Coronavirus: Trump bans travel from Europe to the US but exempts UK
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Describing the disease as a "foreign virus", Mr Trump announced a halt on all travel from the 26 countries in the Schengen open borders area of the EU, starting from 20 March. “The virus will not have a chance against us.” A White House release made clear that American citizens would still be able to return home once the European travel ban sets in, albeit to a "limited" number of airports with screening facilities. The European ban would also include exemptions for items being traded between the US and EU countries – but some final decisions have yet to be made, Mr Trump said. In a final sign the president is taking the virus more seriously, the White House issued a statement saying Mr Trump has cancelled a planned trip later this week to Colorado and Nevada – two states he wants to win to secure a second term – "out of an abundance of caution."