European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that European leaders underestimated the danger of the coronavirus, The Daily Mail reported. 

The virus “will keep us busy for a long time”, she said in an interview with Bild.

“I think that all of us who are not experts initially underestimated the coronavirus,” von der Leyen said. “We understand that measures that seemed drastic two or three weeks ago, need to be taken now,” she added.

Earlier, President of the European Council Charles Michel has announced the priority directions of the fight against the coronavirus epidemic at the EU level.

He named the main tasks to limit the spread of COVID-19, the purchase of medical equipment, support for research and development of a vaccine, and the elimination of the socio-economic consequences of the epidemic.

He also mentioned the coordination of the diplomatic missions of the EU countries with regard to the evacuation of European citizens outside of united Europe to their homeland.

According to France-Presse, French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian has said that everything necessary would be done so that French tourists could return home, and urged French citizens permanently residing in other countries to stay at their place of residence.