CDC advises Americans to avoid 'nonessential' Europe trips. State Department urges no foreign travel.

Empty airport in Milan
(Image credit: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its strongest travel warning late Wednesday, urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential travel" to Europe. Shortly before the CDC issued its level 3 warning, President Trump had announced a presidential proclamation barring most foreign nationals who had recently been in Europe from entering the U.S. Like Trump's proclamation, the CDC warning did not cover the United Kingdom or Ireland, both of which also have coronavirus outbreaks. The CDC had previously issued similar warnings for China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy.

The State Department went a step further Wednesday night, issuing a level 3 (of four) global health advisory urging Americans to "reconsider travel abroad due to the global impact" of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Separately, the Pentagon suspended travel to several coronavirus-hit countries for 60 days, affecting all service members, employees, and their families.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.