Europe tightens coronavirus lockdowns

Of the more than 15,000 COVID-19 deaths around the world, more than a third are in Italy. The country on Sunday banned movement across municipalities except for health needs or other urgent reasons. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday threatened to enact “tougher measures” after people gathered at parks and beaches over the weekend. Germany banned gatherings of more than two people for two weeks.

How has the European Union responded? Many countries took action independently when the bloc did not offer a coordinated plan. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez extended a state of emergency to April 11 and called on the EU to introduce a “Marshall Plan” similar to the one implemented after World War II to counter the economic effects of the outbreak. Spain has more than 33,000 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD correspondent Jenny Lind Schmitt’s account of her recent return from Europe.