Trump’s travel ban will do NOTHING to stop coronavirus spreading person-to-person in the US and could make it worse by giving people a false sense of security, top WHO doctor warns as EU commission slams ‘unilateral decision’
- Dr Margaret Harris warned Trump’s travel ban won’t help US fight coronavirus
- She said restrictions had come too late because virus is already spreading in US
- Ban may cause virus to spread faster by giving false sense of security, she added
- Trump has banned travel to the US from any country in the EU’s border-free zone
- EU Commission said it ‘disapproves’ of decision taken without consultation
Trump’s European travel ban will do little to help the US combat coronavirus and may actually help the disease spread by giving people a false sense of security, a top doctor has warned.
Margaret Harris, with the World Health Organisation, said that while travel bans are useful in the early stages of an outbreak, they are of little use when the disease starts spreading freely within communities – as it has in the US.
Rather than focus efforts on closing borders, she urged countries including the US to stop the spread within their own borders by rapidly testing people for the virus and ensuring they get appropriate treatment.
Meanwhile the EU Commission said it ‘disapproved’ of Trump’s decision, which was taken without consultation leading to confusion over how it would be implemented.
Oval Office address: Donald Trump finally addressed the nation about the coronavirus crisis from the White House on Wednesday and banned all travel to Europe
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Dr Harris said: ‘We are not keen on travel bans generally because it makes [countries] focus on managing their borders rather than focusing on… the spread within the community.
‘[The focus should be on] stopping the spread within the community and really supporting the health system to be able to look after the people that are and do get severely ill.
‘Early on… when you’ve got a big outbreak in one place and you’ve got no transfer within your community [a travel ban] can make a difference, but it’s something you need to keep on reassessing.
‘[Now] it gives a false sense of security because you think “ah yes, we’re doing something” but if [the virus] is already in your community your focus needs to be on stopping it there.
‘Just because people are from a particular country doesn’t mean they may have it, your own nationals who have been visiting that country are just as likely to have it.’
She spoke after Donald Trump announced a complete ban on people traveling from any of the 26 countries within Europe’s border-free Schengen Zone to the US.
The ban will not apply to US citizens traveling from European countries back to the US, permanent residents, or their immediate relatives.
The ban will also not apply to UK and Irish citizens flying directly from their home countries.
However, confusion reigned over much of the hastily-announced plan, right down to the time it would kick in.
Trump said during his address that it would begin at ‘midnight’ on Friday, but did not make it clear which time zone he was referring to.
It was also not clear how airlines would rearrange their schedules to fit the new rules, and whether flights back to the US from Europe would actually keep running.
Further confusion was caused when Trump said during his statement that goods from Europe would also be included in the ban, then hastily clarified that they would actually be exempt.
Different US departments and officials also gave conflicting advice on what – if any – checks Americans would face in order to be allowed on flights and whether they will be quarantined on arrival in the US.
The Department of Homeland Security said it would need 48 hours – right up until the time the ban comes into effect – to figure out how it will be applied.