LONDON — President Trump’s announcement of sweeping restrictions on travel from much of Europe to the US dropped like a hammer on Wednesday.He ment
LONDON — President Trump’s announcement of sweeping restrictions on travel from much of Europe to the US dropped like a hammer on Wednesday.
He mentioned they had been an try and stem the unfold of the coronavirus. However the announcement left People and Europeans alike confused about when the restrictions come into impact, how they are going to be enforced and whether or not they’ll have the supposed impact of halting the unfold of the coronavirus.
Right here’s what we all know.
The restrictions apply solely to the 26 nations within the Schengen Space.
After Mr. Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Workplace, leaving the impression that every one of Europe could be topic to the journey restrictions, the federal government scrambled to make clear.
The restrictions apply solely to people who find themselves not U.S. residents who up to now two weeks have been in European nations which can be a part of the Schengen Space — the 26 nations that usually enable free and open motion throughout their borders: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Limiting the restrictions to the Schengen Space permits some notable exceptions throughout Europe, together with Britain, Croatia, Cyprus, Eire, Turkey and Ukraine.
In a single instantaneous, Mr. Trump referred to a “international virus” and criticized European nations as having “did not take the identical precautions” as he had in limiting journey from China, the place the outbreak started.
Europe has not been a significant supply of identified infections in the US, however Italy has been hit exhausting, reporting greater than 12,000 circumstances. France, Germany and Spain have every reported greater than 2,000 circumstances.
The White Home mentioned the rationale for limiting journey from the Schengen zone was as a result of, mixed, they’ve probably the most confirmed coronavirus circumstances outdoors China — 17,442 circumstances and 711 deaths as of Wednesday — and confirmed “excessive steady development in an infection charges.”
“The free stream of individuals between the Schengen Space nations makes the duty of managing the unfold of the virus tough,” the White Home mentioned in an announcement, including that journey “threatens the safety of our transportation system and infrastructure and the nationwide safety.”
The restrictions start at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Jap time.
By midnight Friday, the brand new restrictions might be in full pressure.
However they won’t apply to anybody aboard a flight to the US that left earlier than that point.
Hours after the announcement, it was nonetheless unclear how flights that function frequently between Europe and the US could be affected, and airways had been scrambling to create contingency plans.
American Airways mentioned that clients holding U.S. passports or Inexperienced Playing cards making an attempt to re-enter the US from Europe could be rebooked, if vital, to one of many authorised airports. However the service added that every other passengers who had traveled to one of many Schengen nations throughout the previous two weeks wouldn’t be allowed to journey to the US on its flights.
Air France mentioned it could announce on Thursday whether or not it could regulate flights because of the restrictions. However Norwegian Airways, a low-cost service with a number of routes between Europe and the US, mentioned its flights would proceed as regular within the quick time period.
Not all international vacationers might be subjected to the journey restrictions. The spouses, dad and mom or siblings of Americans or everlasting residents, might be exempt, as will members of the U.S. army and their spouses and youngsters.
Everlasting residents of the US is not going to subjected to the restrictions. A full listing of those that can nonetheless enter the US can be found here.
For People in Europe, it simply obtained extra difficult.
U.S. residents who’ve traveled within the specified European nations will nonetheless be capable to enter the US. However the practicalities may grow to be more and more difficult.
Mr. Trump famous in his deal with that Americans who had traveled within the Schengen Space may enter the US as soon as that they had been “appropriately screened.”
Vice President Mike Pence mentioned on the tv present “Fox & Pals” on Thursday that People getting back from Europe within the subsequent 30 days could be “funneled by way of 13 airports” and requested to self-quarantine for 14 days. He didn’t specify which airports.
Mr. Pence mentioned the measures would stay in place for 30 days.
The European Union apparently was not instructed what was coming.
The European Union, which appears to have been caught off guard, on Thursday slammed Mr. Trump’s choice.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Fee, and Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, mentioned in a scathing joint statement that the choice had been made “unilaterally and with out session.”
It’s unclear whether or not European officers will cooperate…