US imposes travel ban on Europe except UK

The current epidemic situation in the United States is also relatively severe, and the epidemic situation in European countries is even worse. Recently, the United States announced a one-month travel ban on European regions except the United Kingdom. Recently, some people from Europe have traveled to the United States. Chinese tourists planning a trip must always pay attention to this news.

U.S. President Trump announced on the 11th that the United States will suspend travel to the United States from all European countries except the United Kingdom for 30 days starting from the 13th local time.

President Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the United States in response to the coronavirus outbreak, two people familiar with the matter said.

A person familiar with the matter said the restrictions would include some business travel, but it was not immediately clear the scope of the restrictions.

Trump delivered a speech in the United States at 9 pm Washington time. He announced decisions related to the response to the new coronavirus, including some related to Europe. Currently, confirmed cases of the new coronavirus are increasing sharply in Europe, and the number of deaths is also increasing.

Trump is also considering invoking the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford

Act), which would free up emergency funds to help states and cities respond disaster. People familiar with the matter said the measure could provide companies with disaster relief funds to deal with the epidemic. Senate Democrats urged Trump in a letter Wednesday to use the law to free up more than $40 billion.

Twenty-three states in the United States and the capital Washington have entered a state of emergency. According to a CNN report on the 11th, according to statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health agencies, the number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in the United States has reached 1,162, and 37 people have died.

Washington, D.C. issued a statement declaring a state of emergency. So far, 23 states in the United States, including New York, Washington, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC, have declared a state of emergency.

At 9 p.m. Eastern Time on the 11th, U.S. President Trump delivered a nationally televised speech in the Oval Office of the White House, announcing a travel ban on Europe starting from the early morning of Friday. , for a period of 30 days. Trump said the UK would not be affected by the ban. Trump said he would provide an additional $200 billion in liquidity and asked the Treasury Department to defer some tax payments without interest or penalties. In addition, an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill was signed last week to help the CDC and other government agencies combat the virus and support vaccine development, treatments, and the distribution of medical supplies.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday night, Trump said the restrictions would take effect at midnight on Friday but would not apply to the UK. He accused the EU of not following the United States in adopting travel restrictions at the beginning of the outbreak. "The infections in the United States were seeds sown by European travelers."

Trump claimed that the early travel restrictions in the United States effectively slowed the entry of the new coronavirus, and said that the epidemics in China and South Korea were being monitored, and if the situation improved, "it may be opened earlier." .

In a statement issued after Trump's speech, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf clarified that the government would suspend travel in any of the 26 European countries over the past two weeks. Admission for aliens, but not for lawful permanent residents and immediate family members of U.S. citizens. Wolf said U.S. citizens arriving from Europe will be tested for the virus through specific airports.

Trump emphasized that the risk of the new coronavirus is very low for most Americans, but is more dangerous for the elderly with underlying diseases. He called on the elderly to stay at home and avoid unnecessary outings. Trump said he had met with executives of U.S. insurance companies that day, and the latter agreed to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 patients.

Trump said that the White House is communicating with Congress to introduce more relief measures. "This is not a financial crisis. This is just a temporary moment and we will overcome it." Trump emphasized that due to the past After more than three years of economic policy, the United States has the strongest economy in the world. Banks and financial institutions are healthy enough, and the unemployment rate is at a record low. "Strong economic prosperity has provided us with the flexibility, reserves and resources to cope with our "Any threat that exists."

Trump announced that in order to help American workers, families and businesses, he has asked the Small Business Administration to provide low-interest loans to companies affected by the epidemic. To this end, the White House Request an increase of US$50 billion in the special budget. Trump will also activate emergency authorization, requiring the Treasury Department to defer taxes on businesses and individuals affected by the epidemic, thereby providing the market with an additional $200 billion in liquidity. Trump finally called on the U.S. Congress to immediately pass a bill to reduce payroll taxes.