Nations begin to let in workers or create ‘#travel_bubbles’ with countries deemed to have contained the new coronavirus.
Europe is grappling with a problem the whole world will soon face, figuring out how to pry open national
borders and lift economies without restarting the coronavirus pandemic.
Some European countries want to move faster than their neighbors do, many want to welcome tourists
this summer and most need workers who commute to jobs across borders. How Europe handles the
challenge could offer a model for other continents and set the pace for its own economic recovery.
Governments world-wide have forbidden or severely limited arrivals by foreign nationals. China, where
the pandemic began, and a handful of other countries have begun taking small steps to reopen borders.
South Korea and China this month began allowing accelerated “green lane” travel by businesspeople
between the countries, once they pass through health screening and quarantine procedures. Australia
and New Zealand want to ease restrictions on travel between the neighboring countries.
In Europe, the situation is particularly complex because passport-free travel across borders is normally
allowed among 22 of the European Union’s 27 countries, plus four neighbors. Almost all European
countries imposed some degree of border controls in March as the virus spread, sparking chaos and
fears of shortages.
Governments adapted their closures to permit transportation of vital goods. Lifting restrictions on
passenger travel is proving tougher, even just for travel within the bloc.
How Europe opens its internal borders will shape its economic recovery. Tourism is one of the EU’s
biggest industries, accounting for roughly 10% of gross domestic product and 12% of jobs, according to
the EU, so allowing leisure travel would help secure millions of jobs.
European air traffic plunged almost 90% in April from the year earlier. If governments provide clear,
uniform rules for resuming flights, traffic next February could be down only 15% from February 2019,
according to scenarios presented by Eurocontrol, the agency overseeing air traffic across the continent.
Failure by governments to coordinate could mean a 25% decline over the same period, Eurocontrol said.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, is trying to coordinate governments, though it can’t
compel action. It plans to present guidelines on Wednesday for resuming tourism through a staged
approach.
Greece, whose economy depends on tourism, recently proposed to the commission a system of bilateral
agreements between countries that would involve requiring travelers to present a coronavirus test not
older than 72 hours by the time of entering the country of their destination, according to the proposal
seen by The Waallll Sttrreeeett JJoouurrnnaall .
Coordination across the bloc has remained limited so far. EU members Austria, the Czech Republic,
Denmark and Greece, having made headway containing the coronavirus pandemic, are discussing
allowing travel among themselves. The group is also talking with non-EU countries Norway, Israel,
Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, which have similarly controlled the virus.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy and most populous country — with land borders to nine others — will
announce a partial lifting of border restrictions this week, a senior government official said. Germany’s
borders are either closed or tightly controlled through Friday. Like most European countries, Germany
now requires some arriving travelers to stay confined for two weeks.
In deciding whether to change the travel regime with another country, Berlin will consider that country’s
virus situation, the official said.
Germany’s agency for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, on Tuesday supported a gradual
opening of borders with countries that have a similar grip on the disease as Germany does.
“But when the epidemic is not under control in one country, then it is certainly useful for people who
come in from that country to be put under house quarantine upon arrival,” said the institute’s vice
president, Lars Schaade.
Berlin has made exceptions for migrant workers from Eastern Europe who have been deemed essential
to the economy. They include farm hands and medical staff for hospitals and nursing homes.
Neighboring Poland last week eased the commute for its citizens who work in Germany by abolishing a
requirement for them to quarantine for two weeks upon return, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
In France, which is still working to contain the virus, officials have said borders will remain closed at
least through June 15, with exceptions for people who need to cross borders for work and several other
reasons.
