The EU commission on Thursday (19 March) said it will set up a stockpile of face masks, intensive care equipment and other essential medical gear to tackle shortages in member states.
The move comes after EU countries at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak have faced shortages of crucial medical equipment.
"The world was very much caught by surprise by the force and speed of this virus," EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic told reporters.
From the new ...
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Eszter Zalan is a Hungarian journalist who worked for Brussels-based news portal EUobserver specialising in European politics, focusing on populism and Brexit.