TRUMP’S BAN SPARKS TRAVEL MAYHEM
Thousands in limbo as he outlaws flights from 26 European nations
‘We suddenly got told to leave’
A TRAVEL ban implemented by Donald Trump triggered anger and confusion yesterday among air passengers.
Thousands of British holidaymakers were warned not to set foot in mainland Europe or face being banned from the US.
Last night, Heathrow Airport confirmed that all passengers will have their recent travel history checked by their airline – meaning hundreds could be blocked from boarding US-bound flights.
The chaos followed President Trump’s decision to restrict all travel to the US from anyone who has recently entered 26 nations within the Schengen free-movement zone in Europe – which doesn’t include the UK.
In an address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, Mr Trump described the restrictions as vital in the war against coronavirus. EU leaders and airport authorities said they were ‘blindsided’ by the sudden announcement, which triggered chaotic scenes at airports across the continent as passengers – many in floods of tears – tried to make sense of the new rules.
Experts also questioned the effectiveness of the ban. David Nabarro of the World Health Organisation said: ‘It’s not quite clear why some countries have been selected and some haven’t.’
Dr Bruce Aylward, who led a WHO team in China during the outbreak, said travel bans ‘generally aren’t part’ of the response.
‘What we found… as a pretty robust principle, is that it doesn’t help to restrict movement.’
In Norway, officials unveiled the ‘strongest ever peacetime measures’ in the nation’s history, including a ban on health workers leaving the country. In the Czech Republic, ministers declared a 30day state of emergency and closed borders with 15 countries.
The EU-US travel ban came into force at 4am on Saturday and will last for 30 days.
Although the UK and Ireland are excluded, the President’s proclamation suggests that anyone who has entered the Schengen zone in the 14 days before their arrival in the US – British or otherwise – will no longer be able to enter the US. It has thrown the travel plans of tens of thousands into serious doubt, and also means that British travellers won’t be able to travel to the US via airports in countries affected by the ban.
There is much confusion over how the restrictions will be enforced, and whether or not EU citizens will be able to travel to the US if they fly to London and travel onwards from there.
Following President Trump’s address, the US Department of Homeland Security promised clarity within 48 hours.
The EU Commission told of its fury at the ban – which threatens to further damage struggling airlines. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: ‘The coronavirus is not limited to any continent and it requires co-operation rather than unilateral action.’
It triggered a rush of US travellers trying to get home, fearing restrictions could be tightened or extended in the coming days.
At Heathrow, British Airways workers said they had been inundated by US customers who had been travelling in the EU and were now confused about how the new policy could affect them. While some had their flights rescheduled free of charge, others had to pay thousands of pounds.
‘It’s totally unprecedented, we’ve never seen anything like it’ said one British Airways manager.
‘We’ve mostly had Americans who were on their way to Europe but are now turning straight back home. The check-in desks have been non-stop all day.’
US student Olivia Larson, 25, said she had been in the UK for just five hours and had already booked a flight home to Boston. ‘I was planning to stay in Europe until this Saturday,’ she said. ‘But I got the call last night about what was happening and decided to just go.’
US citizen Alyssa Gourlay, 35, said: ‘I’ve been in London since last Sunday for a conference and have been interacting mostly with other Europeans. At the start of the week, nobody was really concerned. Then we all just suddenly got told to leave. I don’t think anybody really knows what’s going to happen when we land.’