Do Not Panic! This Too Shall Pass.
What’s going on now?
On Wednesday Morning, Donald Trump announced that in response to the ongoing coronavirus situation, travel by foreign nationals to the US from 26 European countries is now to be prohibited for 30, beginning Friday, March 13 at midnight.
The news follows the announcement by the World Health Organization hours earlier declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. These travel restrictions do not apply to the UK, and U.S. citizens traveling in Europe will be exempt.
American travelers will have to undergo screenings before they come back to the U.S.
Passengers will need to travel through select airports where the U.S. has implemented enhanced screening procedures. Vice President Pence said Thursday there are 13 of these airports and added that travelers returning to the U.S. from Europe will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning. If you have plans of returning through an unapproved airport, we will contact you to help make other arrangements.
The order does not prohibit travel by legal permanent residents and the immediate family members of U.S. citizens. Our clients will be able to return without problems. If you are abroad and need any assistance, and as usual, please contact us if you have any questions.
How is the Media playing a factor?
The COVID virus has attracted far more media attention than that of its similar comparable virus epidemics. We see this for several reasons. First, the news media tends to sensationalize things that bring in exciting headlines. Second, with each new circulating pandemic we see more and more citizens with access to media propagating and spreading what evolves to fear. We have unfortunately seen similar cycles in reacting to such outbreaks, and we know that the possibility of getting sick is real, but we encourage you to take a look at the facts.
But I thought the virus was on its way out?
This illness spreads like any other. We are fortunate to know now that this disease is now spreading at a dramatically slower rate. We are also optimistic to see that the majority of infections, as shown below, are mild.
We know that you may be feeling uncertain in these troubled times, but we are here to help with answers to your every question. Call or contact us today to get to know more.