OREANDA-NEWS. Member states of the European Union, in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code, can suspend the free movement of people due to the spread of the coronavirus.

This was announced on February 25 by the Deputy Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission Dana Spinant. She added that, from the point of view of the Commission, any such actions should be based on scientific assessments and coordinated at the level of the European Union. Spinant also emphasized that the European Commission calls on EU countries not to take unilateral measures related to protection against the new disease.

It was reported earlier that in Italy, seven people died from COVID-19. In six northern regions, schools and universities have been closed for a week. In Lombardy and Veneto, authorities have banned all public events, including cultural, sporting and religious ones.