US extends travel ban to Britain, Ireland

WASHINGTON -- The White House announced on Saturday that the United States is extending Europe travel restrictions to Britain and Ireland due to COVID-19, which will be effective Monday midnight eastern standard time.

Vice President Mike Pence said at a White House briefing that all travel from Britain and Ireland will be suspended as of midnight Monday, adding that US citizens and legal residents are able to return to the United States through specific airports.

The travel ban that Washington imposed on 26 European nations has been effective since Friday midnight.

The United States reported 2,488 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday noon with at least 51 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.