Trump Aides Back Raising Europe Travel Warning Over Virus Spread
Trump Aides Back Raising Europe Travel Warning Over Virus Spread
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s advisers are recommending that the U.S. raise its travel alert to Level 3 for the entire European Union, a move that would mean Americans should avoid everything but essential travel to the 27-nation bloc and should self-quarantine for two weeks upon returning home, according to three people familiar with the matter.
While no final decision has been made, the move is among many measures the administration is considering as it seeks to control the growing spread of the coronavirus, according to the people. Trump would make the final decision on any change in the travel alert.
A Level 3 advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention means those countries are witnessing “widespread, ongoing transmission” of the virus. The people said that the recommendation would likely exclude the U.K.
Raising the alert for the European Union would be a clear sign of the administration’s view of the gravity of the threat from the coronavirus as it continues to spread quickly. Currently, the only countries classified under the CDC’s Level 3 travel health notice are China, Iran, Italy and South Korea.
State Department officials declined to comment. Reuters first reported that the administration is discussing travel limits on European countries.
To contact the reporters on this story: Nick Wadhams in Washington at nwadhams@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net;Ryan Beene in Washington at rbeene@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, ;Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Kevin Whitelaw
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