Trump restricts travel from Brazil as coronavirus cases spike

The US will temporarily restrict travel from Brazil in order to slow the spread of Covid-19, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement on Sunday. The order suspends entry into the US for foreigners who "were physically present within the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States."
It does not apply to US citizens, legal permanent residents, or their family members and goes into effect on Thursday at 11:59 p.m. The order also excludes "the free flow of commerce" between the US and Brazil.
McEnany said that the move by President Donald Trump will be enacted in order to "protect our country" as the number of coronavirus cases in Brazil continues to spike.
Brazil, which has more than 347,000 confirmed cases, surpassed Russia in recent days and now trails only the US in its total number of infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The Trump administration previously halted travel from China in late January and Iran in February. In March, weeks after the virus had already taken hold in Europe, the ban was extended to the Schengen Area - which includes 26 European countries - as well as the UK and Ireland.