Sweeping restrictions on international travel in response to the novel coronavirus aren’t an effective way of slowing the spread of infection, two experts say.
“In terms of asking about the right timing, the right timing is probably never,” says Steven Hoffman, a professor of global health, law and political science at York University.
“I think they serve the purpose of showing that the government is doing something and taking this effort seriously,” he says. “My concern is that it will likely end up causing more harm than good from a public health perspective.”
On Wednesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping restrictions on travel to the United States from Europe. Under the new measures, most non-U.S. citizens would be barred from the U.S. if they have recently visited one of a number of European counties other than the U.K.
In late February, however, the World Health Organization recommended against travel bans except in very limited circumstances, saying they are “ineffective in most situations and may divert resources from other interventions.”
Source: Read Full Article