Trump suspends travel from Europe - except the United Kingdom - for 30 days to contain the coronavirus spread

Associated Press

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin listens as President Donald Trump talks to reporters after meeting with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

• President Donald Trump has announced that his administration is banning all travel between the US and Europe - except the United Kingdom - warning against all non-essential travel to the continent because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
• "Europe is the new China," Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, declared last week.
• Italy, the worst-hit country outside China, instituted a nationwide lockdown this week, and the German chancellor warned up to 70% of the country's population could contract the virus.
• White House officials believe Europe is the single biggest originator of new coronavirus infections, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
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President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that all travel to and from Europe, except for the United Kingdom, will be suspended for at least a month.

In a press conference, Trump said travel to the Continent will be suspended for 30 days starting this Friday.

"The European Union failed to take same precautions and restrict travel to China," Trump said.

White House officials believe Europe is the single biggest originator of new coronavirus infections, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

"A real threat right now is Europe," Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a House committee last Thursday. "That's where the cases are coming in. Europe is the new China."

The CDC issued Level 3 advisories for Italy, Iran, China, and South Korea late last month. Japan is at a Level 2, which urges Americans to take enhanced precautions while traveling to the country, and Hong Kong is at a Level 1, which urges "usual precautions."

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus, which has spread to more than 100 countries, a pandemic.

The WHO defines a pandemic as "the worldwide spread of a new disease." The determination is based on the geographic spread of a disease, the severity of illnesses it causes, and its effects on society. The WHO is concerned both about how quickly the virus is spreading and the inaction it's being met with by governments around the world.

COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, has sickened more than 125,000 people and killed over 4,600 people around the world.

The coronavirus is rapidly spreading through Europe. Italy, the worst-hit country outside China, instituted a nationwide lockdown this week, as more than 12,000 people have been infected and at least 825 people have died from the virus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday that up to 70% of her country's population may become infected by the virus, according to the German newspaper Bild.

Jake Lahut, Hilary Brueck, and Anna Medaris Miller contributed to this report.

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