Biden to block Trump plan to ease European, Brazil COVID travel restrictions

On Monday, President Trump said the ban on non-U.S. citizens traveling from Brazil, most of Europe would be lifted on January 26

By Sophie Mann

Published: January 19, 2021 7:58am

Updated: January 19, 2021 10:25am

Incoming Democratic President Joe Biden plans to swiftly re-impose COVID-19 travel restrictions barring people who have recently been in Brazil and parts of Europe from entering the U.S. – after President Trump moved Monday to lift those requirements.

After Trump announced he'd lift the ban on Jan. 26, Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki, tweeted "on the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26."

"With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel," she continued. "In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19."

Last week, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed an order that will require close to every air traveler to present a negative coronavirus test or proof of recovery from the illness in order to enter the United States, beginning Jan. 26.

The restrictions that Trump is attempting to rescind prevent entry by mostly all non-U.S. citizens who have, in the past two weeks, been to Brazil, the U.K., Ireland, and the Schengen area of Europe. Most of the restrictions have been in place since March, and Brazil was added to the list in May.

There are no plans from either the Trump or Biden administrations to lift the travel bans on non-U.S. citizens who have recently been to China or Iran.