- Sources had told Reuters Donald Trump planned to rescind travel bans for most non-U.S. citizens recently in Brazil and much of Europe starting on January 26
- But Biden’s team then said ‘we plan to strengthen public health measures’
- The U.S. restrictions barring most visitors from Europe have been in place since mid-March, while the Brazilian entry ban was imposed in May
- The Trump administration imposed the bans in a bid to contain COVID-19
- Nearly all air travelers will be required to present a negative coronavirus test or proof of recovery from COVID-19 to enter the US starting on January 26
Joe Biden’s team on Monday quashed Donald Trump’s plan to lift the travel ban on visitors from the UK, Brazil and Europe, instead announcing they will strengthen border controls. Officials had told Reuters the outgoing president, set to leave office Wednesday, had planned to remove the current restrictions starting on January 26. In an order Trump wrote ‘this action is the best way to continue protecting Americans from COVID-19 while enabling travel to resume safely’. But just 90 minutes later the president elect’s press secretary Jen Psaki had tweeted: ‘With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel. ‘On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.’ The current restrictions bar nearly all non-U.S. citizens who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the 26 countries of the Schengen area in Europe that allow travel across open borders within the last 14 days.Restrictions on travelers from Europe have been in place since mid-March; the Brazilian entry ban was imposed in May. The Trump administration imposed the bans in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Under Trump’s plan the restrictions had been set to end the same day that new COVID-19 test requirements take effect requiring all international visitors to have a negative result. It was first reported in November that the administration had been considering lifting the restrictions, imposed early last year in response to the pandemic, after winning support from coronavirus task force members and public health officials. But new coronavirus variants have been found in both the UK and Brazil in recent weeks. The UK’s strain, B 1.1.7., has resulted in the country being forced back into strict lockdowns. The CDC has already warned it could become dominant in the US by March, triggering massive surges in cases. Joe Biden’s team on Monday quashed Donald Trump’s plan to lift travel ban on visitors from the UK, Brazil and Europe, instead announcing they will strengthen border restrictions Officials had told Reuters the outgoing president, set to leave office Wednesday, had planned to remove restrictions starting on January 26. But just 90 minutes later the president elect’s press secretary Jen Psaki had tweeted.