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| Coronavirus in Europe soars, as governments struggle to coordinate their response | Coronavirus in Europe soars, as governments struggle to coordinate their response |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BRUSSELS — With more than 7,000 coronavirus cases confirmed across Europe, health ministers convened here Friday for an emergency meeting to try to head off medical supply shortages and coordinate their response. | |
| What began as a story about isolated travelers from China’s Hubei province falling ill on their European vacations has quickly become a story about community transmissions across a continent that prides itself on open borders and the freedom of movement. | |
| Although the outbreak is most intense in Italy, the novel coronavirus has spread to nearly every European Union member country, along with Britain and Switzerland. As of Friday evening, 215 people in Europe infected with the virus had died, according to the count maintained by Johns Hopkins University. | |
| On Friday in Brussels, much of the discussion centered on addressing potential shortages in protective equipment — including the face masks that have sold out in pharmacies across the continent. But France and Germany are among those resisting sharing their supplies with other E.U. members. | |
| Italian hand sanitizer Amuchina inspires memes as its producer races to meet demand | Italian hand sanitizer Amuchina inspires memes as its producer races to meet demand |
| The European health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, told the assembled ministers she recognized their main priority was protecting their own citizens. But she warned that European solidarity is “in the self-interest of us all.” | |
| So far, the coronavirus has underscored the difficulty — and perhaps even the impossibility — of Europe responding to a uniform threat with a united front. If anything, the prospect of a global pandemic has exposed the cracks, both bureaucratic and political, in Europe’s ability to coordinate across borders. | So far, the coronavirus has underscored the difficulty — and perhaps even the impossibility — of Europe responding to a uniform threat with a united front. If anything, the prospect of a global pandemic has exposed the cracks, both bureaucratic and political, in Europe’s ability to coordinate across borders. |
| European capitals have approached the threat of coronavirus in different ways, without much consultation among them. | |
| There have been some similarities in the procedures that certain governments have recommended citizens follow: as the number of confirmed cases rose, many officials — including in France and Britain — urged people who suspect they may have coronavirus to self-isolate and treat their symptoms at home, so as not to overload hospitals and potentially spread the virus even more. | There have been some similarities in the procedures that certain governments have recommended citizens follow: as the number of confirmed cases rose, many officials — including in France and Britain — urged people who suspect they may have coronavirus to self-isolate and treat their symptoms at home, so as not to overload hospitals and potentially spread the virus even more. |
| With seasonal flu still strong in Britain, which did not attend the Friday meeting in Brussels because of its exit from the E.U., occupancy in hospitals has already reached 90 to 95 percent. | With seasonal flu still strong in Britain, which did not attend the Friday meeting in Brussels because of its exit from the E.U., occupancy in hospitals has already reached 90 to 95 percent. |
| Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a Parliament committee on Thursday that a global pandemic was almost inevitable that the government’s “realistic worst case scenario” suggests that 80 percent of Britons could get coronavirus, with 15 to 20 percent needing hospital care. | Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a Parliament committee on Thursday that a global pandemic was almost inevitable that the government’s “realistic worst case scenario” suggests that 80 percent of Britons could get coronavirus, with 15 to 20 percent needing hospital care. |
| To dampen the wave of cases and to protect the most vulnerable, Whitty said the British government may soon recommend that the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions begin to self-isolate and avoid crowds. | To dampen the wave of cases and to protect the most vulnerable, Whitty said the British government may soon recommend that the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions begin to self-isolate and avoid crowds. |
| Live updates: Coronavirus fears reverberate as cases pass 100,000 | Live updates: Coronavirus fears reverberate as cases pass 100,000 |
| French President Emmanuel Macron urged French citizens to limit visits to elderly relatives. | French President Emmanuel Macron urged French citizens to limit visits to elderly relatives. |
| “Right now, our top priority is to protect the most vulnerable against the virus,” Macron said Friday, visiting a Paris nursing home. | “Right now, our top priority is to protect the most vulnerable against the virus,” Macron said Friday, visiting a Paris nursing home. |
| “We must avoid visiting our elders as much as possible,” Macron said. “Try to make sure that the youngest do not take part in these visits.” | “We must avoid visiting our elders as much as possible,” Macron said. “Try to make sure that the youngest do not take part in these visits.” |
| But there have been important differences in the way other countries have responded. | But there have been important differences in the way other countries have responded. |
| In the midst of an epidemic — and with the largest number of confirmed cases in Europe — Italy announced this week the closure of all schools and universities until March 15, a date that may be extended. But in France, where Macron has repeatedly said that an eventual epidemic is “inescapable,” officials have said that whenever that epidemic arrives, they will not enforce as many closures. | In the midst of an epidemic — and with the largest number of confirmed cases in Europe — Italy announced this week the closure of all schools and universities until March 15, a date that may be extended. But in France, where Macron has repeatedly said that an eventual epidemic is “inescapable,” officials have said that whenever that epidemic arrives, they will not enforce as many closures. |
| “We will not paralyze the economic and social life of the country,” said French Health Minister Olivier Véran, in an interview with France’s Libération newspaper. “When the epidemic is here, it’s above all a question of organizing the alert and care system, and ensuring the continuity of state services without preventing citizens from living.” | “We will not paralyze the economic and social life of the country,” said French Health Minister Olivier Véran, in an interview with France’s Libération newspaper. “When the epidemic is here, it’s above all a question of organizing the alert and care system, and ensuring the continuity of state services without preventing citizens from living.” |
| Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide | Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide |
| If more relaxed than Italy, France has taken more precautions than nearby Belgium. Over the weekend, the French government banned indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, leading to the cancellation of popular annual events such as the Paris book fair and the temporary closure of the Louvre Museum. But the Brussels book fair this weekend was scheduled to go on as planned. | If more relaxed than Italy, France has taken more precautions than nearby Belgium. Over the weekend, the French government banned indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, leading to the cancellation of popular annual events such as the Paris book fair and the temporary closure of the Louvre Museum. But the Brussels book fair this weekend was scheduled to go on as planned. |
| During the Friday meeting in Brussels, Greek Health minister Vassilis Kikilias urged E.U. countries to warn their neighbors beforehand if they decide to impose any major public cancellations or travel restrictions. Failing to do so could alarm citizens of other member states whose governments have not done the same, he said. | During the Friday meeting in Brussels, Greek Health minister Vassilis Kikilias urged E.U. countries to warn their neighbors beforehand if they decide to impose any major public cancellations or travel restrictions. Failing to do so could alarm citizens of other member states whose governments have not done the same, he said. |
| The most sensitive remains that of sharing medical supplies across borders. | The most sensitive remains that of sharing medical supplies across borders. |
| “We don't have enough protective masks,” Adam Vojtech, the Czech health minister, said in the Brussels meeting. “The problem is that the demand is much higher than the supply. A third of the world's production of drugs is located in China and also in India, which as far as I know also has stopped exports of drugs recently.” | “We don't have enough protective masks,” Adam Vojtech, the Czech health minister, said in the Brussels meeting. “The problem is that the demand is much higher than the supply. A third of the world's production of drugs is located in China and also in India, which as far as I know also has stopped exports of drugs recently.” |
| France and Germany asked the European Commission to stop the exports of supplies to other member states, largely to create safe stockpiles for whenever epidemics emerge within their own borders. But Italy, in the throes of Europe’s biggest outbreak, has cried foul, pointing out that it participated in an E.U.-wide coronavirus aid package to China but was receiving little from Brussels during its own time of need. | France and Germany asked the European Commission to stop the exports of supplies to other member states, largely to create safe stockpiles for whenever epidemics emerge within their own borders. But Italy, in the throes of Europe’s biggest outbreak, has cried foul, pointing out that it participated in an E.U.-wide coronavirus aid package to China but was receiving little from Brussels during its own time of need. |
| Coronavirus in Italy fills hospital beds and turns doctors into patients | Coronavirus in Italy fills hospital beds and turns doctors into patients |
| Right-wing politicians in Italy seized on the apparent disparity as a sign of E.U. hypocrisy. | Right-wing politicians in Italy seized on the apparent disparity as a sign of E.U. hypocrisy. |
| “Talk about ‘Union’! When others are in need, Italians gotta pay, but when Italy needs the others, they will shut their doors and wallets,” said Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s Northern League party. “Soon as the health emergency’s over, we’ll need rethink and rebuild everything, starting with Brussels.” | “Talk about ‘Union’! When others are in need, Italians gotta pay, but when Italy needs the others, they will shut their doors and wallets,” said Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s Northern League party. “Soon as the health emergency’s over, we’ll need rethink and rebuild everything, starting with Brussels.” |
| Véran, the French health minister, told reporters in Brussels on Friday that France was not acting in a protectionist way but rather “to have a long term and exhaustive vision of the equipment we have” and would consider exporting resources to other E.U. member states if needed. | Véran, the French health minister, told reporters in Brussels on Friday that France was not acting in a protectionist way but rather “to have a long term and exhaustive vision of the equipment we have” and would consider exporting resources to other E.U. member states if needed. |
| Véran declined to say if or when France will authorize supply exports to Italy. | Véran declined to say if or when France will authorize supply exports to Italy. |
| Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for crisis management, said after the meeting that “it was not a black and white situation” for countries who opposed the restrictions of supplies to be exported. | Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for crisis management, said after the meeting that “it was not a black and white situation” for countries who opposed the restrictions of supplies to be exported. |
| “We will not favor measures that would favor one member state at the expense of others,” he said. | “We will not favor measures that would favor one member state at the expense of others,” he said. |
| But the E.U. itself was not immune from the coronavirus, a reality that may further undermine the bloc’s ability to coordinate effectively. As ministers met Friday to coordinate their efforts to tackle the outbreak, E.U. officials confirmed that a staffer in the building was infected by the virus. | But the E.U. itself was not immune from the coronavirus, a reality that may further undermine the bloc’s ability to coordinate effectively. As ministers met Friday to coordinate their efforts to tackle the outbreak, E.U. officials confirmed that a staffer in the building was infected by the virus. |
| McAuley reported in Paris. William Booth in London and Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report. | McAuley reported in Paris. William Booth in London and Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report. |
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