Von der Leyen: 'No state will emerge from pandemic until everyone does'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: Courageous steps taken now will help save lives and protect livelihoods. Picture: Olivier Hoslet

EU members states are being urged by the European Commission to streamline their response to Covid-19 by sharing information and data and adopting an EU-wide approach to testing and tracing.

As the second wave of Covid-19 is taking its toll across Europe, the commission announced an additional set of actions on Wednesday to curb the spread of the virus, save lives, keep goods moving in the single market, and facilitate safe travel.

The commission said enhanced co-ordination and co-operation across Europe is essential as part of the Covid-19 response.

Under the measures, all members states are requested to provide relevant data on Covid-19 infections and testing and tracing to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the commission.

The Commission also adopted a recommendation on Covid-19 testing strategies, including the use of rapid antigen tests, and called on member states to submit national strategies on testing by mid-November.

€100m fund for rapid antigen tests

A €100m fund has also been earmarked for purchasing rapid antigen tests for EU members, while the commission is negotiating agreements to source vaccines as soon as they are proven safe and effective.

On the travel front, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the ECDC are working on a testing protocol for travellers, to be used by public health authorities, airlines and airports to help the safe arrival of passengers.

Passengers should be offered the possibility to undergo a test after arrival, and a pilot EU digital passenger locator form will be rolled out next month, the commission said.

Member states are also being urged to work with each other on Covid-19 apps for contact tracing through a new EU web portal that has already linked apps created by Ireland, Germany, and Italy, with a further 17 apps to follow.

The new measures come ahead of the European leaders' virtual meeting on Covid-19 coordination on Thursday.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the Covid-19 situation as “very serious” and said the EU needs to “step up” its response.

“Today we are launching additional measures in our fight against the virus; from increasing access to fast testing, and preparing vaccination campaigns to facilitating safe travel when necessary,” the EC president said.

“I call on member states to work closely together. Courageous steps taken now will help save lives and protect livelihoods. No Member State will emerge safely from this pandemic until everyone does,” she added.

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, said the “very alarming” Covid-19 infection rates require immediate action, and that November will see the “first step” being made towards a European Health Union.

As of Wednesday, almost 6.5m cases and over 200,000 deaths due to Covid-19 were confirmed across the EU and Britain, with infection rates highest in the Czech Republic (1,448 cases per 100,000 population) and Belgium (1,424 cases per 100,000 population) and rising in several countries.

The 14-day infection rate in Ireland stood at 300 cases per 100,000 population on Wednesday, according to ECDC data.