EU slams US for travel ban on Europe over coronavirus

European Union leaders on Thursday slammed the United States for imposing a unilateral travel ban for people coming from Europe for 30 days.

EU presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel in a written statement said that coronavirus is not limited to any continent and "requires cooperation rather than unilateral action".

The comments came a day after US President Donald Trump criticised European Union for failing to take precautions and restrict "travel from China and other hotspots".

"The European Union disapproves of the fact that the US decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation," the statement said.

"The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus."

On Wednesday, in a primetime address from the Oval Office, Trump announced a series of measures to control the outbreak and insisted that "the virus will not have a chance."

"This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history," Trump said.

The major announcement was the ban on European travel, which Trump added would go into effect from "midnight Friday."

So far, over 1,100 infections and 32 deaths are confirmed in the United States, as per the tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The US president also announced short-term tax deferments and asked the Congress to enact "immediate payroll tax relief."