EU nations move toward loosening restrictions

In Spain, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in several cities on March 8 for an International Women's Day protest despite concerns over the virus.

With the elderly the most susceptible to infection, nursing homes in several European countries have been hit hard in the past two months.

A report by academics at the London School of Economics shows that between 42 percent and 57 percent of deaths from the virus in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium have been reported in nursing homes.

In Sweden, the only EU member state not to impose social distancing and lockdown measures, one-third of COVID-19 fatalities have occurred in nursing homes. The country has banned gatherings of more than 50 people, closed high schools and universities, and urged people older than 70 to self-isolate. But elementary schools, restaurants and bars have remained open.

The Swedish government's policy has faced mounting criticism, with the number of new cases and deaths rising rapidly in the past two weeks. According to a WHO report on Saturday, Sweden had 13,216 confirmed cases and 1,400 deaths, much more than Finland, Norway and Denmark, which have imposed lockdowns and social distancing.

On Sunday, the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom quoted Anders Tegnell, Sweden's state epidemiologist and the man behind the country's controversial policy, as saying that the population of Stockholm, the capital and epicenter of the outbreak in Sweden, could achieve "herd immunity" as early as next month.

Brende, from the World Economic Forum, said, "It has become clear that having both a prepared and resilient health system, and a population and government who are willing to act early and decisively, are the biggest strengths in this crisis."

Alarm bells ring

COVID-19 has also hit political and economic unity among EU member states, with countries unilaterally closing their borders, restricting exports of medical supplies and failing to coordinate on lockdown strategies.

On March 17, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen finally proposed a 30-day ban on unnecessary travel to the bloc. The commission also asked the four non-EU member states in the Schengen Area－a visa-free travel zone－to adopt the ban. "The less travel, the more we can contain the virus," Von der Leyen said at the time.

During the early stages of the pandemic, Germany and France were condemned by other EU member states for banning exports of vital medical supplies. On March 15, the European Commission announced an export ban for some protective medical equipment, in an attempt to maintain sufficient supplies within the bloc.