US considering ban on travellers from Europe over virus: top official

The United States is weighing a ban on travellers from Europe to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a senior US official said Wednesday.

"The question is a live question about how to treat Europe as a whole," said Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

"That is not to the level of using legal authorities to block travel yet. But it is under consideration," he told a congressional hearing.