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No border closure between France and Germany, French presidency says

15 March 2020 20:33 (UTC +04:00)

Steps taken on the Franco-German frontier as a result of the coronavirus outbreak are not border closures, but a strengthening of controls, France’s presidency said on Sunday, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Without citing a source, Bild reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her interior minister had agreed closures with the state premiers involved and that they would take place from 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Monday.

“This is not a border closure. These are steps to reinforce controls,” a French presidency official said, without giving further details.

The official said French President Emmanuel Macron and Merkel had been in talks over the weekend and had coordinated their efforts.