Travel to California?
Maybe not in the near future.
That is, according to reports that President Trump is considering domestic travel restrictions and bans.
The hot spots would most likely be on the west coast and other densly populated metro areas.
Check out these reports:
Here are more details from ABC News:
Vice President Mike Pence said the United States is restricting travel to and from the United Kingdom and Ireland to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
He said this is slated to go into effect Monday at midnight.
Under the restrictions, 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, according to two people familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity before the official announcement expected Saturday.
During an impromptu news conference Saturday, President Donald Trump also said he is "considering" a domestic travel ban in certain areas of the country.
The president previously announced a 30-day restriction in travel to most of Europe, which the World Health Organization now labels the "epicenter" of the outbreak.
The United States has confirmed more than 2,000 cases and nearly 50 deaths. Cases were reported in 49 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
And from Breitbart:
President Trump says a domestic travel ban within the United States is “a possibility” to fight the spread of the coronavirus from Wuhan, China.
While answering questions at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he was not ruling out a plan to implement a domestic travel ban to stop state-to-state transmissions of the coronavirus.
The exchange went as follows:
REPORTER: Are you considering travel restrictions within the United States, such as to Washington State or California? [Emphasis added]
TRUMP: We haven’t discussed that yet. Is it a possibility? Yes. If somebody gets a little bit out of control, if an area gets too hot. You see what they’re doing in New Rochelle, which is — which is good, frankly. It’s the right thing. But then it’s not enforced, it’s not very strong but people know that they’re being watched … New Rochelle, that’s a hotspot. [Emphasis added]
Trump’s reference was to New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York — just above Manhattan — where neighborhoods have been under quarantine and where the U.S. National Guard has been sent in to enforce travel restrictions.
The remarks come as a passenger traveling from John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York City tested positive for the coronavirus upon landing in Palm Beach, Florida. The nation’s leading health experts have said containing migration and travel to and within the U.S. is critical to stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
The USA Today confirms:
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday said the government is considering domestic travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic and added United Kingdom and Ireland to the Europe travel restrictions that went into effect late Friday.
They did not offer specifics on domestic flight restrictions but Trump said earlier in the week that they would be considered if "an area gets a little bit out of control'' in terms of coronavirus cases.
Pence said at a White House news conference Saturday that a "broad range of measures'' are under consideration.
"But no decisions have been made yet,'' he said.
Asked if people should be traveling, Trump recommended against it.
"If you don't have to travel I wouldn’t do it,'' he said. "We want this thing to end. We don't want a lot of people getting infected.''
Extensive domestic flight restrictions would further cripple an already struggling U.S. airline industry and lead to more flight cuts. Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest domestic carrier, might face a disproportionate hit, though CEO Gary Kelly has already said the airline has seen a "9/11-like" drop in bookings even without serving Asia or Europe.
The talk of domestic travel restrictions comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday issued an unusual advisory on travel within the United States on its website. The headline: "Should I travel within the United States?''
The CDC said it doesn't generally issue advisories or restrictions for travel within the United States but is doing so because cases of COVID-19 have been reported in many states and some areas are experiencing community spread.
"Crowded travel settings, like airports, may increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19, if there are other travelers with COVID-19. There are several things you should consider when deciding whether it is safe for you to travel."
More was announced at this press conference:
The most recent development in just the last few hours is that Dr. Fauci says domestric travel restrictions are not necessary at this time.
But this virus is so fast developing that may soon change.
From the NY Post:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, said he doesn’t see the need “in the immediate future” for the US to implement travel restrictions domestically because of the outbreak.
“I mean, they’ve been discussed, but not seriously discussed,” Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week”Sunday. “I don’t see that right now or in the immediate future. But remember, we are very open-minded about whatever it takes to preserve the health of the American public.”
President Trump raised the idea of limiting travel in the US during a White House news conference Saturday.
“If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it. We want this thing to end. We don’t want a lot of people getting infected,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said visitors from states with outbreaks are traveling to other areas of the country and infecting people.
“We’re seeing cases where people clearly contracted it somewhere else and brought it here,” DeSantis said on Saturday.
Florida has 113 coronavirus cases and four deaths.
The Trump administration has instituted travel bans for China, South Korea, Iran, Europe and the United Kingdom and Ireland as global cases of coronavirus have surpassed 162,000 and the death toll is at 6,069.
American citizens returning home from overseas have been met with long lines for screening at airports across the country.
Fauci, who heads up the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the government doesn’t like to see such large crowds because of the ease of spreading the virus.
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