Sunday Spotlight, ADVISORY

EDITORS:

The following story was sent Saturday as this week’s Sunday Spotlight, a feature showcasing the best off-the-news enterprise in the AP report:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRAVEL BAN HOLES

President Donald Trump has repeatedly credited his February ban on travelers from mainland China as his signature move against the advance of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s boasted that it was a “strong wall” that allowed only U.S. citizens inside. But Trump’s wall was more like a sieve. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that nearly 8,000 Chinese nationals and foreign residents of Hong Kong and Macao entered the U.S. soon after the ban was imposed. A system meant to flag and monitor U.S. residents flying home from China for symptoms lost track of at least 1,600 people in just the first few days the ban went into effect. By Stephen Braun and Jason Dearen. SENT: 1,910 words, photos, graphics. A 960-word version also is available.

The AP