MIAMI – Saturday morning saw the beginning of President Trump's European travel ban, which went into effect at midnight.
Miami International Airport is one of only 13 airports in the country allowing inbound flights from Europe.
MIA, America’s third-busiest airport for international passengers, was approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to receive flights as a designated airport. On Wednesday, during a 10-minute address from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump announced a presidential proclamation that suspends and limits entry to the U.S. from 26 European countries that went into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 13.
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Only American citizens and those with valid green cards will be allowed to come back into the United States from Europe.
The travel ban is expected to last 30 days.
Local 10 News has learned that every American and permanent legal resident returning from Europe will undergo enhanced screening, where DHS will ask about medical history, current condition and for contact information intended for local health authorities.
Once cleared, returning passengers will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days to ensure they are not at risk for spreading COVID-19.
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MIA currently has 117 weekly arrivals from 17 airports within the Schengen area, for an average of 16 arriving flights per day. Those 17 airports are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Oslo, Paris (CDG), Paris (Orly), Rome, Stockholm, Warsaw and Zurich.
In the proclamation, Trump stated: “Given the importance of protecting persons within the United States from the threat of this harmful communicable disease, I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Schengen Area during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.”