Steps taken on the Franco-German frontier as a result of the coronavirus outbreak are not border closures, but a strengthening of controls, France's presidency said on Sunday. Without citing a source, Bild reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her interior minister had agreed closures with the state premiers involved and that they would take place from 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Monday. 'This is not a border closure. These are steps to reinforce controls,' a French presidency official said, without giving further details. The official said French President Emmanuel Macron and Merkel had been in talks over the weekend and had coordinated their efforts.
