EUROPEAN HEALTH UNION

On the 11.11.2020 the European Commission took the first steps towards building the European Health Union, announced by President von der Leyen in her State of Union address.  The Commission put forward a set of proposals to strengthen the EU’s health security framework to reinforce the crisis’ preparedness and response role of key EU agencies. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von den Leyen stated:

 

“Our aim is to protect the health of the European citizens.  The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for more coordination in the EU, more resilient health systems and better preparation for future crises.  We are changing the way we address cross-border health threats. 

 

Today we start by building a European Health Union, to protect citizens, with high quality care in a crisis and equip the Union and its Member States to prevent and manage health emergencies that effect the whole of the European Union.

 

Today’s proposals focus on revamping the existing legal framework for serious cross-border threats to health as well as reinforce the crisis preparedness and response role of key agencies, namely the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and  the European Medical Agency.  The Commission is also, today, setting the main elements of the future Health Emergency Response Authority.”

 

While waiting for the coronavirus vaccine to be broadly available, we must always wear masks both indoors and outdoors, keep 2 metres ( 6 feet) distances, wash our hands frequently and meticulously and stay at home as much as possible.    The curfew will be imposed between 21.00 pm and 05.00 am, and during these hours, movement will only be permitted for work, health reasons and to walk with pets. A nation-wide lockdown has already been imposed from November the 7^th to November 30^th.  Grocery shopping and exercise, in groups of two, are among the reasons that people can leave their houses.  They must, however, obtain approval using the Government SMS System on 13033 or have a certificate from their employer. High school students have switched to distant learning during the lockdown and nonessential retail business must close.

 

It is not only a very dangerous period, a terrible winter, due to the augmentation of the coronavirus cases in Greece, but it also very difficult, economically, for our country and catastrophic for small businesses.