All US Flights From UK, Ireland to Stop Monday Night - Pence

On 11 March, US President Donald Trump made the unprecedented decision to restrict passenger travel to the United States from 26 European countries that comprise part of the Schengen Area in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

US Vice President Mike Pence has stated that all US flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland will stop on the night of 16-17 March.

"Americans in the UK or Ireland can come home. Legal residents can come home", Pence told a White House news conference, adding that such people would be "funnelled through specific airports and processed".

The statement comes after Trump said at a briefing on the coronavirus that the number of deaths in the United States has risen to 50.

On 13 March, Trump declared a state of emergency in the United States, which he said would free up about $50 billion in disaster relief funds to counter the virus’ spread.

More than 2,100 cases have been confirmed in the US as of 14 March.

Ten more people have died from coronavirus-related complications in the United Kingdom over the past day, bringing the death toll to 21, the Department of Health said earlier in the day, adding that 1,140 people have confirmed positive. According to the health authorities, 43 coronavirus cases had been registered in Ireland as of 12 March and the first COVID-19 related death was confirmed on 11 March.

The World Health Organisation on 11 March declared the spread of the COVID-19 a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 145,000, with over 5,400 fatalities.