According to media reports, President Trump, speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with health researchers on March 2, 2020, indicated the United States will consider extension of travel restrictions beyond the People’s Republic of China and Iran.  The president said the administration has been “very stringent,” but is now looking at “other countries that have been badly affected.”  He cited Italy, Japan, and South Korea as “hot spots” under close review. 

Currently the US travel ban applies to travelers who visited PRC or Iran in the past 14 days. The ban does not apply to US citizens, US permanent residents, US Armed Forces and their families, and travelers invited by the US government for purposes related to containment of the virus or the national interest.  Although these individuals are exempt from the ban, if they have traveled to the PRC or Iran in the past 14 days, they must land at one of 11 designated airports in the United States to undergo health screening, and they may be subject to quarantine.

For our most recent summary of travel restrictions, please see Mayer Brown’s COVID-19 Global Travel Restrictions by Country.