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Government Medicine United Kingdom United States

Coronavirus: Trump Suspends Travel From Europe To US (bbc.com) 526

President Trump announced he will restrict travel from Europe to the U.S. for the next 30 days in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The "strong but necessary" restrictions will not apply to the UK, where 460 cases of the virus have now been confirmed. "To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States," Mr Trump said in a televised speech from the Oval Office. "The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight," he added. The BBC reports: Mr Trump also announced plans to provide billions of dollars in loans to small businesses, in an attempt to stymie the effect of the coronavirus outbreak on the US economy. He also urged Congress to pass major tax relief measures as part of an "aggressive and comprehensive effort" to combat the virus. "We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people," he said. Earlier today, the World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 virus is now officially a pandemic.

Globally, the virus has swept into at least 114 countries and killed more than 4,000 people. There are 1,135 confirmed cases of the virus across the U.S., with 38 deaths.

UPDATE 2:22 AM UTC: Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus. Also, the NBA announced it has suspended its season "until further notice" after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus.
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Coronavirus: Trump Suspends Travel From Europe To US

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  • why not the UK? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:12PM (#59820154)

    Makes no sense at all

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      UK is not in the EU and might still have some control over who is wondering around with wuflu.
      The EU nations stayed open for too long and now the wuflu results can be seen in EU nations like Italy.
      • I think it comes down to boarders and reported cases. Trump did not guess this, this will come from a recommendation. Trump does not care about the UK but he does care about US citizens wanting to travel to and from where they are. If they are in Europe and try going to the UK to travel home will the restriction apply I wonder?
      • "The UK is expected to switch to tactics aimed at delaying its spread, rather than containing the disease, at the government's emergency Cobra committee." BBC

        They have already given up on containment it makes no sense that the UK was excluded, unless of course this was just a stunt to score points with his base which hates the EU.

        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by guruevi ( 827432 )

          This is the same policy the US is applying, Fauci pretty much advised contain where possible, delay at all costs.

  • by Dorianny ( 1847922 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:17PM (#59820166) Journal
    This was the easiest decision he could make which scores him political points since his base hates the EU. It does next to nothing to actually protect America since the virus is already here. What's needed now is more testing more transparency and better coordination here in the US. Instead Trump ordered the top-level administration meetings on the virus response be considered national secrets.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      Re "the virus is already here" .. that can be slowed by not allowing a lot of infected people in from random EU nations... thats the "better coordination here in the US" part.
      No need to add to the infected count in the US with people from the EU nations...
      EU nations failed to protect their citizens due to EU politics.
      Re "It does next to nothing to actually protect America"... it slows the numbers of infected people entering the USA.
      Less people with wuflu from EU nations to track and then find ICU beds
      • by khchung ( 462899 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:32PM (#59820220) Journal

        No need to add to the infected count in the US with people from the EU nations...

        That's exactly GP's point. Requiring a 14-days quarantine for any travellers from EU would achieve the same result of preventing virus spread while still allowing families to reunion, or students come over to study, or people starting a new job/new business, etc.

        But no, having cases found in the US would make the numbers look bad, better screw those people (including friends and families of US citizens) who have legitimate reason to travel. Just shows you where Trump's priorities are.

      • by Dorianny ( 1847922 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:39PM (#59820240) Journal
        Why not the UK then? The UK has already moved from "containment" to "delay" because the virus spread is no longer controllable. Not to mention that The UK has not blocked travel from the EU which means the EU-UK, UK-US infection channel is still wide open.
        • by AHuxley ( 892839 )
          A lot of people from the USA are in the UK... so they have to get back...
          All the US mil, contract workers for the US mil in the UK...
          Re "EU-UK, UK-US infection channel is still wide open".. .that would depend on the ability to get US approval to exit the UK for the USA :)
          No need to stay open for the infected EU nations and the UK... ie work with the UK gov to allow people the US has to accept back.. from the UK.
    • by leonbev ( 111395 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:29PM (#59820214) Journal

      Trump didn't look "tough" in that speech, though. Honestly, he looked sick. He looked sleep deprived, and seemed to be struggling to breathe through parts of it.

      • I think the teleprompter was scrolling too fast.

        Also, didnt he say he was banning cargo shipments from the EU as well? That doesn't really make sense?

      • by HiThere ( 15173 )

        Well, it's been reported that he shook hands with a person who was later diagnosed with COVID-19, and has been refusing to allow himself to be tested. I *think* that is supposed to have happened about a week ago. I don't follow Trump, so I'm not at all sure of the date, but it was at a Republican meeting, I think a fund-raiser. https://www.thedailybeast.com/... [thedailybeast.com]
        (Note that it's not the most reliable of sources.)
        I note that this source only says the man had been exposed to COVID-19. Another source I can't r

        • by JBMcB ( 73720 )

          Well, it's been reported that he shook hands with a person who was later diagnosed with COVID-19

          I bet that "report" generated a lot of click-throughs for someone. A story about Trump AND COVID-19? Friggin' goldmine!

        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by jrumney ( 197329 )

          (Note that it's not the most reliable of sources.)

          Reliable sources on the other hand, are saying that the infected individual did not meet directly with the President or VP.

    • Yes, we definitely need more transparency. Here in Pennsylvania the data is practically nonexistent with the PA Department of Health citing antiquated laws to shield the data. It seems that it's possibly an attempt to cover for inadequate preparation. If you believe in open data please sign the petition or start your own for your state if necessary. http://chng.it/pVsCRy5LpB [chng.it]
  • by h33t l4x0r ( 4107715 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:19PM (#59820176)
    Which puts US in the #8 spot [arcgis.com], just above "Cruise Ship" which apparently is a country now.
    • by guruevi ( 827432 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @10:05PM (#59820312)

      I'm not sure if comparing the entire US while breaking down individual EU states is an entirely useful scope of the data.

      • by gwolf ( 26339 )

        Well, why not? After all, the USA is a single country — Just like China. The rest of the world does not really care of its inner composition as a federation. It is a single country.

  • Why Europe only? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by xushi ( 740195 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:23PM (#59820184)

    Curious.. Why only Europe? What about Asian countries, etc..

    Granted Italy is the new epicentre for the disease now, but it's still rampant across many other countries.

    And what about those transiting via Europe (and/or via other countries) ?

    Wouldn't it make more sense to suspend all travel (par few exceptions or per-case basis)

  • by soft_guy ( 534437 ) * on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @09:25PM (#59820190)
    Is travel from Russia banned or allowed? What about China?
  • by msevior ( 145103 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @10:04PM (#59820310)

    My guestimate based on travellers to the USA being tested on their return is that there are over 100,000 infections already in the USA. Look for an Italy like explosion over the next week. After cancelling the NBA, the US Masters' golf tournament is next.

    Do you think Trump will still say it's all fake news then?

  • USA failure (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Socguy ( 933973 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2020 @10:51PM (#59820398)
    It's all well and good to close down travel to Europe. The problem is that America is likely the largest COVID19 hotspot in the world and it's simply not recognized yet due to lack of testing and lack of public healthcare.
  • by WaffleMonster ( 969671 ) on Thursday March 12, 2020 @12:12AM (#59820568)

    The US isn't safe. Our numbers are artificially low because we don't have our shit together. Only 4k tested total for the whole country to date.

    South Korea is doing many times what we've done in total each and every day. This piss poor response is a national disgrace.

    --
    I don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship.

  • by Iamthecheese ( 1264298 ) on Thursday March 12, 2020 @12:36AM (#59820602)
    What is wrong with you people? This is an uncontainable and deadly illness with no vaccine and few possible mitigating measures. It's going to kill the old and the young in drives. There's a very real chance your own children will be gasping for breath in their beds because there aren't enough nurses, beds, and ventilators available. And instead of talking about how we can work together to contain this you're bickering about politics. Shut up about Trump. Shut up about socialists. Stop blaming politically convenient targets.

    Contain your conversation to what we and you can do and are doing to slow the spread of the virus. Do this and you will save living, loving precious human lives.
    • Then start with your bumbling leader. Instead of getting a budget going to finally get testing kits available, he cares about tax brakes. WTF is wrong with this guy?

    • by Ungrounded Lightning ( 62228 ) on Thursday March 12, 2020 @04:43AM (#59820912) Journal

      What is wrong with you people? This is an uncontainable and deadly illness with no vaccine and few possible mitigating measures. It's going to kill the old and the young in dr[o]ves.

      All correct except for killing the young. COVID-19 apparently doesn't kill kids under 10 period, and is only at about influenza levels up through the 30s (after which it starts ramping up steeply, until it's killing one-in-five at 80s and above.)

      Apparently lungs try to repair even during the infection. In the young they get ahead of the virus while the immune system knocks it down. Kid has a mild cold (though he gives it to all around him just fine).

      With older people the repair is slower. For some the virus gets ahead of it, infecting the new tissue, infecting the immune tissue trying to fight it, wiping out the stem cells needed for more repairs, etc. Meanwhile the immune tissues are doing damage of their own, which sends out signals for more immune system activity, which does more damage, in a positive-feedback cascade that kills.

      The likelihood of this ramps up steeply with age in the 50s and higher and also with other problems (interstitial lung disease, high blood pressure, bunch of other stuff).

  • Not Europe! (Score:5, Informative)

    by Zoxed ( 676559 ) on Thursday March 12, 2020 @02:01AM (#59820700) Homepage

    Just to be clear - the ban is not on flights from "Europe*, it is a ban on flights from the *Schengen* passport free area.
    Schengen is a (all be it large) subset of the EU, and the EU is a subset of the continent of Europe.
    The policy is clearly political, and not science based.

  • by Holi ( 250190 ) on Thursday March 12, 2020 @08:00AM (#59821196)
    Rudy Gobert is the NBA player who tested positive.
    2 days prior to testing positive he disregarded everyone's safety as he made sure to manhandle every reporters mics before leaving his press conference.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

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