One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Trump Administration Announces Ban On Foreigners Who Have Visited China
Pedestrians wear face masks as they walk outside the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau on January 22, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
Foreign travelers who have been in China in the last 14 days and don't have immediate family in the United States will be banned from entering the U.S. starting Sunday at 2 p.m. Pacific time.
The restriction was announced at a press conference in Washington where U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Azar also said that any U.S. citizen who has been in Hubei Province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. The capital city of Hubei Province is Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak began.
It wasn't clear how long the restrictions will be in effect.
Public health officials who spoke at the press conference said the risk to Americans of contracting the virus remains low.
HHS' Alex Azar (@SecAzar) declares the Coronavirus a public health emergency. Azar adds: "I want to stress, the risk to Americans for infection remains low"
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 31, 2020
Watch full WH briefing -- https://t.co/WCJ49LUOYT pic.twitter.com/8R38kmGMeZ
GO DEEPER:
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
