U.S. confronts coronavirus with new tools
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States will expand its European travel restrictions to include Britain and Ireland as the U.S., armed with new tools against the pandemic, braced for it to get worse before it gets better. The government’s top infection expert warned that COVID-19 may surge within the nation in coming days.
Under the restrictions on European travel, American citizens, green-card holders and others are still allowed to return home to the U.S. but will be funneled to 13 airports and be subjected to health screenings and quarantine orders.
“If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it,” Trump said.
The House approved legislation early Saturday to provide direct relief to Americans suffering physically, financially and emotionally from the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate still must vote on the package. Trump supports it. As well, he declared a national emergency Friday, unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the crisis.
There was little hope of a quick turnaround.
“We will see more cases and we will see more suffering and death,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, “particularly among the vulnerables.” Yet he said “we still have opportunities” to lessen the severity of the pandemic. The U.S. has recorded at least 50 deaths and more than 2,700 confirmed infections.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to be over it.
The new travel restrictions come as Britain has seen its death toll from the virus nearly double from the day before to 21, and the number of people infected rise to over 1,100 from about 800 the previous day. Ireland had 90 confirmed cases and one death by Friday.
The U.S. said earlier in the week a 30-day restriction on flights covered only the 26-nation Schengen area, the European Union’s border-free travel zone, which excludes Britain and Ireland. Vice President Mike Pence said the restrictions on Britain and Ireland would go into effect midnight on
Monday night.
Pence added that federal officials were “considering a broad range of measures” for potential domestic travel restrictions but no decisions have been made. “We’re going to continue to follow the facts,” Pence said.
But a senior homeland security official, in a briefing held on condition that the official not be identified, said “there’s no expectation of any domestic travel restrictions at this time” by air or rail.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell canceled the coming week’s planned recess to deal with the matter. Senate Democrats called on McConnell, who let senators leave town for the weekend, to reconvene now and pass the aid package.
“Everyone is going to have new ideas, but that will slow things down,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat. “We have to act immediately.” With the president’s backing and robust Republican support from the House vote, passage appears likely.
Central to the aid package from Congress, which builds on an emergency $8.3 billion measure approved earlier, are the free testing, sick pay and family leave provisions.
Providing sick pay for workers is a crucial element of federal efforts to stop the rapid spread of the infection. Officials warn that the nation’s health care system could quickly become overwhelmed with gravely sick patients, as suddenly happened in Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.
The ability to ensure paychecks — for people self-quarantining or caring for others — can help assure Americans they will not fall into financial hardship. The legislation also offers three months of paid family and medical leave. Smalland mid-size employers will be reimbursed through tax credits.
Both Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised a third coronavirus package will follow soon, with more aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy, which economists fear has already slipped into recession.