European Parliament President David Sassoli announced on Tuesday that he would perform his official duties for the next two weeks from his home in Brussels as a precautionary measure after visiting coronavirus-hit Italy past weekend
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2020) European Parliament President David Sassoli announced on Tuesday that he would perform his official duties for the next two weeks from his home in Brussels as a precautionary measure after visiting coronavirus-hit Italy past weekend.
Citing the decision of the Italian government to lock down the entire country amid a severe outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Sassoli said in a statement that "this has important consequences for the behaviour of Italian MEPs."
"For this reason, I have decided after having been in Italy over the last weekend, as a precaution, to follow the indicated measures and to exercise my function as President from my home in Brussels in compliance with the 14 days indicated by the health protocol," he said.
According to Sassoli, the parliament strives to ensure that its internal bodies, as well as legislative and budgetary functions, continue working despite the deadly outbreak.
Italy, with over 9,000 confirmed cases and 463 fatalities, has become a hotbed for the coronavirus. The country has been on a complete lockdown since Monday, and many others have temporarily suspended Italian arrivals. France, Germany and Spain are the next three most affected European countries.
