Amid coronavirus scare, US suspends all travel from Europe for 30 days

President
Donald Trump said he will suspend all travel from Europe to the US for the next
30 days, the most far-reaching measure yet in the administration’s efforts to
combat the spread of coronavirus.

The
restrictions, which will not apply to the UK, will go into effect Friday at
midnight, he said Wednesday in an Oval Office address.

The
president scheduled the remarks to lay out his plan for dealing with the rapid
spread of a disease he labelled a “foreign virus” that has led to more than
1,100 infections in the US and ravaged markets. The S&P 500 closed
Wednesday 19% lower than its February high, with every industry down at least
3.9% on the day.

The World
Health Organization earlier Wednesday declared the outbreak is now a pandemic
and urged governments to step up containment efforts as the number of worldwide
cases topped 123,000 and deaths exceeded 4,500.

Trump
claimed that his early action to restrict travel from China and other affected
countries slowed the spread of the virus in the U.S. He said the administration
is “monitoring the situation in China and South Korea,” and that “a possible
early opening” could happen if the situation improves.

The
president asked Congress to take action to deliver paid sick leave to hourly
workers who risk their livelihoods if they stay home. He also recommended that
nursing homes curtail non-medically necessary visits.

Trump said
he is deferring tax payments for certain individuals and businesses affected by
the virus. He said the postponement would provide $200 billion in additional
liquidity.