Greece hopes for 'corona bond' to assist virus-hit countries, says spokesman

Greece hopes EU countries will agree on a common debt instrument to raise funds to support economies in combating the new coronavirus, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said in a press briefing Thursday.

"Obviously, the state of the real economy has deteriorated and continues to deteriorate. This is why we are reevaluating the situation on a daily basis," he said.

Petsas confirmed that Greece, along with nine other countries including France, Italy and Spain have called for a common debt instrument to raise funds on the market, noting that the government hopes the EU will rise to the occasion.

"We hope that now, in the face of the blows [to the economy] caused by the pandemic, a special bond will be issued and the tools available to the European Stability Mechanism will be used to finance member states' actions," he said.

Petsas said the government...