WASHINGTON D.C. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – In an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), President Trump announced Wednesday a 30-day travel restriction from certain European countries.

Since China first reported the outbreak of COVID-19 on Dec. 31, the virus has spread rapidly across the globe. Outbreaks have occurred in 113 countries so far. Italy, France, Germany, and Spain have been some of the hardest hit, with over 19,000 reported cases combined.

The new travel restrictions take effect Friday, March 13 at midnight.

Trump’s order does not ban all travel from Europe.

The Trump administration is only restricting travel to the U.S. by certain foreign nationals who have traveled to any of the 26 European countries identified in the past 14 days before coming to the U.S.

The countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

These restrictions also exempt U.S. citizens. The exemption extends to permanent residents (green card holders) and foreign nationals who are immediate family members, i.e. spouses and children, of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have undergone appropriate screenings.

“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history. I am confident that by counting and continuing to take these tough measures, we’ll significantly reduce the threat to our citizens and we’ll ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus,” Trump said.