European Commission President questions effectivness of closing borders

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen questioned the efectivity of the Czech Republic and some other EU countries closing their borders in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic.

Mrs von der Leyen said that such closures have a large societal and economic impact, interfering in public life and interstate trade. She pointed to the fact that the World Health Organisation does not view the closing of borders as an effective measure.

The European Commission head went on to say that steps taken by countries individually are not wise as they can lead to a domino effect.