Donald Trump lifts travel restrictions on Britain, Brazil despite surge in Covid cases

Washington, Jan 19: Outgoing US President Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order to lift travel restrictions on European countries and Brazil which his administration had imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Travel restrictions on several other countries including China and Iran remain in place.

In an executive order, Trump said he is removing the restrictions applicable to the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Brazil, while leaving in place the restrictions applicable to China and Iran.

A decision in this regard, he said, is being taken after the January 12 directive of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the United States.

Trump said that European Union, Britain, Ireland and Brazil will cooperate with the US in the implementation of CDC's January 12, 2021, order and that tests administered there will yield accurate results.

However, the same cannot be said of China and Iran. "Those jurisdictions' responses to the pandemic, their lack of transparency, and their lack of cooperation with the United States thus far in combatting the pandemic, cast doubt on their cooperation in implementing CDC's January 12, 2021, order," Trump said.

The previous travel restrictions were announced on March 14 and May 24 of last year.