Ex-FDA Commissioner Thinks Travel Ban Strategy Lacks Clear Direction

Ex-FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb says that a travel ban on countries like India, China, and the UK lacks clear sense of purpose. He said that “I’m not sure what we are hoping to accomplish”. Gottlieb added that “if the goal is to try to prevent the introduction of virus into the US, there’s plenty of virus here”.

The US released “Do Not Travel” advisories to around 80% of the world’s countries. Gottlieb argued that the new variant from India is already in the US. According to the ex-FDA commissioner, “if the goal is to try to prevent the introduction of a new variant 617 that’s circling India, I assure you it’s here already”. He believes that coronavirus variants “aren’t just cropping up in one market and migrating around the world”. Gottlieb argues that these variants are “cropping up simultaneously in every market”.

Travel Ban on India

India has recorded more than 21 million cases. India’s healthcare system is overwhelmed by the fast-rising cases in the country. Hospitals are understaffed and are running low on necessary supplies to address the situation. And apart from New Delhi and other large cities, ill-equipped rural areas are also dealing with the same problem.

Due to the shortage in access to medical care, the Biden administration wants US citizens to go back to the US. And on May 4, the US announced a travel ban on the country as it struggled to control its latest surge. The travel ban won’t apply to both US citizens and permanent residents.

But apart from India, the Biden administration continued to ban travel from the UK, China, and other areas initially banned by the Trump administration.

However, there are signs that the US is already relaxing its travel restrictions. The US starts allowing the return of students from China and other countries as in-person classes are about to return. The European Union also opens its doors to US tourists that completed their vaccination.