In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump declared that his government would be implementing new travel limitations, restricting travel from Europe to the US.
The limitations will begin on Friday, March 13 and keep going for 30 days. This new rule would not influence flights from the United Kingdom.
Trump announced, in a speech from the Oval Office, ‘We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.’ He further added, ‘The virus will not have a chance against us – no nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.”
Currently, it is not clear how harsh these limitations will affect the trade and US economy but according to the official statement released, the Trump government has agreed to not put the people’s lives at risk. While delivering a speech to the nation, Trump said, “There will be exceptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings”.
Trump told that he has suspended the travel in order to protect the nation from the Coronavirus that has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. He further added, ‘I will always put the well-being of America first.’
Mr. President also said that since a lot of individuals and small companies will be getting affected by these travel bans, the government is planning to push out loans to small businesses and delay tax payments by medium or small scale companies. In this regard, he said, ‘We are mobilizing the full power of the federal government and private sector to protect the American people.’
Trump also blasted at European Union for not taking adequate measures to blot out the virus from its countries. He said, ‘The European Union failed to take the same precautions.’ The current outbreak in Italy and France has made the US think farther and that’s why these limitations have been imposed.
While talking about the trade, he announced, “Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing”.
During his address, he further said, “Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow. Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus.”