(TAN): The Trump administration has decided to suspend travel from 26 European countries to the United States for 30 days as a preventive measure against the coronavirus pandemic.
The suspension, “to keep new cases from entering our shores”, will be effective from midnight on March 12 in the United States, President Donald Trump said in his address from the White House.
Although the ban is scheduled to last for a month, “these restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground”, the President said.
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According to the United States Department for Homeland Security, President Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation suspending the entry of most foreign nationals from the Schengen Area countries. These countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The United Kingdom and Ireland are reportedly exempt from the ban as non-members of Schengen.
“These restrictions will also not apply to the United Kingdom,” the President said.
The suspension will cover most foreigners who have been in any of these countries “at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States”.
The restrictions do not apply to legal permanent citizens of the United States, immediate family members of the United States residents, foreign nationals invited to the United States to help contain the virus, ship and plane crews, foreign government officials and their immediate family, officials whose travel is related to the United Nations, and members of the United States armed forces and their family.
Also, foreign nationals who are married to United States citizens or legal permanent residents, parents and guardians of United States citizens or legal permanent residents aged under 21, siblings of United States citizens or legal permanent residents, providing both are unmarried and under 21, and children or foster children of United States citizens or legal permanent residents are exempted from the suspension.
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“I’m confident that by counting and continuing to take these tough measures we will significantly reduce the threat to our citizens and we’ll ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus,” President Trump said.
The President tweeted that the ban will be imposed on travellers and not on trade.
“The restriction stops people not goods,” he tweeted.
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