The United States will ban travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days. There will be only one exception, the United Kingdom.
The decision also applies to Finns who are due to travel from Finland to the United States on 13 March –14 April. The decision will therefore come into effect on Friday 13 at midnight.
“We will ban all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days. The new rules will come into effect on Friday at midnight. These restrictions will be tailored to the circumstances,” President Donald Trump said in a live address to the nation broadcast from the White House.
Trump said in his speech that the ban would not only apply to travel, but to everything from Europe, such as trade and freight. However, Trump tweeted after the news conference that the ban would not apply to the circulation of goods. "The restriction stops people, not goods," he emphasized.
Hoping to get the payroll tax cut approved by both Republicans and Democrats, and please remember, very important for all countries & businesses to know that trade will in no way be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe. The restriction stops people not goods.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2020
In practice, the entry ban applies to nationals of the Member States of the European Union and to non-Americans who have been visiting Europe.
Foreigners visiting Schengen area
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, the ban applies to all foreigners who have been in the Schengen area for 14 days before entering the United States.
President Trump justified the travel ban by the EU's lenient action against the coronavirus.
The United Kingdom (UK) is the exception to the ban. The reason for this is not yet known. There are also coronavirus infections and deaths in the UK.
