President Joe Biden has placed new travel restrictions on India, where COVID-19 has overwhelmed the country.
The restrictions, which go into effect on Tuesday, May 4, include barring most non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States.
On the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the restrictions were imposed because “the magnitude and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic” in India was “surging,” the White House said.
Biden on Friday signed a proclamation implementing the restrictions, which were first reported by Reuters.
The situation in India is dire. The world’s second-most populous country with 1.38 billion citizens – more than a billion more than the United States – can’t keep up with the literal tens of thousands of people per day dying. It’s become a global humanitarian crisis but even armed with vaccines it’s a nightmare trying to deliver them.
#India citizens attacking guards of health officials pushing vaccines pic.twitter.com/nwx0tfIexc
— Nicole Elisei (@EliseiNicole) May 3, 2021
The proclamation said India “accounts for over one-third of new global cases” and added that “proactive measures are required to protect the nation’s public health from travelers entering the United States” from India.
Biden also reimposed an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders. China and Iran are also both covered by the policy.
The policy means most non-U.S. citizens who have been in one of the stated countries within the last 14 days are not eligible to travel to the United States. Permanent U.S. residents and family members and some other non-U.S. citizens, such as students, are exempted.
