US domestic air travel sees ‘virtual shutdown’ as more restrictions are being discussed

By Kylie Atwood, Jeff Zeleny, Vivian Salama, Jeremy Diamond, Geneva Sands and Gregory Wallace, CNN

Updated 3:19 PM ET, Thu March 19, 2020

Washington (CNN)Travel restrictions, orders to stay home, TSA officers testing positive for coronavirus and public fear are killing demand for air travel which could make a domestic travel ban under consideration by the Trump administration largely irrelevant.

The idea of grounding many or all domestic flights remains under consideration at the White House, where the administration’s coronavirus task force is looking for ways to prevent people from congregating and spreading the virus.

The government’s decision to restrict travel to China, South Korea, and much of Europe already brought a precipitous decline in airline service to overseas destinations.

Such a drastic move domestically could further cripple the nation’s economy, and have negative effects such as preventing the flow of cargo, making it harder to ship medical supplies and other essential goods.

“Fauci is still pushing for it — and maybe he’s right,” said one senior administration official, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the most visible faces on the administration’s task force. The NIAID did not immediately comment.

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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/politics/domestic-travel-restrictions-virtual-shutdown/index.html