Donald Trump announces suspension of travel from Europe to the US, US$50 billion in small business loans

Acknowledging severity of the coronavirus crisis, Trump announces travel suspension from Europe – except Britain – and other economic measures including US$50 billion in loans to small businesses

President’s speech coincided with announcement by Tom Hanks that actor and his wife have Covid-19, and the NBA’s statement that it will suspend season indefinitely

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Acknowledging severity of the coronavirus pandemic, US President Donald Trump announced travel suspension from Europe – except Britain. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:18am, 12 Mar 2020Updated: 4:54pm, 12 Mar 2020

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a suspension of all travel from Europe to America as Washington’s latest measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“After consulting with our top government health professionals, 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,” Trump said in a televised address to the nation, and to a worldwide audience.

“We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days, the new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,” he said, adding that the suspension will not apply to Britain.

In a statement after the speech, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf said the restrictions do not apply to US citizens, legal permanent residents and their immediate families. He said he planned to issue an order within the next 48 hours directing such individuals currently in the European Union’s border-free Schengen area to only return home via “select airports” with enhanced screening measures.

Trump’s address came at the end of a day that saw many responses to the coronavirus acknowledging its scale and severity as well as news that Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, contracted Covid-19. The World Health Organisation officially declared it a global pandemic. The mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel E. Bowser, declared a state of emergency in the nation’s capital.

Trump also announced economic measures including the provision of US$50 billion in low-interest loans for small businesses disrupted by the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and tax deferrals.