Reduction of the quarantine to ten days is justifiable with strict implementation / important steps for joint action / European Commission proposals useful

"Reducing the quarantine period for returnees from risk areas from fourteen to ten days makes sense if it is strictly implemented. The risk that someone will still be infectious after ten days is relatively low compared to the risk that the quarantine will not be respected. We always have to make compromises in the current phase of the pandemic. Certain restrictions are still necessary. However, one can also take a residual risk to maintain public life. According to scientific findings, the time when an infected person's is most likely to infect others is after five day of himself been infected. After that the incidents decreases", said the EPP MEP and health policy spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian democrats), Peter Liese. Liese also welcomed the health ministers' efforts to improve coordination of travel restrictions and the European Commission's proposals on this issue. "The European Parliament has been pressing for a common approach since April, my group even since March. I am pleased that the ministers are now taking up the matter and I have great confidence in Jens Spahn and the German Presidency of the Council that they will also implement the essential points quickly".

Peter Liese particularly welcomed the increase in funding for the procurement of vaccines. "We can expect the first vaccines based on solid, phase three clinical trials to be approved before the end of this year. Firstly, we do not know what exactly these are - some projects will certainly fail - and secondly, we must ensure that we really can vaccinate a large proportion of the people in the European Union and beyond. For the first phase, 20% vaccination quote is enough to take the horror out of the pandemic, but we must continue after that. It is good that Europe is using its common market power in this regard”, Liese concluded.