Brussels, Netflix cuts streaming quality to ease internet congestion in Europe
Netflix will reduce its streaming quality across Europe for at least 30 days, to reduce the strain on internet service providers, following talks with...
Archive
ECB announces €750 bn Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP)
A surprise €750 bn scheme for the purchase of "emergency" bonds was announced on Wednesday night by the European Central Bank (ECB), in an...
Archive
Prince Albert of Monaco tests positive for COVID-19
Prince Albert II of Monaco has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement issued by the Prince's Palace on Thursday.
According to the statement,...
Archive
Italy reports 475 new coronavirus deaths in a day
Italy reported new 475 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, as the European Union, now at the epicenter of the pandemic, sealed off its borders.
The total...
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EU's chief Brexit negotiator Barnier tests positive for COVID-19
Michel Barnier, EU's chief Brexit negotiator announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a tweet published on Thursday, the 69-year-old official said he is...
Archive
Von der Leyen optimistic about COVID-19 vaccine before autumn
In a video published prior to Tuesday's teleconference meeting with EU27 leaders, Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President and a trained doctor herself...
Archive
European Commission's latest response to COVID-19
After having faced sharp criticism from within the EU over its inactivity in assisting the country's within the bloc that have been the hardest...
Archive
EIB to mobilise €40 bn to fight COVID-19 crisis
On Monday, Eurozone finance ministers held a videoconference on the response to the crisis cause by COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, as the EU and...
Archive
EU27 leaders greenlight European border shutdown
The leaders of the EU27 bloc gave the nod on Tuesday to the Commission's proposal for a 30-day non-essential travel ban from third countries...
Medicine
Why everyone is buying toilet paper and how you can manage this period of isolation due to Coronavirus
The trigger for writing this article was the difficulty we had in understanding why so many people are buying big quantities of toilet paper. ...
Archive
The Coronavirus III
This article originally referred to the Coronavirus Covid-19 as Chinese Flu, not as a political statement but as a geographic indication of origin. The...
Archive
Belgium in lockdown until April 5
A few hours after Sophie Wilmès’ emergency government was sworn in by King Philippe, the Prime Minister announced that as of Wednesday 11am GMT,...
Archive
EP Civil Liberties Chairman Aguilar demands proportionality and solidarity within the EU
Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, a member of the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Civil Liberties,...
Archive
MEPs ready to respond to COVID-19 emergency, deplore 're-use' of existing funds
MEPs of the European Parliament's Budget committee, labelled the Commission's proposals for a coordinated response to COVID-19 emergency in the field of economy as...
Archive
Commission offers financing to German biopharma CureVac for COVID-19 vaccine
The European Commission announced on Monday it had offered €80bn of financial support to the German pharmaceutical company CureVac, to speed up the development...
Asia & Pacific
The Coronavirus II
This article originally referred to the Coronavirus Covid-19 as Chinese Flu, not as a political statement but as a geographic indication of origin. The...
Archive
Ireland to ban menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco from May
Ireland will ban the selling of menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco from May 20, to be in compliance with the EU Tobacco Product Directive,...
Archive
EU Council President calls for second online summit on COVID-19
Charles Michel, EU Council President has called for another EU summit on Coronavirus response, to be held on Tuesday, March 17, through videoconference.
"Containing the...
Archive
European Parliament President: COVID-19 most dramatic crisis since Second World War
"Not since the end of the Second World War have we faced such a dramatic crisis," European Parliament President, David Sassoli said on Friday,...
Archive
WHO declares Coronavirus outbreak a ‘pandemic’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) outbreak as a “pandemic”.
A pandemic is a disease that is spreading...
Archive
European Parliament to 'shut down'
All European Parliament's meetings and activities were suspended until March 30 and staff were asked to telework as much as possible, due to the...
Archive
External trainer in Brussels diagnosed with COVID-19
An external trainer giving classes to staff in Brussels has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an internal communications e-mail circulating in the European...
Archive
European Parliament’s President Sassoli in quarantine
David Sassoli, EU Parliament’s President has decided to put himself into quarantine, following the Italian government's emergency measures to place entire Italy on lockdown...
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