News updates about the coronavirus are unavoidable. As the world takes precautions to contain the pandemic as much as possible, President Donald Trump has been criticized for not making moves to protect American citizens. On Wednesday (March 11), Trump answered his naysayers by addressing the world from the White House's Oval Office in a video public service announcement.
According to PEOPLE, there are just over 1,000 reported cases of coronavirus in the United States. It's reported that 54,000 people have recovered from the illness while 4,000 have died. In his statement, Trump said that the World Health Organization has officially declared coronavirus to be a pandemic.
"After consulting with our top government health professionals, I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans," Trump said. “To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days. The new rules will go into effect Friday (March 13) at midnight."
“These restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground," the President added. "There will be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings." Restrictions will also be placed on any cargo or items making their way from Europe, not including the United Kingdom.
He clarified that for the "vast majority of Americans the risk is very low" and "young and healthy people can expect to recover quickly if they should get the virus." People with the highest risk is for the elderly with health issues. Watch Donald Trump give his announcement below.
