The White House on Sunday announced a ban on non-citizens travelling from Brazil to the US.
The Trump administration said it is suspending entry to the US by anyone who has been in the coronavirus-stricken country in the past 14 days.
“The potential for undetected transmission of the virus by infected individuals seeking to enter the United States from the Federative Republic of Brazil threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security,” President Trump said in a proclamation.
“I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, 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 United States.”
After originating in China and traveling abroad to ravage nations including Italy, Spain and 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 according to Johns Hopkins University, the most reported in any nation in the world other than 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 intended to keep Brazil’s bout with the bug from spilling over into the US, but stressed that the trade between the two nations won’t be impacted.
“Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country,” said McEnany in a statement. “These new restrictions do not apply to the flow of commerce between the United States and Brazil.”
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