US Vice President Mike Pence announced on Saturday that travel from the UK and Ireland will be suspended starting Monday night.
This is in addition to the previous US ban applying to the 26 countries in the Schengen free movement zone. Guidance issued from the Department of Homeland Security clarified the ban did not apply to American citizens or their family members.
The US already has other restrictions in place: passengers who have been in China and Iran in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter, while US citizens who’ve been in China in the past 14 days can enter the US, but will be directed via one of 11 airports where they will undergo health screening.
The airports are: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York (JFK or EWR), San Francisco, Seattle and Washington.
Other countries have been tightening existing restrictions as Europe has been declared the new epicentre of the virus spread:
- Australia will require “all people” arriving in the country after midnight local time Monday to self-quarantine for 14 days, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday at a news conference. Passengers who have been in China, Iran, South Korea or Italy in the last 14 days are not allowed to enter or transit through Australia for 14 days, from the time they exited those countries. This does not apply to airline crew, Australian nationals and their immediate family members, or New Zealand nationals resident in Australia, who are instead required to self-isolate for 14 days.
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China: On Wednesday, Beijing announced a 14-day mandatory quarantine on all international travellers arriving in the Chinese capital. Meanwhile, international business travellers will be required to stay at a select number of designated hotels in Beijing where they will be tested for the virus. They will not be allowed to leave until their test results have been returned.
- Hong Kong: Passengers who have been in or through South Korea or China’s Hubei province in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter Hong Kong, and neither are Chinese nationals with a passport issued in Hubei.
Hong Kong nationals and residents are exempt. Instead, they face a 14-day mandatory quarantine. Passengers arriving from or having been in China, Iran or Italy’s Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions in the past 14 days are subject to the quarantine.
- India is now suspending all tourist visas and enforcing a 14-day quarantine on all travelers, including returning Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Spain.
- Italy: Passengers arriving as tourists are not allowed to enter via airports in the following areas: Alessandria, Asti, Lombardy, Modena, Novara, Padova, Parma, Pesaro and Urbino, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Treviso-Venice, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli.
- Japan is banning entry for passengers who have been in affected regions of China, South Korea or Italy within the last 14 days. Japanese nationals are exempt, as are their spouses and children, if the relations are verified.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on 14 March that all travellers entering the country will be required to “self-isolate” for 14 days. The new measures went into effect at midnight on 15 March local time and apply to nearly every traveller, regardless of nationality, including New Zealand citizens and residents.
- Russia: Nationals of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran and Italy are not allowed in Russia, but exemptions are made for airline crew and foreign nationals resident in Russia.
- Saudi Arabia: Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina are under a temporary ban, unless the pilgrims are nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates who have obtained permits.
- Spain: A state of emergency has already been declared in Spain and strict lockdown policies including restrictions on travel in and out of the country are expected. On Saturday, at least five Spain-bound airplanes belonging to low-cost carrier Jet2 turned back to the UK mid-air. The company said it was acting in response to measures introduced by the Spanish government.
- Singapore: From midnight on Monday local time, all travellers entering Singapore with recent travel history to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Japan, Switzerland or the UK within the last 14 days will be issued with a 14-day “Stay-Home Notice” and will have to provide proof of the place where they will stay.
- Turkey: Turkey has halted travel to and from nine European countries: Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. Nationals of those countries are not allowed to enter the country.
