Trump extends European coronavirus travel ban to include UK and Ireland after declaring a national emergency
THE United States is broadening its European coronavirus travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland, President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday.
The White House had previously declared a travel ban to Europe, with the exception to the U.K. and Ireland – but that changes as of Monday.
Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the ban begins midnight Monday EST.
Banning flights from the UK will be part of the latest efforts to stop the spread of the killer virus.
The ban will not apply to U.S. citizens, a spokesperson said at the press conference.
Upon returning to the U.S., nationals are being encouraged to undergo a 14-day quarantine as a precaution to curb virus spread.
While the travel ban applies to foreign nationals, it will not apply to cargo or items being traded, the spokesperson said.
"We continue to implement the President's vision," Vice President Mike Pence said at the press conference Saturday.
"As you know, it's been a brisk few days," Pence said, noting how the U.S. implemented a state of emergency on Friday.
Trump reiterated how certain areas – including China – have been "hot spots" for the virus.
He said that travel bans will help stop the coronavirus spread.
Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.
"When this is all over and it will end, you will see a curve of how the coronavirus outbreak evolved," Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Health Institute Director and CDC Task Force member said.
"We've seen it already with China. We're starting to see it with Korea - which brings us now to what we can expect in our own country," Fauci said.
He said "we have not reached our peak."
Fauci said the ban is to help the U.S. curve from becoming as severe as the one seen in China and other countries amid outbreaks of COVID-19.
The President said once again at a press conference Saturday he is considering a travel ban within the U.S., although nothing official has been announced yet.
"We're all in this together. It's something no one expected," President Trump said of the coronavirus pandemic at the conference on Saturday.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Trump previously said the UK was so far exempt from a travel ban based on the recommendation of 'a group of professionals' – but the rising number of British cases could result in a volte-face.
He told reporters on Thursday: "We are looking at it based on the new numbers that are coming out – and we may have to include them in the list of countries that we will, you could say ban or whatever it is, during this period of time."
The US President said Britain's "numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours".
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Sun that three other members of the Brazilian delegation who traveled to Florida over the weekend had also begun to experience "flu-like symptoms" in recent days.
If signed, the disaster declaration would be under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
“It is crucial that your administration employ a whole-of-government approach in ," they wrote.
"This includes working closely with state, local, and tribal officials and providing necessary resources to those on the frontlines."
“We strongly urge FEMA to stand ready to provide emergency protective measures to prevent and mitigate the spread of disease, save lives, and protect public health and safety, should any state request assistance," the letter read.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday it's an “operational procedure that opens up a substantial set of federal and state resources and tools."
The proclamations allow for the use of state disaster relief funds for coronavirus control and allows states to request on-site assistance from FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pritzker said the government is now assembling mobile support teams of emergency responders to react quickly when new situations arise.
The coronavirus has infected more than 132,000 people worldwide, with over 1,300 of them in the U.S., where officials say at least 38 people have died from the virus.
Air firms brought down by outbreak
IT is almost inevitable that some airlines will not survive the coronavirus crisis.
Thousands of planes have been grounded and hundreds of thousands of airline staff put on unpaid leave or laid off as the global restrictions on travel deepen.
The US ban on all flights from mainland Europe for a month will see more than 7,500 flights affected — two million seats. The UK ban will dramatically increase that figure.
Norwegian airlines, which tops six million UK passengers a year, has pleaded with the Norwegian government for support. CEO Jacob Schram said: “We need exact measures to strengthen our liquidity.”
British Airways boss Alex Cruz warned staff that jobs will be slashed and flights grounded “like never before”.
Industry analyst Paul Charles said: “This is a public economic emergency for companies in the travel industry.”
- By Lisa Minot, Sun Travel Editor
Do you have a story for The U.S. Sun team?
Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212-416-4552.