TRAVEL between the United States and the European Union has been suspened for 30 days in a bid to tackle the coronavirus.
Donald Trump made the announcement yesterday, blaming the EU for not acting quickly enough to address the outbreak of the virus and saying US clusters were “seeded” by European travellers.
The new rules - which will be in place from Friday - do not apply to the United Kingdom.
“We made a lifesaving move with early action on China,” Trump said.
“Now we must take the same action with Europe.”
A list of 26 affected countries published on the US Homeland Security website also confirmed Ireland was among nations subject to the ban.
Homeland Security officials later clarified the new travel restrictions would only apply to most foreign nationals who had been in the “Schengen Area” at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States. The area includes Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium and others.
It doesn’t apply to legal permanent residents, immediate family of US citizens or others “identified in the proclamation.”
The president said the US would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier than the 30-day period.
The move came on the same day the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus a worldwide pandemic.
Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.
“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”
He added: “We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time. WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases.
“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.”
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