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1 [1] (August 28, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbml0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations August 28, 2020 COVlD-19 in Erope Like most of the rest of the world, European governments and the European Union (EU) have struggled to manage the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. European leaders have characterized the pandemic as Europe's biggest challenge since the Second World War, with potentially far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences beyond the public health impact. COVID-19 also has added new tensions to an already strained U.S.- European partnership. Members of Congress may be interested in COVID-19's implications for U.S. relations with Europe, including in NATO and with the EU, and in how the pandemic might alter certain U.S.-European dynamics, especially vis-4-vis China. As of late August 2020, about 2 million confirmed COVID- 19 infections and over 183,000 deaths had been reported across the 27-member EU, the United Kingdom (UK), Norway, and Switzerland (out of a combined population of roughly 527 million). As seen in Table 1, Spain, the UK, France, and Italy have experienced the largest number of infections, and several European countries have case fatality rates of over 10%. Although the first wave of the pandemic in Europe occurred in spring 2020, many policymakers are wary about the potential for a second wave amid upticks in new cases in some European countries and regions. Table I. COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Europe: Top 10 Affected Countries (by number of cases, as of August 2020) Deaths Case Country Cases Deaths per Fatality 100,000 Rates Spain 429,507 28,996 62.06 6.8% UK 332,509 41,564 62.51 12.5% France 297,485 30,581 45.65 10.3% Italy 263,949 35,463 58.68 I 3.4% Germany 240,571 9,290 I 1.20 3.9% Sweden 83,898 5,820 57.15 6.9% Belgium 83,500 9,884 86.53 11.8% Romania 83,150 3,459 17.76 4.2% Netherlands 70,984 6,244 36.24 8.8% Poland 64,689 2,010 5.29 3.1% Source: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center, August 28, 2020, updated daily at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/. European Responses In March 2020, nearly all European governments imposed lockdown restrictions and social-distancing measures- including banning large gatherings, closing schools and nonessential businesses, and restricting movement- although these measures varied in strictness and other aspects by country. France, Italy, and Spain instituted some of the most severe restrictions, especially related to nonessential movement and outdoor activity. Most European governments enacted national border controls; some, such as Germany, Denmark, Hungary, and Spain, largely restricted entry to citizens or permanent residents. Sweden took a notably different approach that trusted citizens to practice social distancing and imposed few mandatory restrictions, but many public health experts are skeptical about this policy's success in building immunity among the general public and contend that it failed to protect the most vulnerable, such as the elderly. In mid-April 2020, attention across Europe began turning to implementing phased reopening plans while guarding against a resurgence of the virus. Most European leaders stress the need for continued social distancing. Numerous countries are requiring facemasks on public transport and/or in shops and other indoor spaces. Many governments, including those of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK, have sought to establish extensive testing and contact-tracing capacities, and some have developed contact-tracing mobile apps to supplement traditional approaches. The use of such apps has raised questions about balancing public health concerns and privacy rights. Most European countries are expected to suffer major economic shocks due to the pandemic. For 2020, the EU forecasts its total economy will contract by 8.3% and average unemployment across the bloc will rise to 9%. The UK's economy entered into recession in August 2020. Measures enacted by European governments to mitigate the economic downturn include loan programs and credit guarantees for companies, income subsidies for affected workers, tax deferrals, and debt repayment deferments. Although national governments retain control over most aspects of health policy, the EU has sought to play a leading role in managing the European response to the pandemic. Critics contend the EU lacked a coherent plan in the early stages of the crisis and member states initially pursued disparate strategies, but many analysts assess that the EU has made progress in overcoming internal discord. The EU coordinated the imposition of bloc-wide travel restrictions on most foreign visitors (as well as the gradual lifting of such restrictions); worked to ensure the provision of sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and other -.-,'~-' *.~ p\w -- , gnom goo mppm qq\ a , q 'S I 11LINUALiN,

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