NEW YORK, March 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US airports have been thrown into chaos as new coronavirus health screening measures for people returning from Europe come into force.
Long queues formed as travellers waited for hours for the screenings before passing through customs.
The US is banning the entry of people travelling from the UK and Ireland from midnight on Monday (04:00 GMT Tuesday).
As a result, the UK Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to the whole of the US.
President Donald Trump tweeted that the US is “doing very precise Medical Screenings at our airports”.
“Pardon the interruptions and delays, we are moving as quickly as possible, but it is very important that we be vigilant and careful. We must get it right. Safety first!”
The US has more than 2,700 confirmed cases, with 54 deaths.
During a briefing on Saturday, the White House suggested domestic travel restrictions may be coming.
Trump said: “If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it. We want this thing to end. We don’t want a lot of people getting infected.”
American Airlines says it plans to cut 75% of its international flights until May 6.
At Chicago O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth airports, passengers reported long queues as travellers returning from Europe waited to be screened as part of measures to combat coronavirus.
The US administration has imposed a ban on non-Americans travelling from the 26 European countries in the Schengen free movement zone. The ban will be extended to the UK and Ireland as of Tuesday.
US citizens are allowed to return but face screening.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the long lines at O’Hare were “unacceptable”.
People have been tweeting pictures and videos of passengers waiting to be processed, forming large crowds in airport terminals.
Passengers are being questioned about their medical histories and checked for symptoms.
In New York, there were reports of a flight from Paris being boarded by customs agents wearing masks.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said his office was working with airlines to improve screening times.
Some public health experts have noted that waiting in crowded terminals could potentially lead to more people becoming infected with the virus.
On Friday, President Trump declared a national state of emergency to release $50bn (£40bn) to fight the spread of the virus.
