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Coronavirus: European summer holidays could be on the cards – within your own country, says EU chief

People relax in the sun at Fistral Beach, Cornwall.
Holidaymakers desperate to get to places like Fistral Beach in Cornwall this summer will be encouraged by the European Commission president's remarks. (PA Images)

A summer holiday could still be on the cards for Europeans despite the coronavirus pandemic, the EU has said.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, said the holidays might be “a little different” to what people are used to, but is “optimistic” they will go ahead – at least within countries that the holidaymakers live in.

Her comments will encourage people whose summer break plans were cancelled after the deadly virus swept through Europe, leading countries to lockdown and some to shut their borders.

Von der Leyen told Portuguese outlet Expresso: “I think we are going to find smart solutions to have a summer vacation.

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“Maybe a little different, with other hygiene measures, with a little more social distance, but it is impressive to see that we have found solutions.

“So I am optimistic about summer holidays.”

Her comments are more heartening than her warning to Bild Am Sonntag a week ago, in which she advised people to put off plans for a summer holiday.

She also denied that the EU could collapse as member states argue over plans to share the debt incurred by countries badly affected by the pandemic.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a media conference, detailing EU efforts to limit the economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, at EU headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, April 2, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)
Ursula von der Leyen has said she is "optimistic" about summer holidays happening within a country. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

The European Commission president instead talked up how medical staff were moving between member states to help and how patients were taken into other countries to help with capacity.

Of the 166,794 COVID-19 deaths recorded by Johns Hopkins University, more than 78,000 happened in four European countries – Italy, Spain, France and the UK.

European countries are beginning to ease up their lockdown restrictions but politicians have warned this is not the end of pandemic.

Smaller stores have been allowed to reopen in Germany, but chancellor Angela Merkel warned about easing up too quickly. She said: “We have reached a lot but we have not yet reached our target.”

Italy – the worst affected European country in terms of deaths – and Spain have allowed some workers to return to their jobs.

Businesses including bookshops and children’s clothing stores will be allowed to reopen.

Austria has allowed some non-essential shops to reopen, while Denmark last week allowed some day care centres and schools to resume.

The Czech Republic has allowed shops including bike stores to reopen.

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