The United States has added Britain and Ireland to its European travel ban, the White House has confirmed.
The ban will come into effect at midnight Eastern Time (4am GMT) on Monday 16 March.
President Donald Trump originally did not include either Britain or Ireland in his 30-day ban on travellers, which applied to 26 European countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
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Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the news during a news conference from the White House today (Saturday 14 March).
He said: "The President has made a decision to suspend all travel to the UK and Ireland effective midnight Monday night EST."
Pence added that US citizens and legal residents will be allowed to come home, but will be 'funnelled' via specific airports.
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Donald Trump also confirmed that he has been tested for coronavirus, but has not yet received the result.
Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in the US yesterday, which he said will hugely benefit doctors in their fight against the pandemic.
Trump said he expects 'half a million additional tests will be available early next week', adding: "Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus."
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At the time of writing, there have been at least 50 deaths in the United States as a result of the virus, with 2,177 confirmed cases.
There have also been 21 deaths in the UK and one in Ireland, along with 1,143 confirmed cases in the UK and 90 in Ireland.
The UK death toll doubled today after the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed a further 10 patients died after testing positive for Covid-19.
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Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "I am sorry to confirm 10 further patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 in England have died.
"All 10 individuals were in the at risk groups.
"I understand this increase in the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 will be a cause for concern for many. The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives and protect the most vulnerable. Every single one of us has a role to play in achieving this.
"If you have a new continuous cough or high temperature, please stay at home for seven days. I also encourage everyone to be washing their hands for 20 seconds regularly.
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"I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends who have received this difficult news. I ask that their privacy is respected at this time."
It's okay to not panic. LADbible and UNILAD's aim with our campaign, Cutting Through, is to provide our community with facts and stories from the people who are either qualified to comment or have experienced first-hand the situation we're facing. For more information from the World Health Organisation on Coronavirus, click here.
Topics: News, coronavirus, US News
