European nations call for sticking to restriction measures

Call for unity

Also on Saturday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for solidarity within Europe, saying that "Germany cannot emerge from the crisis strong and healthy if our neighbors are not strong and healthy."

In a rare televised speech, Steinmeier said the international solidarity should bring about a global alliance to search for a COVID-19 vaccine. And that "the poorest countries in the world, which are the most vulnerable, should have equal access" to any such treatment.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, almost 120,000 people in Germany have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 2,500 have died as of Friday midnight.

Eurogroup finance ministers agreed Thursday night on a financial package worth half a trillion euros to combat the fallouts from coronavirus, but without the so-called Eurobonds.

French Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday that the European Union's (EU) package of financial measures is "a major step towards more European solidarity" as it supports the bloc's most affected members and helps prepare the post-pandemic recovery.

"It's an excellent agreement because it shows the unity of European countries during this period of crisis. It's excellent because it allows the immediate release of 550 billion euros ($602 billion) to finance all the European economies, notably the most severely impacted ones," Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.