TRUMP’S BAN SPAR
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.
Meanwhile, countries around the world dramatically increased steps to tackle the pandemic.
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 US cruise giant Princess Cruises announced a two-month suspension of all ocean voyages.
The EU-US travel ban came into force at 4am this morning 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
‘We suddenly got told to leave’
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.’
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.’
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.
‘Everything we hear is changing every hour so we don’t know yet how Trump’s ban will work.
‘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.’
Long queues were also forming around Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic desks as passengers tried to rearrange their travel plans.
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’ve been in Barcelona since last weekend. 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 because I work for a global company 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.’
A Heathrow spokesman said: ‘Following the US government’s announcement, we are working through exactly what this means for passengers.’ The US Department for Homeland Security was contacted for comment.
‘To be honest, America’s been self-isolating since Trump be came President’
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