Coronavirus: French President Emmanuel Macron calls for unity in fighting ‘worst health crisis in a century’
- Leader seeks to marshal Europe and the world against deadly coronavirus pandemic
- Appeal comes after Donald Trump bans most Europeans from visiting US
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged France, Europe and the world to stay united amid the coronavirus pandemic, just hours after US counterpart Donald Trump banned travellers from a long list of European countries from visiting the United States.
Calling the global Covid-19 outbreak “the worst health crisis that France has faced in a century”, Macron said in a nationally televised address that he would call Trump on Friday about a plan for a joint initiative among the Group of Seven countries, which includes the US, France and Italy.
He focused on the economic impact of the pandemic, saying France would do “whatever it costs” to help businesses and workers stay in good shape – including compensating infected workers who needed to stay home.
With 61 deaths from 2,800 cases, France trails only Italy, whose death toll has exceeded 1,000, as the hardest-hit European country.