Biden rejects Trump plan to lift US travel bans

US President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded entry bans imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic on most non-US citizens arriving from Brazil, the United Kingdom and all European Union countries. The new travel guidelines will come into effect as of January 26, the White House said in a statement.

The alleviation of the ban may not last long enough for it to be implemented, though. President-elect Joe Biden gave the notion short shrift.

His spokeswoman said the new administration, set to assume office on Wednesday, “does not intend to lift these restrictions.” Jen Psaki tweeted: “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 head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed an order requiring nearly all air travellers to present a negative test result, or proof of recovery from the virus, to enter the US, starting on January 26.