Austria chancellor warns against border closures

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday stressed the importance of keeping borders with Germany open despite a rise in new coronavirus cases in Europe.

Kurz was speaking as he met with Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder in Bad Reichenhall on Friday.

"A very important aspect is that the borders remain open," Kurz said, warning of very serious consequences for the closely interwoven economies of both countries.

"Closing the border would have massive negative effects on the economy," Kurz added.

Soeder said discussions on Friday included how to organise border traffic to make sure that the economy was protected and schools and nurseries could continue to operate.

Germany’s disease control center reported 4,516 new cases overnight Friday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel was meeting by video conference with 11 mayors of the country's largest cities to discuss slowing the spread of the virus.