- Title: Travel bans, transit lockdowns, peaceful streets - life with coronavirus
- Date: 12th March 2020
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 11, 2020) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: "After consulting with our top government health professionals, I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans to keep new cases from entering our shores. We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days."
- Embargoed: 26th March 2020 14:42
- Keywords: Italy The Who Tom Hanks Trump announcement airport passengers coronavirus coronavirus business impact prepper travel ban
- Location: SEE SCRIPT BODY FOR LOCATIONS
- City: SEE SCRIPT BODY FOR LOCATIONS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4QYUDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Travellers scrambled to rebook flights and markets reeled on Thursday (March 12) after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on travel from Europe, hitting battered airlines and heightening global alarm over the coronavirus.
Trump announced he will limit travel from continental Europe for 30 days.
The announcement created panic for travellers around the world.
"Well it kind of ruined my travel plans. I arrived here yesterday and so in 24 hours everything has changed pretty quickly. Unfortunately it is too hard to predict it this time so it is better for me just to return home before I'm stuck in quarantine," said Keasy, an American traveller in Madrid's airport.
"I think it is rather difficult to say at the moment whether the U.S. can really seal themselves off that way, to avoid coronavirus coming to them this way. I find it excessive and I think they did not do themselves or their economy a favour," added traveller Christian Juenemann in Frankfurt.
The outbreak has disrupted industry, travel, entertainment and sports worldwide.
In Italy, where the entire nation of 90 million people is on lockdown, streets, plazas and famous landmarks were occupied by stray cats and pigeons.
Responding to the spread of the coronavirus in Europe's worst affected country, the Italian government has banned all non-essential travel and public gatherings until April 3 and closed schools and universities nationwide.
India also declared a travel ban. The government has suspended the vast majority of visas to the country in a wide-reaching attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"The step taken by the government is a very good one. The people who are coming from outside should be stopped as people in India are at risk," said tourist Vandana Gaekwad.
In entertainment news, Oscar-winning American actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive in Australia, where Hanks is on a film shoot.
The British rock band The Who cancelled their UK tour and the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended the season until further notice.
The impact of coronavirus on tourism is being felt across the world.
"The impact of coronavirus on San Francisco small businesses has been simply devastating," said Jay Cheng of San Francisco's Chamber of Commerce. "We've heard about restaurants who've had 50 percent, 40 percent reduction in reservations. We hear from retailers who have 70 percent drop in foot traffic."
Trading on Wall Street on Thursday was halted minutes after the opening bell as the S&P 500 slid 7% and triggered a 15-minute cutout. The indexes are now more than 24% below their intraday record highs hit in February.
Coronavirus has some people are preparing for the worst.
In Sydney, Australia, Dianne Regan said she is taking no risks. Regan is preparing for what she says is just a matter of "when" her family is under quarantine from coronavirus.
Her pantry is full and so is a storage box in her living room. She has enough food for up to eight weeks.
"You need to stock up on things like, longlife milk, noodles, rice, pasta, sauces. I have Mexican food, Indian food, all different types of things that we eat each week. Vitamins and don't forget about your pets, you need stock up on pet food."
There were 128 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia. The coronavirus has infected more than 126,000 people across the world, the vast majority in China, and killed 4,624, according to a Reuters tally.
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