President Donald Trump is temporarily barring most people from entering the United States for 14 days after traveling to Brazil, effective Thursday night at midnight.
The White House made the announcement Sunday night after Trump stated earlier in the week that he was considering shutting down travel from Brazil over coronavirus fears.
“Today, the President has taken decisive action to protect our country by suspending the entry of aliens who have been in Brazil during the 14-day period before seeking admittance to the United States,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in coordination with the announcement. “As of May 23, 2020, Brazil had 310,087 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is the third highest number of confirmed cases in the world. Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The president had temporarily halted travel to the U.S. from the China, Iran, Ireland, the European Union’s Schengen Area, and the United Kingdom. Like these previous actions, the action on Brazil only applies to people, not existing commerce. Trump also closed the country’s northern and southern borders to all non-essential travel to control the flow of coronavirus. He and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the closures would extend for an additional month just last week. (RELATED: US And Canada Extend Border Closure For Another Month)
According to the White House, there are multiple exceptions for gaining entry to the United States from Brazil, including all lawful permanent residents, any spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and parents or guardians of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents under the age of 21.
The proclamation currently has no termination date.