US President Trump suspends all travel from Europe for 30 days
Agencies —
US President Donald Trump announced that a ban on travelers to the United States from Europe would be in place for the next 30 days, in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, in a rare Oval Office address to the nation, said the month-long restriction on travel would begin late Friday, at midnight.
Trump attacked Europe for not taking the same actions to control the disease that he had. “As a result of Europe’s inaction, a large number of clusters of coronavirus were seeded by travelers from Europe.”
Trump also announced that he would ask Congress for legislative action to provide payroll tax relief, as well as other measures for several groups impacted by the virus.
Trump said the ban would apply only to countries in the Schengen economic and travel zone, and that the United Kingdom and Ireland would be exempted.
More than 1,200 coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in the United States, while there are at least 118,000 cases worldwide.
He clarified in a tweet that cargo and goods would not be affected by the ban.
The State Department followed Trump’s remarks by issuing an extraordinary global health advisory cautioning U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel abroad” due to the virus and associated quarantines and restrictions.
Trump’s ban on most Europeans entering the United States is the latest stunning setback for an airline industry that is reeling from a drop in bookings and a surge in people who are cancelling reservations for fear of contracting the coronavirus.
The disruption to air travel is also certain to ripple through economies, causing widespread damage to hotels, car rental companies, museums and restaurants.
Airlines have been slashing their flight schedules, especially on international routes, to cope with a sharp decline in travel demand among fearful customers.
An industry trade group warned that airlines worldwide could lose up to $113 billion in revenue from the virus – several times the damage caused by the 2001 terror attacks in the U.S.
There are nearly 400 daily flights from Europe to the U.S., according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service. About 72.4 million passengers flew from the U.S. to Europe in the year ended last June, making it the most popular international destination, according to Transportation Department figures.
Meanwhile, European Union leaders vowed Tuesday to stand united in combating the spread of the coronavirus ravaging member country Italy, and agreed to draft a plan to address any medical shortages and set up a fund to help overburdened health care systems.
The pledges came at a rare video conference among national heads of state and government as COVID-19, which is now present in all 27 EU member countries, took its toll on European politics, forcing meetings to be canceled, a parliamentary session to be cut short, and even sending some senior officials home to work.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of a “corona response investment fund” seeded with 7.5 billion euros that she said would reap billions more. It’s aimed at propping up health care structures, small businesses suffering from the impact of the virus and labor markets where jobs might be hit.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s latest figures, there have been 14,890 confirmed cases of the virus across Europe, including 532 deaths. The European Commission says all 27 member states now have patients confirmed with the fast-spreading illness.
Photo – US President Donald Trump addressing the nation from the Oval Office at the White House about the coronavirus Wednesday, March, 11, 2020 – AP
March 12 , 2020
