One final viral infusion: Trump's move to block travel from Europe triggered chaos and a surge of pa

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

One final viral infusion: Trump’s move to block travel from Europe triggered chaos and a surge of passengers from the outbreak’s center

By Greg Miller, Josh Dawsey and Aaron C. Davis
5/23/2020, 11:14:00 a.m.

In the final days before the United States faced a full-blown epidemic, President Trump made a last-ditch attempt to prevent people infected with the coronavirus from reaching the country.

“To keep new cases from entering our shores,” Trump said in an Oval Office address on March 11, “we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.”

Across the Atlantic, Jack Siebert, an American college student spending a semester in Spain, was battling raging headaches, shortness of breath and fevers that touched 104 degrees. Concerned about his condition for travel but alarmed by the president’s announcement, his parents scrambled to book a flight home for their son — an impulse shared by thousands of Americans who rushed to get flights out of Europe.

Siebert arrived at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago three days later as the new U.S. restrictions — including mandatory medical screenings — went into effect. He encountered crowds of people packed in tight corridors, stood in lines in which he snaked past other travelers for nearly five hours and tried to direct any cough or sneeze into his sleeve.

When he finally reached the coronavirus checkpoint near baggage pickup, Siebert reported his prior symptoms and described his exposure in Spain. But the screeners waived him through with a cursory temperature check. He was given instructions to self-isolate that struck him as absurd given the conditions he had just encountered at the airport.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/one-final-viral-infusion-trumps-move-to-block-travel-from-europe-triggered-chaos-and-a-surge-of-passengers-from-the-outbreaks-center/2020/05/23/64836a00-962b-11ea-82b4-c8db161ff6e5_story.html

[captain queeg]

1. I remember seeing the pictures of the crowds at the airport

Another stupid move by Desperate Donny. Many things he’s done have made the situation worse. I wonder if anyone tracked those folks who were in the crowded lines? Probably not, none of his measures have been thought out and if any records were kept you can bet the results were buried.

[tanyev]

3. And that happened at multiple airports.

[lostnfound]

4. Donny could not have done more damage if he had tried. Maybe he did try. Nt

[Historic NY]

2. The biggest cause of the virus spreading Donald J Trump the scientist.

He decided to import the virus.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Brilliant!!!!!

[IronLionZion]

6. Dr. Fauci warned about this back in March while it was happening

That Americans don't need to all rush back at once to crowd the airports because there aren't enough resources to screen or to even social distance. So that crowding for hours at the international arrival terminals would spread it around to everyone in the room. Masks were not widespread at the time. And it was too many people breathing in shared air, so even if they didn't catch it in the other countries or on the flight, they were at high risk of catching it here in the US airports.

Several Democratic governors in Illinois, NY, and others had asked for more screening resources from the federal government to lessen the crowding.

The Trump administration's epic failures are what's killing Americans. And this weekend, many red states are open as people flock to beaches and have big picnics and barbecues on the misguided belief that sunshine and warm weather will save them.

[dalton99a]

7. +1