Trump bans travel from Europe for 30 days amid coronavirus pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would be rolling new travel restrictions, prohibiting travel from Europe to the US. The restrictions will start on Friday, March 13 and last for 30 days. This travel ban does not affect flights from the United Kingdom.
“There will be exceptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings,” Trump said. It’s not clear if these new restrictions will affect trade.
The administration had previously placed travel restrictions on China, which is hardest-hit by the novel coronavirus. The effects of those restrictions and other, similar restrictions remains unknown. A recent study that modeled the virus’ spread found that at this point travel restrictions are likely to only have limited effectiveness at stopping the virus. It encouraged governments to focus on efforts to prevent transmission of the virus — through hygiene efforts like handwashing, and social distancing.
Trump also used the Oval Office address on Wednesday to lay out his administration’s plan to address the pandemic and its economic and financial consequences.
Trump did not declare a state of emergency during Wednesday’s address, but said that he would use his executive power to move forward with emergency financial relief in the future. He did not give a timeline for making this relief available, but said that the administration would be providing financial help to workers afflicted by coronavirus and their caregivers.
Trump said that annual tax payments will be deferred for people who are negatively affected by the disease and the administration will “immediately” be making loans available to small businesses suffering from disruptions due to the virus.
“Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow,” Trump said during his address. “Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus.”
As of Wednesday, the US has confirmed around 1,200 cases of the novel coronavirus in states all across the country. As the number of cases continues to grow, state officials have declared states of emergency and asked for large events, including political rallies and sports games, to be canceled at least for the next few weeks. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic Wednesday.
Last week, Trump signed an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill to address the coronavirus pandemic. The money will go toward researching and developing a vaccine for the virus and providing medical equipment to healthcare workers.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would be rolling new travel restrictions, prohibiting travel from Europe to the US. The restrictions will start on Friday, March 13 and last for 30 days. This travel ban does not affect flights from the United Kingdom.…
