The WHO has published guidance on adjusting public health and social measures for the next phase of the COVID-19 response. Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate” that would enable individuals to travel…
More than 4,000 fire and rescue service staff from across the UK are volunteering to support the NHS and other key services in the fight against Covid-19, including driving ambulances and delivering food to vulnerable people. A further 10,000 FRS staff are on standby to assist as and when required. These figures – collated by the National Fire…
The European Commission has published guidance on the development of new apps that support the fight against coronavirus in relation to data protection. The development of such apps and their take up by citizens can have a significant impact on the treatment of the virus and can play an important role in the strategy to…
Parliament approved €3.08 billion in EU aid on Friday including more tests, help for doctors and nurses to care for the sick. The EU funds should directly support healthcare systems in EU member states in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative should allow the EU to buy urgent medical supplies, such as masks…
In what the EU calls an unprecedented repatriation effort, the EU has managed to bring home over half a million of its citizens who were affected by coronavirus travel restrictions across the world. At the beginning of the outbreak, around 600,000 EU citizens declared themselves stranded outside the EU. Most of them in the Asia-Pacific…
The European Commission has published guidelines to support Member States in their waste management in these difficult times of coronavirus. The continuity in providing those services also during the coronavirus crisis is crucial for our health, for the environment, and for the economy. Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “In this unprecedented crisis, we…
New laws have been adopted to pave the way for financial assistance from the EU and the IMF for a €80 million support package to fight COVID-19 in Ukraine. Humanitarian and medical assistance in Ukraine’s conflict-affected areas is crucial. This is a strong sign of EU solidarity with Ukraine. The support for Ukraine’s battle against the…
As the impact of the coronavirus crisis grows every day, the way in which businesses must work has changed dramatically. Many workers in this situation are now working remotely but what can be said for those still needing to attend work? For those classified as ‘key workers’, working in the health and education sectors, various…
The true scale of the death toll due to the corona virus in Northern Italy may never be known but it has already far out-stripped the capacity of the regional authorities to be able to respond to the crisis. In the city of Bergamo, the local mayor Giorgio Gori has said that “many of the elderly…
This article first appeared on the website IGTDS The Institute for Global Threats and Democracy Studies, and is reproduced with permission from the authors. A group of Russian military arrived in Italy exactly at the same moment as an active campaign was launched across social networks, calling for the country’s withdrawal from the EU. The…
