China travel ban announced on Jan. 31
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-2019-novel-coronavirus/
Indeed, the coronavirus had already landed on our shores weeks prior and was mostly silently circulating in our larger cities (Seattle, NYC, etc.).
Basically, Trump’s signature anti-Covid policy that he and Pence are still touting in October was a failure and not only that was doomed to fail from the get-go.
Preventing pandemics in a globalized world cannot be done through travel bans unless they’re done very, very early AND ALSO accompanied by sustained and vigorous domestic efforts, contact tracing, promoting social distancing and masking, etc.
The stuff many other countries did more successfully, basically.