In a state of the nation address Wednesday night, President Donald Trump partly blamed Europe for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the United States, announcing that the White House had made the decision to suspend travel by foreigners from Europe's Schengen zone to the United States for 30 days, effective March 13. The United Kingdom is not included in the ban.
Trump finally seemed to acknowledge how dangerous the situation is in the US, with more than 1,300 confirmed cases of the disease and 38 deaths. But he also criticized Europe, which he claimed had “sent” a “large number of new teams” to the US by not closing flights from China in response to the “foreign” virus. (As for where the speech, it was reportedly Stephen Miller, a White House aide with ideological ties to the white nationalist movement.) The White House has been harshly criticized for its slow response to the pandemic in the U.S., including its failure to adequately test suspected cases, its mishandling of cases and safety protocols, and Trump’s insistence that criticism of its oversight of the situation was part of a Democratic “hoax.”
“The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other high-risk areas,” Trump said. “As a result, many travelers from Europe brought the virus to the United States. After consulting with the government’s top health professionals, I have decided to take many strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans.”.
“To prevent new cases from entering our country, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,” Trump said. “The new rules will go into effect at midnight on Friday. These restrictions will be adjusted based on conditions as they arise. There will be exemptions for Americans who have been properly tested, and these restrictions will not apply to trade, but to a variety of other things. Anything coming from Europe into the United States is what we are discussing.”.
Note that while Trump said during the speech that the entry bans would also apply to trade and cargo, he later clarified in a tweet that this would not apply. The same CDC guidance page on the virus states that “there is a very low risk of spread from products or packaging shipped over days or weeks at ambient temperatures.” The president also claimed in the speech that the restrictions apply to “all travel from Europe to the United States” except the United Kingdom, but the White House was also forced to clarify that they only apply to most foreigners (except those with special exemptions, such as those married to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) who have been in the Schengen area in the past 14 days.
The Schengen area is a group of 26 European countries covering most of Europe that have abolished passport and movement controls at their borders. It is unclear whether the Schengen area was actually chosen based on risk.
Trump also insisted during the address that for the “vast majority of Americans, the risk is very, very low,” reiterating assurances he has received from experts. There remain many unknowns about the coronavirus, which could potentially spread to the U.S. and overwhelm healthcare systems. While studies to date have found that more than 80% of cases result in only mild symptoms, the fatality rate is subject to many factors and has ranged from 0.5% in South Korea to 3.4% worldwide. Trump pointedly noted that the “highest risk is for older populations with underlying health conditions” and that they should be “very careful,” saying that the White House is advising older people to limit unnecessary travel and to be very careful.
It is unclear whether halting most travel from Europe will help stop the spread of the virus in the United States, as the virus has likely been spreading locally for weeks. Even assuming that travelers are not simply moving through airports without restrictions or that cases are not coming from outside Europe, the suspensions could prove pointless in the face of persistent local infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Robert Redfield said Wednesday that the virus is present in at least 38 states in the United States. Eliminating the spread of the virus will rely more on social distancing, in which Americans take steps to limit contact with others, including working from home and canceling events with large numbers of expected attendees.
“When you’re dealing with transmissions that look like influenza viruses, it’s like trying to control the wind,” Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told Fortune. “People may want to try to limit their time in large crowds, but I don’t think that kind of travel is going to help at all.”
“This virus is already all over the country,” Osterholm added. “Think of it like the seasonal flu. And when was the last time anyone thought about quarantining the United States for a seasonal flu?”
Trump also announced measures to try to support the economy in response to the coronavirus. They included suspending Treasury payments, plans to introduce a payroll tax cut, and increasing the Small Business Administration loan program by $50 billion.
“The virus will not stand a chance against us,” Trump said. “No nation is more prepared than the United States. We have the best economy, the most advanced health care , and the most talented doctors, scientists , and researchers anywhere in the world. We are all in this together.”
