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“The way back to normality will be very long,” the European Commission will say today in its “roadmap” for easing the pandemic restrictions which have upended daily life. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-15/it-s-a-long-road-to-normal-in-eu-reality-check-brussels-edition?sref=FSjtyMb8
EU’s crisis response mechanism agreed yday that communication from governments & the Commission must manage expectations from the lifting of restrictions. ‘We will have to live with the virus until a vaccine or treatment is found' will be the key message from the Commission today
Main points from the exit “roadmap”: easing restrictions must be gradual, begin when infections significantly decline for a sustained period, hospitals have enough beds, drugs & equipment, and large-scale testing, tracing & quarantine capacity are in place https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-14/europe-s-plans-for-going-back-to-work-are-starting-to-take-shape?sref=FSjtyMb8
Also:
* Measures for older adults should stay in force for longer
* #Covid_19 cases will start rising when restrictions are eased
* Hence mobile phone apps must be used widely to track mobility and contacts, as well as for voluntary reports of mild cases https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-08/eu-to-push-for-coordinated-virus-tracking-mobile-apps?sref=FSjtyMb8
* Measures for older adults should stay in force for longer
* #Covid_19 cases will start rising when restrictions are eased
* Hence mobile phone apps must be used widely to track mobility and contacts, as well as for voluntary reports of mild cases https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-08/eu-to-push-for-coordinated-virus-tracking-mobile-apps?sref=FSjtyMb8
The roadmap will have no good news for tourism-dependent economies. Restrictions on travel should be gradual and begin with allowing trips between least affected areas, according to the Commission. The roadmap won’t say it but the tourism season seems lost https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-17/greece-s-reliance-on-tourism-is-a-weakness-in-the-age-of-corona
Finally, the roadmap will have a very polite and indirect message for Hungary, recommending the “gradual” replacement of states of emergencies with “more targeted interventions” to ensure “democratic accountability”. Not likely to move Orban https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-06/orban-s-pandemic-power-grab-reveals-the-eu-s-wider-frailties?sref=FSjtyMb8
And here's the roadmap, it's officially out now. Pretty bleak: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-15/here-s-europe-s-plan-to-get-people-back-to-work-after-covid-19?sref=FSjtyMb8
