During his address to the country Wednesday night, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping and swift suspension of travel from Europe to the U.S. as a measure to weaken the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump’s primetime speech from the Oval Office brought about several questions and concerns about how the travel ban could dramatically increase the disruptions facing airlines around the world and travelers on some of the most heavily traveled routes.
After Trump’s announcement, the U.S. State Department late Wednesday also issued a global Level 3 health advisory telling U.S. citizens to reconsider travel abroad due to the global impact of COVID-19, or the coronavirus, because of quarantines in some areas and the possibility of travel restrictions in others.
Since questions linger about what the travel suspensions mean, we’ve gathered some of the top answers about the travel ban below:
Who is affected by the suspension of travel from Europe to the U.S.?
The Department of Homeland Security said The order suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. It does not apply to Americans attempting to return home or citizens of the United Kingdom. Those returning to the states will have to undergo “enhanced” health screenings.
How long will the travel ban last?
30 days
What countries included in the travel ban?
The travel ban applies to citizens in 50 of the 51 countries in Europe, including large countries like Russia, Spain and France.
Is there an option if you’re coming from those 50 countries?
The U.K. exemption provides the option for connecting flights to the continent. London Heathrow is the one of the world's busiest connecting hubs.
What can be done if your trips already booked?
Delta, for example, has issued a travel waiver covering flights between the U.S. and Europe, raising the possibility that other carriers would follow suit, according to USA Today. Delta officials say the airline will waive ticket change fees for passengers traveling to, from or through Europe and the U.K. through May 31. The waiver applies to travelers who purchased tickets before March 11.
When does the travel suspension begin?
Midnight Friday
Why is this happening?
In his speech Wednesday, the president said he would halt travel from most European countries out of precaution. He blamed the European Union for failing to immediately stop travel from China "and other hot spots," which he said had led to clusters of outbreaks in the U.S being "seeded by travelers from Europe."
“After consulting with our top government health professionals,” Trump said, "I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans. To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.”
How are Americans and Europeans reacting?
Most have found the response sudden and many have had “scathing” remarks for the president’s “unilateral” travel ban.
Some have called out airlines that are not responding with the mercy Delta has.
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