Between December 31, 2019 and April 22, 2020, approximately 2.5 million (2,524,812) cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide, including 177,780 deaths. Of the total number of cases, 988,241 were reported by EU/EEA and UK countries, including 105,064 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to the EU/EEA and UK countries, where large-scale transmission of the virus has been registered in the community for several weeks. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of reports of outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities across Europe, with associated mortality, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the elderly in these types of facilities.
The absence of an effective treatment or a vaccine, combined with an exponential increase in the number of cases at the end of February, led many countries to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions such as "stay at home" (recommended or imposed) and physical social distancing measures, such as canceling mass gatherings, closing educational institutions or public spaces. This approach has reduced transmission, and the incidence of the disease in the EU/EEA and the UK has fallen by 18% since 8 April 2020. In 20 EU/EEA countries it appears that the initial wave of transmission has passed the peak, with a decrease in the number of new cases reported.
Although this decrease in the number of new cases was observed, the measures instituted are very disruptive for society, both from an economic and social point of view. For this reason, there is a particular interest in defining a solid approach for adjusting the measures and the gradual exit from the "stay at home" phase.
However, the early lifting of these measures, without a proper monitoring system and without a functional health system, can cause a sudden reappearance of sustained community transmission.
The question is how Member States can minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the health systems and the health of their citizens, in parallel with the restart of the economy and social activities. "The Joint European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures" addresses this question by providing a framework for an economic and social recovery plan for the EU, with public health actions at its center.
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