White House debated halting travel from South Korea, Italy

Senior Trump administration officials discussed shutting down travel from Italy and South Korea as the coronavirus outbreak worsened in those countries, but ultimately decided the virus is spreading too quickly to be contained, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.

Why it matters: It’s extremely difficult to contain a viral outbreak in a globalized society, and if such a strategy isn’t likely to be much help, it’s even harder to justify the diplomatic, logistical and economic consequences.

What we’re hearing: Several federal agencies, including the State and Defense departments, were concerned about cutting off travel from those countries because the U.S. has a strong military presence in South Korea and Italy’s central location in the European Union would complicate restrictions, the sources said. Continue reading.