Here’s How Trump’s Europe Travel Ban Will Work, And Why Experts Warn It Won’t Stop Coronavirus


Topline: President Donald Trump has banned foreign nationals travelling from 26 European countries to the U.S. for 30 days, in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19, but the measure appears to go against WHO advice, while EU leaders are disputing just how effective such a ban is. 

Here’s how it will work:

Who is impacted by Trump’s travel ban?

Citizens from the 26 countries in the Schengen Area, a zone where passport and border checks have been scrapped. The countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Italy, which has become the largest cluster of cases of the pneumonia-like virus outside China, has taken extreme steps to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, by enforcing a nationwide lockdown of its 60 million people, while the Italian government has imposed a closure of businesses apart from pharmacies and grocery stores.

How will it work?

The ban is suspending the entry of foreign nationals who have been within any of the above countries in the 14 days before their scheduled arrival in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security says. 

The U.K. and Ireland have been excluded from the temporary ban, even though officials in London have recorded 460 cases of the virus, and Ireland ordered the closure of all schools and universities as the total number of cases rose to 43.

Why has the U.K. been singled out?

Britain and Ireland are not part of the border-free Schengen area. Politico also highlighted that Trump organizations owns golf resorts and hotels in both countries. 

Are there any loopholes?

The travel ban doesn’t kick in until midnight on Friday, March 13. 

U.S. citizens who are permanent residents in the countries affected by the ban, are exempt. “Immediate family members” of U.S. citizens are also not included in the ban, the DHS said. This includes, spouses, children, siblings or parents of U.S. citizens who are not themselves U.S. passport holders.

There is also a loophole for foreign government officials and United Nations staff.

Is a travel ban an effective measure?

The Department of Homeland Security claims that earlier bans on travel from people travelling from China, the centre of the outbreak, and Iran, a severe hotspot, have slowed the spread of the virus. Many cases in the U.S. have originated from overseas travel while there are concerns that the number of cases could be far higher than those that have already been confirmed. Testing for the coronavirus in the States is still very limited

The World Health Organization advises against travel bans in most cases as it says it could have adverse effects on local economies, aid and businesses.

What will the economic cost of this be?

Airline body IATA previously warned that the impact of a drop in demand for flights could see a revenue loss of up to $130 billion this year. But that was before Trump’s travel ban. Government officials were forced to clarify that cargo is not included and that goods would not be stopped. He said that trade would not be affected.

What do critics say?

European Union leaders are not at all pleased. In a statement on Thursday, its presidents said: “The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action. The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.

“The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus,” they added.

Britain’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that the scientific evidence did not support calls for travel ban.

What else is the U.S. doing to contain Covid-19 spread?

There have been more than 1,300 cases of Covid-19 in the U.S. to date, while almost 40 people have died. 

Trump’s European travel ban is the first major intervention from the White House to address a fast growing domestic crisis. The Federal government has yet to declare an emergency despite individual states taking steps to contain the pneumonia-like virus despite a national shortage of coronavirus testing kits hamstringing operations.

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