Brussels: European Parliament speaker David Sassoli said Tuesday he had gone into self-isolation in his Brussels residence for two weeks after visiting his virus-struck native Italy.
Sassoli, 63, said in a statement his decision was a ‘precaution’ following the Italian government’s announcement it was locking down all of the country to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
“COVID-19 requires responsibility and prudence from everybody,” Sassoli said. There was no indication he was infected. His aides said he had visited Rome last week – when the Italian capital was not yet under what were then regional lockdown measures – and was not showing any COVID-19 symptoms.
The virus has been detected among a handful of EU staff, including at the European Council and the European Defence Agency.
NATO headquarters, located on the outskirts of Brussels, has also reported its first confirmed case.
The European Parliament was Tuesday holding a truncated plenary session here instead of the usual site in the French city of Strasbourg because of worries over the new coronavirus.
AFP