Trump to ban non-essential travel to Mexico

President Donald Trump says he’ll temporarily ban non-essential travel across the U.S.-Mexico border because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump says at a White House briefing on Wednesday that he’ll soon invoke a provision of federal law to bar entry to asylum seekers and border crossers. Trump says he only wants to allow travel that is deemed essential, such as movement related to the medical industry, the military or certain industries.

He says some people go back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico border for leisure pursuits, such as going to restaurants, and he wants to end that kind of travel on a temporary basis.

The president also spoke about the $1 Trillion dollar Treasury plan, which requires approval by Congress, but recommends $50 billion to stabilize the airlines, $150 billion to issue loan guarantees to other struggling sectors, and $300 billion to for small businesses.

The plan appears to anticipate that many of the loans would not be repaid.

Trump and Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the White House response, also continued to make an appeal to millenials and other residents to be careful about spreading the disease.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World  Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.