Trump suspends travel from Europe for 30 days as coronavirus cases continue to grow

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 30-day ban on foreign visitors from most of Europe in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In a rare address from the Oval Office, Trump said the European Union had “failed to take the same precautions” as the U.S. had implemented to contain the coronavirus outbreak, prompting his decision to temporarily suspend travel between the two continents. The restrictions will not apply to the United Kingdom, where the number of confirmed cases topped 400 on Wednesday.

“We made a life-saving move with early action on China. Now we must take the same action with Europe,” Trump said in an 11-minute televised address, referencing his February move to restrict travel from China, where the virus began. “Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow.”