No decisions in EU leaders' teleconference on Covid-19 aid

European Union leaders said on Thursday night that they will do whatever is necessary to protect citizens from the Covid-19 pandemic but failed to agree on specific measures.

The summit's conclusions did not include any reference to a request by nine eurozone countries, including Greece, for a common debt instrument to dampen the financial fallout from from the crisis, which economists warn could have catastrophic consequences.

Meanwhile, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is launching new initiatives to support the eurozone economy, including the decision to lift restrictions on bond markets and to include Greek securities in quantitative easing (QE) leading to a sharp drop in yields.

Also on Thursday, Health Ministry representative Sotiris Tsiodras announced 71 new coronavirus cases, bringing the new total number to 892. The death toll has...