The Trump administration will suspend travel from European countries to the United States for 30 days as the fast-spreading coronavirus continues to grow.
The measure will go into effect at midnight Friday, Trump said during a nationally televised message from the White House on Wednesday. He said the “strong but necessary” restrictions would not apply to the United Kingdom.
As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, the U.S. and many other nations have enacted tough measures to contain the illness, including barring foreign visitors from countries ravaged by the outbreak.
The Trump administration so far has barred travelers from mainland China, where the virus originated last December, and Iran, which also has seen a spike in infections, from entering the United States.
The restrictions covered any foreign nationals who visited those countries within the past 14 days.
“Iran is not a trustworthy state actor, as it has repeatedly demonstrated through its history of engaging in malign activity, and confirmed most recently by its repeated denials of responsibility for shooting down an international airliner,” the White House said in a February news release announcing the measures.
American travelers returning from China and Iran have been screened for symptoms in one of 11 airports.
The virus has killed over 4,200 people and sickened nearly 120,000 others globally. Some 1,100 cases have been reported in the U.S
In addition to travel restrictions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to multiple countries, including Italy, which largely has been in a lockdown state amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
Other nations included South Korea, China and Iran. The agency also has warned Americans to take extra precautions when traveling to Japan.
Earlier this month, Trump hinted at expanding travel restrictions to “certain countries where they’re having more of a breakout” as the outbreak continued to worsen. He did not specify which countries could be added to the list.
