New Delhi: As the number of cases of coronavirus reached an alarming figure in the United States of America, President Donald Trump announced suspension of all travel from Europe, excluding the UK, to the US for the next 30 days to stop its spread. He said the European Union has "failed to take the same precautions" as his administration had implemented to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

In a televised address to the nation from his Oval Office in the White House, Trump said the new rule will be coming into effect from Friday midnight and there will be exemptions for Americans returning to the US after undergoing multiple screenings.

The novel coronavirus has claimed 37 lives in the US and infected 1,300 in the country.

Trump said he is monitoring the situation in China and South Korea, and asked citizens to suspend all non-essential travels. He urged them to adopt best hygiene, wash their hands and stay away from large gatherings to reduce the chance of spread of the infection.

The deadly virus that first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year has claimed over 4,200 lives and infected more than 117,330 people across 107 countries and territories, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) describing the outbreak a pandemic. China remains the hardest-hit with over 80,000 infections and 3,000 deaths.

The president announced small business administration will begin extending loans to small businesses who will be affected by the coronavirus slowdown.
He was askew for payroll tax relief and said some tax filings will be delayed to help provide extra liquidity.

Over a dozen states in the US have declared a state of emergency with cities and counties announcing to take sweeping measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.On Wednesday, officials confirmed 37 deaths in various parts of the US due to the virus.
(with inputs from PTI)