President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday said the government is considering domestic travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic and added United Kingdom and Irelandto the Europe travel restrictions that went into effect late Friday.
They did not offer specifics ondomestic flight restrictions but Trump said earlier this week that they would be considered if "an area gets a little bit out of control'' in terms of coronavirus cases.
Pence said at a White House news conference Saturday that a "broad range of measures'' are under consideration.
"But no decisions have been made yet,'' he said.
Asked if people should be traveling, Trump recommended against it.
"If you don't have to travel I wouldn’t do it,'' he said. "We want this thing to end. We don't want a lot of people getting infected.''
New United Kingdom and Ireland restrictions
The United Kingdom and Ireland were excluded from the Europe travel ban announced earlier this week but have been added due to a spike in cases there.
The broadened ban means residents of the UK and Ireland will not be allowed to travel to the United States for 30 days beginning late Monday.
U.S. residents won't be banned from flying to the United States but they will face airport screenings upon their return and will be asked to self quarantine for 14 days.
Officials said U.S. citizens in the UK or Ireland do not need to rush home ahead of the deadline because the ban does not apply to them.
"They will be allowed into the US,'' Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security said.
In response to the broadened ban and the resulting falloff in travel demand, airlines are likely to sharply cut flights between the US and London and Ireland. Delta and American Airlines, for example, suspended all flights between the United States and the 26 European countries covered by the initial ban.
Europe travel restrictions: Here's what you need to know
President Trump said he took the test for the novel coronavirus Friday night, and is awaiting results.
"I also took the test last night. I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday," Mr. Trump said at a press conference Saturday with members of the Coronavirus Task Force. The president was repeatedly questioned about whether he had taken a test during a press conference Friday.
"We're using the full power of the federal government to defeat the virus," Mr. Trump said.
He also urged people not to travel domestically, saying: "If you don't have to travel, I wouldn't do it." Mr. Trump said he was "seriously" considering restricting travel from the UK and Ireland, after he announced travel restrictions from Europe earlier this week. Pence confirmed that restrictions would be put in place. Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that these restrictions do not apply to cargo or to American citizens.
Mr. Trump announced a national emergency on Friday "to unleash the full power of the federal government." Hours later, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation to give direct relief to Americans impacted by the spreading virus, including provisions on free testing and paid sick leave and family leave.
Speaking to the press on Saturday, Mr. Trump called the bill passed in the House "very, very bipartisan," and thanked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for negotiating the package. The Senate is expected to consider the bill next week.
"We want to get it over with quickly, and with very little death," Mr. Trump said about the coronavirus. He also said that "we've created a number of new stars," referring to task force members.
The president also expressed optimism about the stock market, which has fallen in recent weeks, saying he expected a "tremendous bounce" once the crisis has passed.
"I think you're going to have a tremendous bounce when this is over," Mr. Trump said.
On Friday, Mr. Trump announced actions including a public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations. He also denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available.
The Trump administration will extend its European travel ban to include the U.K. and Ireland as part of continuing efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump said Saturday, before saying he was also looking at the possibility of domestic travel restrictions as well.
“We are looking at it very seriously, yeah, because they’ve had a little bit of activity unfortunately,” he said when asked in the White House briefing room about reports that the European travel ban would be extended. “So we’re going to be looking at that -- we actually already have looked at it and that is going to be announced.”
Asked if he was considering any domestic travel restrictions, Trump said: "Yes, specifically from certain areas, yes we are."
"We're working with the states and we're considering other restrictions, yes," he said.
Vice President Mike Pence confirmed later in the briefing that the travel from U.K. and Ireland would be suspended as of midnight Monday night EDT. He said it was after the unanimous recommendation from health experts at the White House.
Pence emphasized that Americans currently abroad will be allowed to return home, but will be tested for the virus on their return through certain, limited airports. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that it specifically applies to foreign nationals who have been in the U.K. or Ireland in the last 14 days and that it does not apply to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and foreign diplomats. It also does not apply to cargo.
Wolf also said that major cruise lines have agreed to suspend outbound trips for 30 days, that smaller lines had followed suit, and that in some limited cases the government had given orders to "a small handful" to not sail. Those restrictions began late Friday, he said.
As for whether the administration is considering travel restrictions within the U.S., Pence referred back to Trump's remarks and said "we're considering a broad range of measures, but no decisions have been made yet."
Trump announced late Wednesday that travel from Europe would be restricted for 30 days -- but he initially exempted the U.K. and Ireland. The Department of Homeland Security went on to clarify that the ban affects most foreign nationals who were in Europe’s passport-free “Schengen Area” within 14 days prior to traveling to the U.S.
On Saturday, officials did not explicitly say whether the U.K. and Ireland ban would be subjected to the same 30-day timeframe as the broader ban.
The area in question consists of 26 countries, including France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. The Trump administration had slapped a travel ban on foreign nationals who had visited China and Iran last month.
“The U.K. basically has got the border, strong borders and they're doing a very good job, they don't have much infection and hopefully they'll keep it that way,” he said when asked why the U.K. had been exempt.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a close ally of Trump, who has in turn supported Johson's push to take Britain out of the European Union. Critics had questioned whether Britain’s exemption was politically motivated.
The move also provoked anger from European leaders, who said they weren’t consulted and that the global pandemic requires “cooperation rather than unilateral action.”
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”
In a sign of the increasing measures being taken across the country to protect the public from the coronavirus, all members of the media had their temperatures taken before the briefing -- and one journalist was turned away. Trump said he had his temperature taken as well, and also said he had been tested for the virus.
"I also took the test," Trump said. "I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday people were asking that I take the test."
Asked about his temperature, Trump told reporters on his way out it was "totally normal." Trump said his coronavirus test has been sent out to a lab and the results will take one or two days.
Fox News' Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.
The Trump administration will extend its European travel ban to include the U.K. and Ireland as part of continuing efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump said Saturday.
“We are looking at it very seriously, yeah, because they’ve had a little bit of activity unfortunately,” he said when asked in the White House briefing room about reports that the ban would be extended. “So we’re going to be looking at that -- we actually already have looked at it and that is going to be announced.”
Vice President Mike Pence confirmed later in the briefing that the travel would be suspended - going into effect midnight Monday night EDT. He said it was after the unanimous recommendation from health experts at the White House.
Pence emphasized that Americans currently abroad will be allowed to return home, but will be tested for the virus on their return through certain, limited airports. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that it specifically applies to foreign nationals who have been in the U.K. or Ireland in the last 14 days and that it does not apply to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and foreign diplomats. It also does not apply to cargo.
Wolf also said that major cruise lines have agreed to suspend outbound trips for 30 days, that smaller lines had followed suit, and that in some limited cases the government had given orders to "a small handful" to not sail. Those restrictions began late Friday, he said.
Trump announced late Wednesday that travel from Europe would be restricted for 30 days -- but he initially exempted the U.K. and Ireland. The Department of Homeland Security went on to clarify that the ban affects most foreign nationals who were in Europe’s passport-free “Schengen Area” within 14 days prior to traveling to the U.S.
The area in question consists of 26 countries, including France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. The Trump administration had slapped a travel ban on foreign nationals who had visited China and Iran last month.
“The U.K. basically has got the border, strong borders and they're doing a very good job, they don't have much infection and hopefully they'll keep it that way,” he said.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a close ally of Trump, who has in turn supported Johson's push to take Britain out of the European Union. Critics had questioned whether Britain’s exemption was politically motivated.
The move also provoked anger from European leaders, who said they weren’t consulted and that the global pandemic requires “cooperation rather than unilateral action.”
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”
On Friday, as Trump announced that he was declaring a national emergency related to the spread of the virus, he was asked about his decision to exclude U.K. and Ireland from the ban.
"Well, that was recommended to me by a group of professionals, and we are looking at it based on the new numbers that are coming out," he said. "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."
"But, yeah, their numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours, so we may be adding that, and we may be adding a couple of others. And we may, frankly, start thinking about taking some off."
(Reuters) - Countries around the world on Saturday continued to close borders, impose strict entry and quarantine requirements and restrict large gatherings in efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said it will close all its retail stores worldwide, outside Greater China, until March 27. Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday as the spread of the virus on mainland China slowed dramatically.
Countries have shuttered museums, tourist attractions and sporting events to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission, with more than 138,000 people worldwide infected and more than 5,000 dead.
Colombia said it will close its borders with Venezuela and stop visitors who have been in Europe or Asia, while a U.S. ban on entry for most people from continental Europe was due to start midnight Friday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says Europe has become the pandemic’s current epicenter after reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of world combined, apart from China where the coronavirus originated last December.
Saudi Arabia will suspend all international flights for two weeks, starting Sunday, state news agency SPA said, Taiwan will require travelers from mainland Europe, Britain and Ireland to self-isolate for 14 days, while New Zealand implemented a similar measure for all those entering the country.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also called on cruise ships, a major source of infections in some countries, not to come to New Zealand until June 30.
“Alongside Israel, and a small number of Pacific Islands who have effectively closed their border, this decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world,” she said.
The country has just six confirmed cases and has had no deaths, but Ardern said that number inevitably would rise.
“That is why ultimately, we must go hard and we must go early,” she told reporters.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced a ban on public events with more than 500 people on Friday, joining countries such as Australia where the ban will come into force on Monday.
Britain will introduce emergency laws next week to ban mass gatherings, said a government source, an escalation of its crisis plan which critics had said was too relaxed.
The Philippines capital Manila, home to 12 million people, announced nighttime curfews on Saturday and urged shopping malls to close for one month.
“To limit the spread of the virus, we need to limit the movement of people. We are slowing down the movement of people in Metro Manila,” said Jose Arturo Garcia, general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
CHINA NEW INFECTIONS FALLING
While infections continue to climb around the world, in mainland China the number of new cases is falling.
The number of new coronavirus cases imported into mainland China from overseas surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the first time on Friday, data released by the National Health Commission showed on Saturday.
Mainland China had 11 new confirmed cases on Friday, up from eight cases a day earlier, but only four of those - all in the virus epicenter of Hubei province - were locally transmitted.
FILE PHOTO: People wear protective face masks at a residential community following an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), in downtown Shanghai, China March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
Hubei has now seen new infections fall for nine straight days. All four of the new cases on Friday, down from five a day earlier, were in provincial capital Wuhan.
The flu-like virus has infected 80,824 people in mainland China, the commission said.
SHOPS, SPORTS, MUSEUMS SHUTTER
In a bid to limit the economic damage from a pandemic that has infected the U.S. House of Representatives passed an aid package that would provide free testing and paid sick leave.
The U.S. military said it will halt most domestic travel, extending earlier restrictions on international travel for its more than a million active-duty troops around the world.
Travel bans have hammered airlines and travel companies worldwide, while financial markets have been hit by panic selling this week.
The impact of the coronavirus on everyday life is also deepening.
The Czech government will shut most shops and restaurants from early Saturday, with exceptions including food stores, pharmacies and gas stations.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum and the Moulin Rouge cabaret closed their doors. The Smithsonian museums in Washington were preparing to do so on Saturday and Broadway theaters in New York went dark.
The kissing of the Blarney Stone, one of Ireland’s oldest tourist traditions, was suspended.
Slideshow (4 Images)
The global sporting calendar has also been left in tatters with major tournaments canceled, postponed or forced to continue without spectators.
But sport’s biggest showpiece, the Olympics, will still proceed as planned, according to Tokyo organizers.
Reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington; Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Tom Daly and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Samar Hassan in Cairo; Oliver Griffin in Bogota; Sarah Kinosian in Caracas; Idrees Ali, David Morgan and Andy Sullivan in Washington; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Richard Pullin
(Reuters) - Countries around the world on Saturday continued to close borders, impose strict entry and quarantine requirements and restrict large gatherings in efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said it will close all its retail stores worldwide, outside Greater China, until March 27. Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday as the spread of the virus on mainland China slowed dramatically.
Countries have shuttered museums, tourist attractions and sporting events to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission, with more than 138,000 people worldwide infected and more than 5,000 dead.
Colombia said it will close its borders with Venezuela and stop visitors who have been in Europe or Asia, while a U.S. ban on entry for most people from continental Europe was due to start midnight Friday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says Europe has become the pandemic’s current epicenter after reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of world combined, apart from China where the coronavirus originated last December.
Saudi Arabia will suspend all international flights for two weeks, starting Sunday, state news agency SPA said, Taiwan will require travelers from mainland Europe, Britain and Ireland to self-isolate for 14 days, while New Zealand implemented a similar measure for all those entering the country.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also called on cruise ships, a major source of infections in some countries, not to come to New Zealand until June 30.
“Alongside Israel, and a small number of Pacific Islands who have effectively closed their border, this decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world,” she said.
The country has just six confirmed cases and has had no deaths, but Ardern said that number inevitably would rise.
“That is why ultimately, we must go hard and we must go early,” she told reporters.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced a ban on public events with more than 500 people on Friday, joining countries such as Australia where the ban will come into force on Monday.
Britain will introduce emergency laws next week to ban mass gatherings, said a government source, an escalation of its crisis plan which critics had said was too relaxed.
The Philippines capital Manila, home to 12 million people, announced nighttime curfews on Saturday and urged shopping malls to close for one month.
“To limit the spread of the virus, we need to limit the movement of people. We are slowing down the movement of people in Metro Manila,” said Jose Arturo Garcia, general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
CHINA NEW INFECTIONS FALLING
While infections continue to climb around the world, in mainland China the number of new cases is falling.
The number of new coronavirus cases imported into mainland China from overseas surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the first time on Friday, data released by the National Health Commission showed on Saturday.
Mainland China had 11 new confirmed cases on Friday, up from eight cases a day earlier, but only four of those - all in the virus epicenter of Hubei province - were locally transmitted.
FILE PHOTO: People wear protective face masks at a residential community following an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), in downtown Shanghai, China March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
Hubei has now seen new infections fall for nine straight days. All four of the new cases on Friday, down from five a day earlier, were in provincial capital Wuhan.
The flu-like virus has infected 80,824 people in mainland China, the commission said.
SHOPS, SPORTS, MUSEUMS SHUTTER
In a bid to limit the economic damage from a pandemic that has infected the U.S. House of Representatives passed an aid package that would provide free testing and paid sick leave.
The U.S. military said it will halt most domestic travel, extending earlier restrictions on international travel for its more than a million active-duty troops around the world.
Travel bans have hammered airlines and travel companies worldwide, while financial markets have been hit by panic selling this week.
The impact of the coronavirus on everyday life is also deepening.
The Czech government will shut most shops and restaurants from early Saturday, with exceptions including food stores, pharmacies and gas stations.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum and the Moulin Rouge cabaret closed their doors. The Smithsonian museums in Washington were preparing to do so on Saturday and Broadway theaters in New York went dark.
The kissing of the Blarney Stone, one of Ireland’s oldest tourist traditions, was suspended.
Slideshow (4 Images)
The global sporting calendar has also been left in tatters with major tournaments canceled, postponed or forced to continue without spectators.
But sport’s biggest showpiece, the Olympics, will still proceed as planned, according to Tokyo organizers.
Reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington; Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Tom Daly and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Samar Hassan in Cairo; Oliver Griffin in Bogota; Sarah Kinosian in Caracas; Idrees Ali, David Morgan and Andy Sullivan in Washington; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Richard Pullin
