US President Donald Trump has announced that all travel from Europe to the United States will be temporarily halted for a period of 30 days, in the most significant measure yet taken to stem the spread of the lethal coronavirus.
In an address to the nation on Wednesday night, the president said the 30-day travel ban will take effect on Friday at midnight, noting that the United Kingdom would be exempt from the new restrictions.
“After consulting with our top government health professionals, I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans,” Trump said in the address.
To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.
The restrictions will be “adjusted subject to conditions on the ground,” the president went on, adding that exemptions would be extended for Americans who had undergone the proper health screenings.
The measures to be put into place will be far-reaching in nature, and will affect the export of goods among other things, Trump noted.
These prohibitions will not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo, but various other things as we get approval. Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing.”
Trump said that the US would be “reevaluating” travel restrictions his administration previously imposed on China and South Korea – a country with the second-biggest number of Covid-19 cases – as the situation improves there, adding that the new conditions may pave the way “for a possible early opening” of the borders.
The number of coronavirus cases in the US has crept past 1,200, with at least 37 people succumbing to the deadly disease that has claimed at least 4,291 lives worldwide, most of them in China’s Hubei province where the Covid-19 originated. As of Wednesday, the virus has spread to as many as 42 US states, with Washington (366 cases), New York (216 cases), and California (133) being the hardest-hit. However, it is expected the number of cases will continue to snowball as the screening process is being plagued by the lack of access to testing kits. At least one million kits have been allocated across the nation, and another 4 million are expected to be rolled out by the end of the week.
Also on rt.com Trump admin blames China for 2 months lost in coronavirus prep as experts warn flaws in US health system doom its readinessThe outbreak, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier on Wednesday, has wrought havoc at US and Asian stock markets, and led to the cancellation or suspension of major public events, ranging from popular music festival Coachella to ‘March Madness’ college basketball games that will be restricted to “essential personnel and limited family attendance.”
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Source : RT - Daily news
Trump suspends ALL travel from Europe for 30 days starting Friday as he addresses nation on coronavirus
Trump suspends ALL travel from Europe for 30 days starting Friday as he addresses nation on coronavirus
