Image Source : AP US President Joe Biden
Reversing his predecessor Donald Trump’s coverage, President Joe Biden on Monday re-imposed a ban on travellers from Europe and Brazil. The White House additionally barred these from South Africa from coming into the US as a consequence of emergence of a brand new variant of coronavirus in that nation.
“The President is taking these steps on the advice of his COVID-19 and medical team,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki informed reporters at her day by day press briefing.
“President Biden has decided to maintain the restrictions previously in place for the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil,” Psaki mentioned.
With the pandemic worsening and extra contagious variants spreading, this is not the time to carry restrictions on worldwide journey, Psaki mentioned.
“And in mild of the contagious variant B1351, South Africa has been added to the restricted record,” she mentioned.
“Additionally, beginning January 26, international travelers to the United States must provide proof of a negative test within three days of travel to airlines prior to departure,” she added.
This applies no matter citizenship, she asserted.
The State Department mentioned US residents ought to rethink non-essential journey overseas. Those that should journey overseas following the implementation of this order ought to rigorously think about the strict implementation of the journey restrictions.
“Many individuals infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 are asymptomatic and unaware they carry the virus. If you test positive, you will not be able to return home as planned. What plan do you have in case you cannot come home for several weeks? Where will you stay? How will you finance your stay,” it mentioned.
Responding to a query, Psaki refuted that these journey restrictions had been just like that of Trump.
“I don’t think that’s quite a fair articulation. The president has been clear that he felt the Muslim ban was xenophobic. He overturned the Muslim ban. He also, though, has supported — and himself, even before — or we did, I should say, even before he was inaugurated — steps, travel restrictions in order to keep the American people safe to ensure that we are getting the pandemic under control. That’s been part of his policy,” she mentioned.
“But he was critical of the former president for having a policy that was not more comprehensive than travel restrictions. He conveyed at the time, and more recently, the importance of having a multifaceted approach — mask wearing, vaccine distribution funding–in order to get 100 million shots in the arms of Americans in the first hundred days, not just travel restrictions,” Psaki mentioned.
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