INTERNATIONAL — President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night and announced the White House is suspending travel from Europe amid the coronavirus outbreak.

President Trump said the travel restriction will go into effect Friday and will last for 30 days. It excludes the United Kingdom.

He said there will be exemptions for Americans returning to the U.S. who have undergone proper screening to detect the virus.

The president also said his administration will soon reevaluate travel restrictions from China and South Korea.

Along with the travel restriction, President Trump also said the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin to provide loans to small business across the nation impacted by the COVID-19. Additionally, he called on Congress to approve $50 billion to fund the relief program.

“These low interest loans will help small businesses overcome temporary economic disruptions caused by the virus,” he said in the Oval Office.

President Trump also directed the IRS to defer tax payments, for some impacted filers, for three months without penalty amid measures to lessen the impact of the virus.

He said "we are marshalling the full power" of the government and private sector to protect the American people. 

WHO Calls COVID-19 a Pandemic

The World Health Organization has for the first time called COVID-19 a pandemic.

The WHO made the assessment during a briefing Wednesday, after the number of countries reporting cases tripled in the past two weeks.

"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He said the WHO is "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and the alarming levels of inaction."

There are now more than 118,000 cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have died globally. There are thousands more in hospitals.

"We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time," Ghebreyesus said. He pleaded for countries to take aggressive action to battle the spread of the coronavirus through detecting, testing, treating, isolating, and tracing cases.

He also impied that some countries with those capabilities are not doing enough.

“The challenge for many countries who are now dealing with large COVID-19 clusters or community transmission is not whether they can do the same — it’s whether they will," Ghebreyesus said.

COVID-19 cases grow in Florida

There are now 26 COVID-19 cases in the state of Florida, which includes 3 nonresidents. The Florida Department of Health reported eight new cases Tuesday, including in Pasco and Pinellas counties.

  • Two Pinellas men, a 67-year-old and a 64-year-old will remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. They are both travel-related cases.
  • In Pasco, a 46-year-old man tested positive and is also a travel-related case.

Wednesday night, state health officials announced three new positive COVID-19 cases in Florida. A 63-year-old man from New York who is currently in St. Johns County is one of the cases. He reported traveled from New York to attend Daytona Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida. He's currently isolated.

Another positive case is a 56-year-old man in Miami-Dade County, who is currently being isolated. Officials said it's a travel-related case. The third case is a 70-year-old man in Brevard County, who is also in isolation. He reportedly recently attended an Emergency Medical Services conference in Tampa.

Health officials believe the St. Johns County and Broward County cases may have been associated with Daytona Bike Week and the EMS conference respectively. 

New policies are being introduced because of all the concerns. Starting Wednesday, no visitors will be allowed to see certain patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals. The VA adopted a no-visitor policy for its nursing-home and spinal cord injury patients, whom they said are the most vulnerable to the virus. It will also begin actively screening its employees.

In addition, many school districts in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida areas, including Hillsborough and Orange counties, have canceled all out of state trips and trips involving air travel. Other school trips will be approved on a case-by-case basis, until further notice.

"We definitely understand that students are disappointed and we all remember trips we took that were really important to our education, but at the same time there is nothing more important to our families then the health and safety of our students," said Grayson Kamm, the Hillsborough County Schools spokesperson. "We've got a recommendation like this from the state, the federal government, we really have to follow it."

Hillsborough County school district officials say if a student has a school trip planned, parents should stay in touch with the child's school for any additional information.

In a similar message to parents, Orange County Public Schools said the district will work with parents and travel companies on "appropriate cancellation arrangements." 

Sports teams take precautions

The NBA and Orlando Magic say they're taking added precautions against the spread of the coronavirus. The Magic is stepping up cleaning in high-traffic areas and increasing hand-sanitizing stations throughout the Amway Center.

The team says it's creating a task force to handle any directives from the NBA that may come in.

In a joint statement Monday, the NBA and other major sports leagues say that as of right now, the fans will still be allowed to attend games.

However, locker rooms and clubhouses will be open to players and employees. Media access will be moved to designated areas.

In St. Petersburg, Mayor Rick Kriseman confirmed Wednesday that the annual race is still a go for this weekend despite the announcement of two positive coronavirus cases identified in Pinellas County.

"It is incumbent on all of us to be mindful of our unhealthy and respectful of others," Kriseman said. "Residents should continue to monitor all reputable sources for information, educate others, spread calm not fear, and know that smart scientists and public health professionals are working hard every day to make the coronavirus short-lived."

Other developments

  • Florida gets $27.3M: The CDC is giving Florida $27,296,306 to support the state's efforts against the spread of the coronavirus. It's part of the $8.3 billion in supplemental appropriations approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump for the nation's COVID-19 response. A total of $560 million was given to states, localities, territories, and tribes.
  • Tax deadline delay? U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says the White House is working on plans to delay the April 15 tax filing deadline.
  • Busch Gardens wiping down rides: Florida's theme parks continue to enforce enhanced sanitation procedures. At Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, team members were cleaning and sanitizing roller coaster ride vehicles after guests disembarked. "We will continue to monitor the situation for changes, collaborate with health officials and take recommended steps to ensure the health and safety needs of guests, ambassadors and animals are met," a Busch Gardens spokeswoman said.