(Fighting new crown pneumonia) U.S. announces outbreak of unnecessary travel to North-South border due to outbreak
China News Service, Washington, March 20 (Reporter Chen Mengtong) The US government announced on the 20th that in order to control the epidemic of the new crown pneumonia, the United States will restrict unnecessary travel on the US-Mexico border, and bilateral economic and trade activities will not be affected by this.
The United States has announced on the 18th that it temporarily closed the northern border with Canada and banned unnecessary travel. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said at the White House on the 20th that the two measures will take effect on March 21.
US President Trump emphasized at a press conference at the White House that the new rules will not prevent legitimate trade and business activities between the United States and Canada and Mexico. He also revealed that Mexico will take action to suspend European flights to Mexico to prevent people from transiting the country to the United States.
Wolff said that basic business activities on the North-South border of the United States will not be affected and "we will continue to maintain a strong and secure cross-border economic supply chain."
US Secretary of State Pompeo said at the press conference that the US side will re-evaluate whether this policy will continue to be implemented after 30 days. He also reminded that the US State Department has issued a four-level travel warning that US citizens "should arrange immediate return home" unless they intend to stay abroad for a long time.
Trump also announced two financial aid measures on the same day: extending the current tax cut-off date originally set on April 15 for three months to July 15; exempting student loan interest in the next 60 days.
In the past 24 hours, California and New York State have announced "Home Orders", asking local people to avoid unnecessary outings. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fossey, said on the 20th that he "strongly supports" the decision of the governors of the two states and urges local people to cooperate with the governor and mayor's anti-epidemic measures.
"No one is immune." The White House New Crown Pneumonia Epidemic Coordinator, Box, refuted the statement that "a specific group of people is immune to the new crown pneumonia virus." She said, "We don't know if the level of infection with neocoronavirus varies among different age groups, but we do know that it is highly contagious to everyone. Do not interpret mild or moderate symptoms as your immunity to neocoronavirus. "
US Presidential Advisor and Trump daughter Ivanka also attended the press conference that day. The Capitol Hill newspaper said she had been working from home for the past week, and returned to the White House on the 20th after the test for a new crown virus was negative. In early March, an Australian official participating in the event with Ivanka tested positive for New Crown virus. (Finish)