Trump Lifts COVID-19 Travel Restrictions on Europe, UK, Brazil

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Jan 18, 2021 08:58 PM EST

(Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images) Passengers wearing masks arrive at Dulles International Airport March 13, 2020 in Dulles, Virginia.

President Donald Trump rescinded COVID-19 travel restrictions on Europe, the UK and Brazil, the White House said in an announcement Monday.

The COVID-19 travel restrictions apply to all non-American citizens arriving from the said regions and will take effect on January 26, Tuesday, reported CNBC.

Reuters noted that the administration had prior plans to lift the COVID-19 travel restrictions back in November which were imposed early last year in response to the pandemic. This earlier move earned support from the coronavirus fast force and public health officials.

It prevented entry for non-US citizens who have been to Brazil, the UK, Ireland and the 26 countries of the Schengen area within the last 14 days.

Lifting COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Call for Extra Precautions

With the ban lifted, the White House added extra precautions by requiring travelers to present either a recent negative coronavirus test or evidence that they have recovered from the disease, reported Bloomberg.

It was part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's order for all international travel which was signed last week.

"This action is the best way to continue protecting Americans from Covid-19 while enabling travel to resume safely," Trump said in his proclamation.

Airlines were also hoping the new testing requirements will allow more travel from European countries by 95% or more. White House officials were pressed by the airline industry on the issue in recent days.

Airlines have been greatly affected by the restrictions as bans contributed to a sharp decline in travel. They lobbied to end blanket bans and argued that testing and increasing vaccination efforts should help the country get back to safely allowing international travel.

Industry trade group Airlines for America wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the coronavirus task force earlier this month and raised their concerns on testing and vaccination.

"We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place," the letter read.

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions on China, Iran Remain in Place

Travel bans will stay in place for other countries like Iran and China due to their "lack of cooperation" in fighting the virus, the White House said.

This means most non-US citizens who seek entry to the United State will have to halt their plans to travel anytime soon.

News of the roll back on travel restrictions come after a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus was found in the UK. It has also circulated in other countries, including the U.S. which reported more than 24 million cases of the coronavirus and almost 400,000 deaths related to the disease.

Experts believe that with the virus running on a surge in the U.S., allowing people into the country from other parts of the world won't pose a significant risk, a person familiar with the debate said.

The CDC's new rules of testing negative before travel was seen as a way to get travelling back on track with minimal interference while also adhering to safety precautions.

Martin Centron, CDC director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine said last week that the testing order is one step further into that direction.