The Facts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 21
announced the first travel-related case of novel coronavirus in the United States. Trump unveiled
his plan 10 days later, making the restrictions effective Feb. 2. (On Jan. 17, the CDC had begun health screenings of passengers on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.)
Trump barred non-U.S. citizens from traveling from China, but there were 11 exceptions, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were not included. U.S. citizens and permanent residents could still travel from China but were subject to screening and possible 14-day quarantine. Some flights were immediately suspended, but others continued for weeks, at the discretion of the airlines.
Some analysts at the time predicted that Trump’s action would be ineffective at preventing the virus from taking hold in the United States.