With less than 48 hours left in the presidency, President Trump announced late Monday that he is lifting Travel restrictions related to COVID-19 put foreign nationals from much of Europe and Brazil. Travel restrictions will continue for most from China and Iran.
The restrictions will be lifted starting January 26, after the president-elect Joe Biden Biden’s spokesman also took office Jen Psaki posted on Twitter Monday that the new administration does not intend to lift the travel conditions on January 26.
“With the worsening pandemic and the emergence of more contagious variants around the world, now is not the time to lift restrictions on international travel,” Psaki wrote.
Mr. Trump cited coordination with US officials and transparency as a justification for lifting travel restrictions in Europe and Brazil.
The President’s proclamation stated that “unlimited entry into the United States of persons who have been physically present in the Schengen area, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside Europe), the Republic of Ireland and the Federative Republic of Brazil are no longer to the detriment of the United States.” notes that it is in the United States’ interest to end the suspension of the entry into the United States of persons who have been physically present in those jurisdictions. “
Mr. Trump restricted travel to China in late January 2020 and restricted travel coming from Europe in March 2020.
Now, many countries restrict travel to the United States due to high infection rates in the states. The US has the largest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world and the largest number of dead.