EU closes external borders to all nonessential travel

The European Union has shut down its external borders as the new coronavirus continues to spread.

Nonessential travel from outside countries into the 27-country bloc will be temporarily blocked, the EU announced Tuesday. Necessary travel, such as to transfer food and medicine, will still be allowed to proceed. EU citizens outside of the bloc will also be allowed back in.

The EU doesn't have strong power over its members, and some countries have already enacted COVID-19 policies that don't benefit other members. COVID-19 has already spread throughout much of the EU, hitting member country Italy particularly hard. Italy has reported 2,503 deaths from COVID-19, while France enacted a 15-day lockdown on Tuesday.

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The Trump administration last week placed a ban on travel from Europe, save for U.S. citizens returning home.