Biden set to reinstate coronavirus-related travel restrictions that Trump lifted

President Joe Biden on Monday will sign a presidential proclamation reinstating the travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed during her daily briefing.

This move will reinstate the restrictions that former President Donald Trump lifted last week, and includes non-US citizens who have been in Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and much of Europe, as well as the new addition of South Africa.

“The President will sign a presidential proclamation to reduce the spread of Covid-19 through travel, especially as we see faster spreading variants emerging across the world,” Psaki said Monday.

She said the move was guided by the advice of the new administration’s medical and Covid-19 team.

“With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variant contagious variants spreading, this isn’t the time to be lifting the restrictions on international travel,” she said.

Psaki also announced that beginning Tuesday, travelers to the United States “must provide proof of a negative test within three days of travel to airlines prior to departure,” which includes all people boarding planes, including US citizens, coming from overseas.

Biden said on his first full day in office on Thursday his strategy would be “based on science, not politics” as he signed a slate of coronavirus-related executive actions, including ramping up vaccination supplies and requiring international travelers to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to traveling to the US.