Commerce Secretary Raimondo pushing to lift tough U.S. travel restrictions

Flight information and facts display screens are found at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. June 12, 2021. REUTERS/Seth Herald/File Image

WASHINGTON, July 12 (Reuters) – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated on Monday she is pressing for the easing of coronavirus constraints that bar substantially of the globe from traveling to the United States but that U.S. health and fitness officials stay concerned about far more outbreaks.

Dozen of U.S. business groups, lawmakers and officials from international governments are urging President Joe Biden’s administration to loosen up tricky restrictions put in position less than former President Donald Trump. examine a lot more

“We’re working it,” Raimondo explained to Reuters in an interview “I am pushing definitely difficult.”

She mentioned she achieved with U.S. Health and fitness and Human Products and services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Friday but had no details on when a selection could be produced.

“The CDC is nervous, and it truly is tricky to know if persons are vaccinated,” she stated. “There is no vaccine passport which is dependable, and which is kind of a huge hurdle.”

The White House states it is continuing conversations with the European Union, Britain, Canada and Mexico on how to finally elevate restrictions, but U.S. officials say they however have no timetable and journey field officials consider the limitations could not be lifted until August or later.

The White Property has frequently dominated out a national vaccine passport.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has joined Raimondo in pushing for lifting constraints, in accordance to resources acquainted with the conversations, but other individuals in the administration remain worried that opening the doorway to much more tourists from abroad could direct to boosts in COVID-19 an infection prices.

A spokeswoman for Becerra had no immediate remark on the assembly with Raimondo.

Airways and other folks are urging the administration to raise limits masking most non-U.S. citizens who have lately been in Britain, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without having border controls, Eire, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.

The United States also bars non-important vacationers from crossing into the United States from the Canadian or Mexican land borders.

European diplomats and other people argue that the list of international locations with severe travel restrictions involves some with small an infection prices, although other people with high an infection fees, such as Argentina, face no restrictions.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal Further reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Heather Timmons and Peter Cooney

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