EU’s 30-day entry ban hits travellers

London, March 18 (IANS) The European Union’s 30-day entry ban in view of coronavirus outbreak has affected travellers to the 27-country bloc as they were being turned away from airports and borders.

A group of travellers from Turkey was turned away from Frankfurt airport in Germany on Tuesday, DPA news agency reports.

The ban covers all EU states as well as countries within the Schengen border-free zone, including Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

The ban will not affect Europeans going home or cross-border workers. The UK citizens are also not affected as an interim Brexit deal still ties the UK to the EU rules.

Meanwhile, citizens stranded will be provided help to return home. Germany on Wednesday said it would continue a drive to fly home tens of thousands of tourists stranded in Morocco, Egypt, the Philippines, Argentina and other countries.

Over 185,000 people worldwide have been infected with coronavirus, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO has identified Europe as the “epicentre of the epidemic” now, according to the BBC.

Some 3,400 people have died from coronavirus in Europe alone.

European governments have begun introducing patrols to stop citizens from other countries to enter. On Tuesday, patrols appeared on the Spanish border with France and Poland. At some border crossings, long queues of vehicles has become a common sight.

–IANS

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