The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discouraged Americans to travel. This guideline included those who received their vaccine. Despite the agency’s warning regarding the possibility of having more COVID19 cases related to travel, TSA recorded consecutive days of more than 1 million passengers. It shows that while there are restrictions on international travel, Americans are still willing to travel domestically and take the risk.
President Biden Relaxing Travel Restrictions by May?
A report from CNBC circulated that US President Biden plans to revoke several travel restrictions by May. According to two sources, the US is set to relax its travel restrictions on both land and air. This will include relaxation of travel restrictions crossing Mexico and Canada. Also, inbound international flights from the UK, Europe, and Brazil are going to be allowed again.
However, there is no policy memo or formal announcement on the matter. The senior administration official said that “there is going to be a sea change in mid-May when vaccines are more widely available to everyone”. The Biden administration already announced that they expect American adults to have access to the vaccine by May.
Donald Trump lifted restrictions on inbound air travel from selected countries before ending his term. Biden reinstated restrictions during his first week as president.
Ban on Land Crossings
The Department of Homeland Security has extended the ban on land crossings for neighbors from both north and south. US-Canada and US-Mexico borders remain closed until April 21.
The Biden administration has been dealing with a high number of migrants from Mexico looking to enter the US. The US government even allotted funds for the hotels that will temporarily take immigrants who are scheduled for deportation. On the other hand, Canada has requested the US to keep its border closed. In late February, President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to “take a coordinated approach based on science”.
The unverified report could potentially mean a good thing for the struggling airline and tourism industry. However, all we can do is wait until the official announcement. The White House did not respond or comment on the subject.
