Jan 31, 2020 - Politics & Policy

U.S. declares “public health emergency” on coronavirus

Marisa Fernandez

Samuel Corum/Getty Images) — HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

On Sunday, the United States will deny entry into the country to any foreign national who poses a risk of transmitting the coronavirus, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday.

Why it matters: The public health emergency comes with a quarantine for U.S. citizens arriving from Hubei province, and a temporary ban on foreigners without family in the U.S. who have recently visited China.

What they're saying: While the temporary ban may appear dramatic, Azar defended the decision saying American actions will "complement the work of China and the World Health Organization."

"The United States government will implement temporary measures to increase our abilities to detect and contain the coronavirus proactively and aggressively."

Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted: "President @realDonaldTrump is taking measured and decisive action to protect the American people against #coronavirus. The current risk to the American public is low. As the Task Force recommended, we are pausing travel activities to keep it that way."

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U.S. declares “public health emergency” on coronavirus

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