Italy Refuses to Suspend Schengen Agreement Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
The Italian government has turned down the idea of the reintroduction of internal Schengen borders as a prevention measure against the further spreading of the coronavirus, after over 200 cases have been detected within the last three days.
In a press release held after an extraordinary meeting of the cabinet of ministers at the Civil Protection headquarters, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said suspending the Schengen Agreement would not help towards the containment of the Coronavirus.
“This is a draconian measure that does not meet the needs of Italian citizens in the field of containment of infection,” the prime minister said regarding the suspension of the Schengen Agreement.
Furthermore, he sarcastically told journalists that closing the borders would turn Italy into a lazaretto, that is an isolation hospital for people with infectious diseases, like leprosy or plague.
“Suspend Schengen? But what do we want to make of Italy, a lazaretto?!” he said.
Even before the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Italy, the Italian Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza had told the Parliamentary Control Committee members that the Coronavirus outbreak is not a strong enough and justifiable reason to suspend the Schengen agreement and reintroduce internal border checks.
Number of Coronavirus-Infected People in Italy on the Rise
In the last three days, the number of people detected containing the Coronavirus in Italy has gone over 160. So far, five cases have resulted in death, all of them elderly persons.
So far, ten towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto are under lockdown, with some 50,000 residents prohibited from leaving. Regional authorities have ordered gathering spots, such as bars, restaurants and discos to close.
In addition, several events have been cancelled, including least three games scheduled to be played in Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy’s top soccer league.
The outbreak also affected the end of the Milan Fashion Week, with fashion houses Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti confirming they will be holding Sunday’s fashion shows with no spectators and behind closed doors.
The two final days of the Venice Carnival have been suspended as well.
France: We Will Not Close Border with Italy Over Coronavirus
After the Italian government rejected the idea of Schengen Agreement suspension, a French government official said today that France was not planning to close borders with Italy, as a response to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Closing down the borders would make no sense, as the circulation of the virus is not just limited to administrative borders,” junior transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told to the French media.
Whereas, the French Health Minister Olivier Veran had previously said on Sunday that he would talk to his European counterparts on how to best cope with a possible epidemic in Europe.
“Tonight, there is no epidemic in France, but there is a problematic situation at the door, in Italy, that we are watching with great attention,” Veran had said on Sunday.
Austria Considers Reintroducing Border Controls
Differently from France, Austria is considering whether the reintroduction of border checks with Italy would be the right measure to prevent the virus coming from Italy to its territory.
On Sunday, the country refused entry to a train coming from Italy after the Italian State Railways informed Austrian train operator OBB that there were two people with fever symptoms on board.
“Tonight, a train on its way from Venice to Munich was stopped at the Austrian border,” Austria’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Sunday.
The operator later confirmed all train traffic to and from Italy had been suspended – but the suspension was lifted within a few hours.
So far, the majority of coronavirus infections are concentrated in mainland China with more than 78,800 cases, followed by Japan with 738detected cases and South Korea with another 602cases. With the increase in the number of those infected over the weekend, Italy is now the main country with the largest number of Coronavirus-infected persons outside of Asia.
