On Sunday, the United States will deny entry into the country to any foreign national who poses a risk of transmitting the coronavirus, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday.
Why it matters: The public health emergency comes with a quarantine for U.S. citizens arriving from Hubei province, and a temporary ban on foreigners without family in the U.S. who have recently visited China.
What they're saying: While the temporary ban may appear dramatic, Azar defended the decision saying American actions will "complement the work of China and the World Health Organization."
- "The United States government will implement temporary measures to increase our abilities to detect and contain the coronavirus proactively and aggressively."
Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted: "President @realDonaldTrump is taking measured and decisive action to protect the American people against #coronavirus. The current risk to the American public is low. As the Task Force recommended, we are pausing travel activities to keep it that way."
Go deeper: What's happening with the coronavirus
