President Trump imposes travel ban on Europe, prompting travel cancellations in Westport
Infographic by Jack Dennison '21
President Trump banned all travel between the U.S. and the European Union for 30 days last Wednesday, effective March 13, to help control the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He later included the United Kingdom and Ireland in the ban, and advised Americans not to gather in groups of more than ten people.
President Trump banned all travel between the U.S. and the European Union for 30 days last Wednesday, effective March 13, to help control the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He later included the United Kingdom and Ireland in the ban, and advised Americans not to gather in groups of more than ten people.
While this travel ban does not affect United States citizens abroad, it has made many Staples students cancel upcoming trips.
“My cousins and my family were planning a trip to Italy over April break,” Owen Dolan ’21 said. “As we got closer, however, with the spread of the Coronavirus, we quickly were doubting if the trip would be happening. At this point we have called off the trip and we are staying home and not thinking of any other trips.”
Trump, in an oval office address to the public, explained that this decision comes after countries in the European Union did not take strong enough measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
“The European Union failed to take the same precautions [as the United States] and restrict travel from China and other hot spots,” Trump said. “As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were ceded from countries in Europe.”
Representative Jim Himes spoke out against the ban. “Nothing about the President’s ban on travel from certain European countries makes much sense,” he wrote in a tweet. “I will be asking lots of questions about this tomorrow.”
“Americans are at risk and dying,” he added in another tweet. “The vision and competence of our national leadership will determine how many.”
The cases in Europe have been rising. As of March 15, there are over 21,000 cases in Italy and thousands of cases in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Cases in America have also been rising. As of March 17, there are over 4,600 confirmed cases in America. In Connecticut, there are 41 cases, over half of which are in Westport.
