The new Biden administration will reverse President Trump’s last-minute order to lift COVID-19-related travel restrictions, Jen Psaki, the new White House press secretary, tweeted.
Why it matters: President Trump has ordered bans on travelers from the UK, Ireland, Brazil and much of Europe to take effect on January 26, but the Biden government “will strengthen public health measures around international travel to further mitigate plus the spread of COVID-19, “said Jen Psaki. Biden will open on Wednesday, January 20, and Trump will no longer be president when the order takes effect.
- “With the worsening pandemic and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to lift restrictions on international travel.”
The big picture: Trump praised the travel ban as one of his greatest achievements during the pandemic, claiming that the ban saved “thousands” of lives.
- Removing restrictions for these countries is now “the best way to continue protecting Americans from COVID-19 and, at the same time, allowing travel to resume safely,” Trump said in a statement.
- His order also calls on China and Iran for not cooperating with US public health officials.
Of importance: Since the U.S. government did not track the spread of the coronavirus, It is not clear what effect the ban had on limiting the spread of the coronavirus.