The U.K. government is advising citizens and residents against all travel to the U.S. in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a brief statement, the U.K. Foreign Office said it is “advising against all but essential travel to the USA,” a day after the U.S. government expanded its list of countries whose nationals are effectively banned from entering the U.S. to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The announcement by the U.K. authorities follows a move by the Trump administration to impose restrictions on foreign travelers entering the U.S. in an effort to help stem the number of infections of the coronavirus strain, COVID-19, which last week was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
UK and Ireland added to US travel ban amid COVID-19 concerns
The Trump administration initially spared the U.K. and Ireland from its 30-day European travel ban, which included France, Spain, and Italy — all of which this week saw massive increases in the number of citizens infected with the virus. But a day later, the U.K. and Ireland was also added to the list, with an effective ban on all U.K. and Irish travelers entering the U.S. beginning Monday night.
The Foreign Office said the restrictions go into effect immediately as of Sunday.
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U.S. citizens — including dual citizens — and lawful permanent residents are exempt from the ban, but may be asked to self-isolate upon arrival for 14 days out of caution.
A Foreign Office spokesperson told TechCrunch by phone that, despite one report, U.S. travelers will not be banned from entering the U.K. in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
