The White House on Sunday announced a ban on non-citizens travelling from Brazil to the US.
The Trump administration said it’s suspending entry to the US by anyone who has been within the coronavirus-stricken country within the past 14 days.
“The potential for undetected transmission of the virus by infected individuals seeking to enter the us from the Federative Republic of Brazil threatens the safety of our transportation and infrastructure and therefore the national security,” President Trump said during a proclamation.
“I have determined that it’s within the interests of the us to require action to limit and suspend the entry into the us , as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the us .”
After originating in China and traveling abroad to ravage nations including Italy, Spain and therefore the US, the coronavirus has gained a toehold in Brazil to terrifying effect.
As of Sunday afternoon, Brazil had seen 347,398 confirmed cases of the disease consistent with Johns Hopkins University, the foremost reported in any nation within the world aside from the US.
The South American nation has also lost 22,013 citizens to the pandemic.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that the move is meant to stay Brazil’s bout with the bug from spilling over into the US, but stressed that the trade between the 2 nations won’t be impacted.
“Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who are in Brazil don’t become a source of additional infections in our country,” said McEnany during a statement. “These new restrictions don’t apply to the flow of commerce between the us and Brazil.”
