On Wednesday night, President Trump announced a 30-day ban on foreign nationals coming from 26 European counties to the U.S. The ban, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. today, will deny entry to any foreign national who has traveled during the last 14 days to: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, and, in most cases, individuals with family ties to an American citizen will be allowed into back into the U.S. through one of the 11 government-approved airports. The ban does not affect UK or Irish citizens.
The ban is likely to have a profound impact on trans-Atlantic air cargo trade
While the ban does not apply to the movement of goods, the airlines will significantly reduce their capacity in the event that passenger demand significantly recedes in the coming weeks, with some experts estimating that up to 80% of the belly capacity will be gone. As of this morning, rates to the U.S. have already skyrocketed.
While cargo flights are not restricted by the ban, it is unlikely that freighter aircraft could fill the void, as the majority of the world’s freighter fleet operates the Asia-Pacific trade lane.
There have been no further updates from the seafreight sector.
At a press conference this afternoon, President Trump declared a National Emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. The declaration will free up as much as $50 billion in financial resources to assist Americans affected by the outbreak and will give emergency management more access to resources.
New England
In an effort to contain the virus, many New England states have also begun implemented bans.
Massachusetts
After declaring a state of emergency earlier this week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced today a ban on all gatherings of 250 people or more, including faith-based gatherings, fairs, parades, fundraisers and conventions. The ban does not include airports, hospitals, offices, restaurants, or stores. While Gov. Baker did not make a blanket declaration about schools in the state, each district will be able to make the determination for themselves, and over 100 school districts have already announced closures for the next two weeks. Nursing homes have been directed to actively screen and restrict access to visitors who display signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection or who have had contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 to ensure the safety and health of residents and staff.
Rhode Island
Gov. Gina Raimondo has declared a state of emergency and announced a ban on all gatherings of 250 people or more. All K-12 schools will be closed beginning March 16 until the April spring break. All nursing homes in the state have banned visitors to protect the elderly who are already in a weakened state of health.
Connecticut
While Connecticut has not issued any bans, many districts have announced school closings until further notice.
Maine
Yesterday, Gov. Janet Mills announced the state’s first presumptive case of COVID-19.
New Hampshire
There are currently no announcements.
Vermont
There are currently no announcements.
Italy
As of this morning, there have been 15,113 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Italy. All bars, restaurants, and shops have been ordered to close for at least 2 weeks in an effort to contain the spread of the virus to the worst hit country in Europe. Only grocery stores and pharmacies are allowed to remain open.
Denmark / Ireland
Denmark has closed all schools and public institutions, such as libraries, and plans to ban indoor events with crowds larger than 100. Ireland plans to put in the same restrictions as Denmark.
Poland
Residents have been asked to work from home wherever possible in accordance with Polish law.
Slovakia
All international bus and train travel has been stopped. Anyone entering Slovakia will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine.
Lithuania / Norway
All schools are closing.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is closing its borders to all non-residents.
South Korea
South Korea has seen a decrease in the number of new infections for four consecutive days.
China
Factories in mainland China continue to re-open and ramp up production, with the exception of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Many factories have achieved production levels of 65-95%. Despite the return to normal activity, blanked sailings continue due to low demand in the market.
