US President Donald Trump has introduced major restrictions on travel into the US from Europe from tomorrow in a bid to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Entry into the US suspended for residents of Europe’s Schengen border-free zone

Trump has signed a presidential proclamation which will suspend entry into the country for most foreign nationals who have been in Europe’s Schengen border-free travel area during the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the United States. The restrictions will start tomorrow, Friday March 13, and will be reassessed after a period of 30 days. The ban applies to the 26 countries in the Schengen area, visitors from the UK and Ireland will not be affected. Trump called the restrictions “strong but necessary.”

Trump said the European Union had “failed to take the same precautions” as the US in fighting the virus.

Restrictions do not apply to US or UK and Ireland residents

A statement on the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website said the restrictions do not apply to legal permanent residents, most immediate family members of US citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the Proclamation.

Addressing the country from the Oval Office, Trump said: “To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe. The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,” he added. “The travel order does not apply to US citizens.”

DHS Acting Secretary Chad F Wolf said: “I applaud the president for making this tough but necessary decision. While these new travel restrictions will be disruptive to some travellers, this decisive action is needed to protect the American public from further exposure to the potentially deadly coronavirus.”

US residents to travel through select airports

The Trump Administration issued similar travel restrictions in January and February on individuals who had been to China and Iran.

Wolf added: “In the next 48 hours, in the interest of public health, I intend to issue a supplemental Notice of Arrivals Restriction requiring US passengers that have been in the Schengen Area to travel through select airports where the US Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures.”

The US has 1,135 confirmed cases of the virus across the country, with 38 deaths so far.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has now classed COVID-19 pandemic – a disease spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time.

Image: BBC News