Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Donald Trump moved to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions just days before leaving the White House, an action that comes as the United States crosses 400,000 coronavirus deaths.
According to Reuters, “U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded entry bans imposed because of the coronavirus on most non-U.S. citizens arriving from Brazil and much of Europe effective Jan. 26.”
Almost immediately after the news broke, however, the Biden team announced that they oppose the move and will likely keep those restrictions in place once they take over on Wednesday.
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“With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. “On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26.”
She added, “In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) January 19, 2021
On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) January 19, 2021
The adults – and science – are in charge again
Donald Trump has bungled this pandemic every step of the way for the past year – from curbing the spread of the virus to implementing a national testing strategy to rolling out the vaccine.
As a result of his failed leadership, more than 400,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 – far more deaths than any country on the face of the planet.
His eleventh hour push to lift COVID restrictions shows that he still isn’t taking this virus seriously, even as thousands of Americans continue to die each day.
Donald Trump is bungling this health crisis to the very end, but the adults – and science – are about to be in charge again.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
