Covid restrictions on air travel: the White House makes a new travel decision during the pandemic

The White House has decided to maintain existing travel restrictions due to COVID-19 amid a rise in cases caused by the Delta variant. Writes about it CNN.

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“Given the situation with the Delta variant, the United States will maintain existing travel restrictions at this stage,” a White House official said.

The ban applies to non-US citizens who have recently visited the UK, the 26 Schengen bloc countries in Europe, Brazil, Ireland, India, Iran and South Africa. Which can be a problem for “our” immigrants, since they mostly travel through European countries.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is under growing pressure from the travel industry and US allies to lift the pandemic-era restrictions on who can travel to the United States.

The official said the decision to maintain existing travel restrictions was prompted by the spread of the Delta coronavirus strain in the US and around the world and a recent rise in US cases that "will likely continue to rise in the coming weeks."

The official also pointed to the recent council of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) against travel to the United Kingdom due to the sharp increase in cases there.

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“The administration understands the importance of international travel and is united in its desire to resume it in a safe and sustainable manner,” a White House official said. “The discovery process is guided by science and public health.”

Tourism from overseas has been effectively stopped while travel restrictions due to COVID-19 remain in place. The restrictions also prevent immigrants from seeking asylum and prevent foreigners from visiting families.

The White House has repeatedly stressed that any decisions to reopen international travel will be made by experts in public health and medicine.

Last month, senior officials set up interagency working groups with the European Union, Britain, Canada and Mexico to see how and when travel and border restrictions will be lifted.

The teams are overseen by the White House COVID-19 Response Team and the National Security Council, and include representatives from the CDC, as well as officials from the departments of health and human services, homeland security, and transportation.

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The Biden administration recently extended non-essential travel restrictions for the northern and southern borders of the United States until August 21. The United States has been restricting non-essential travel along both borders since the start of the pandemic and extending these restrictions on a monthly basis.

These travel restrictions do not apply to cross-border trade, US citizens and lawful permanent residents, or people traveling for medical purposes or to attend school.

Canada recently announced that starting August 9, fully vaccinated United States citizens and permanent residents currently residing in the United States will be allowed to enter Canada.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last week that the administration will rely on its own health experts and not the actions of other countries to make travel restrictions.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president and director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the US is "heading in the wrong direction" as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, especially among unvaccinated Americans.

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