White House imposes coronavirus travel ban on Brazil
Published:Monday | May 25, 2020 | 9:36 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday further limited travel from the world’s coronavirus hotspots by denying entry to foreigners coming from Brazil, which is second to the US in the number of confirmed cases.
Trump had already banned certain travellers from China, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Iran.
He has not moved to ban travel from Russia, which has the world’s third-highest caseload.
Trump had said last week that he was considering limiting travel from Brazil.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany cast the step announced Sunday as another “decisive action to protect our country” by Trump, whose management of the crisis has come under sharp scrutiny.
The US leads the world with more than 1.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a death toll that is expected to surpass 100,000 later this week, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Brazil, now Latin America’s hardest-hit country, is second, with more than 347,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths.
Third on the list is Russia, with more than 344,000 reported cases and more than 3,500 deaths.
The White House did not immediately respond to queries about whether a travel ban would be imposed on Russia.
“Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country,” McEnany said.
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