On 1 December 2021, the European Commission put forward a common and coordinated EU approach to address effectively the challenges from the resurgence of COVID-19 in many Member States this autumn.

There are rapidly rising case numbers and a renewed pressure on hospitals, which calls for urgent and determined action. The new potential threat from the Omicron variant is adding to these concerns, and underlines the importance of tackling the pandemic to progress towards long-term health security, both in the EU and globally.

This video shows a joint press conference given by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.