The United States is introducing a travel ban for the 26 countries that comprise the Schengen area, the NOS reported, including the Netherlands. The ban will enter into force this coming Saturday at 4.59 am CET and will remain for a duration of 30 days.
The entry ban is supposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the US. However, this restriction does not apply to the UK. Furthermore, American citizens and permanent legal residents will not face restrictions (although additional screening might apply on entering the US).
Of course, this travel ban is causing a lot of confusion and uncertainty (and it’s an outright blow if you had a nice trip to the States coming up in the next). A further announcement by the US administration made clear that the ban wasn’t applicable to cargo flights.
So, corrections on the US travel ban for travel from Europe:
* It applies to the Schengen zone.
* US citizens will be exempted, but might be quarantined
* Cargo isn't affected
* It is unclear if airlines will continue these routes
* If you're European, please get out of the US— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) March 12, 2020
Obviously the travel industry is going to take an unprecedented hit with this travel ban. And it’s still somewhat unclear if you’re guaranteed to get your money back if you have to cancel or rebook.
COVID-19 hits hard
The coronavirus has now spread to more than 100 countries. Consequently the WHO has now declared the virus as a pandemic, although epidemiologists have said this for weeks now.
Furthermore, as a result of the virus stock shares have, as a consequence of this ban, have decreased around the world.
In the Netherlands, the region of North-Brabant is the first to cancel public events (such as football matches) due to the coronavirus and urge people to work from home, although other regions will likely follow.
More on the coronavirus
For more information about the coronavirus in the Netherlands, be sure to check out our guide to stay up-to-date with the most recent information.
You can also watch our video, where we touch upon questions like how did coronavirus come to the Netherlands? What can you do against it in daily life? Is the Netherlands properly prepared for a COVID-19 pandemic?
And if you’re feeling a little anxious about the coronavirus overload, this article might help.