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The United States will restrict incoming travel from India, a decision announced by the White House on Friday as the Indian government set another world record for daily coronavirus cases with more than 400,000.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in a statement that the restrictions would begin on Tuesday. While Psaki did not specify what limitations would be imposed, they are expected to resemble other international travel restrictions, which prevent non-Americans from entering the U.S. if they have been in an affected country for the past 14 days.
The announcement from the Biden administration came the same day India reported more than 300,000 new cases of Covid-19 for the ninth consecutive day. Official data show that about 3,000 people a day die from the disease, although most experts believe the actual number is much higher.
In his statement, Psaki said the White House took action following the advice of the Centers for Disease Control, citing the “extraordinarily high Covid-19 case loads and the multiple variants circulating in India.” Kamala Harris, the U.S. vice president whose mother emigrated to the United States from India, said national security advisers also recommended the move.
The United States has already banned the entry of non-citizens if they have been in several foreign countries in the last 14 days, including the United Kingdom, much of Europe, China, Iran and Brazil.
Other countries have already restricted travel from India to try to prevent the spread of variant B.1.617, which is believed to be behind much of the outbreak across India.
The United Kingdom announced last week that only British and Irish citizens could enter from India and travelers would have to isolate themselves in a government-approved hotel for 10 days. Germany and Italy have taken similar measures.
The restrictions come days after the US announced a package of support to help India fight the pandemic, including oxygen and materials to make vaccines.
“We have a responsibility, like the United States, particularly when it comes to the people we’ve worked with over the years, to step up when people are in a time of need,” Harris said Friday. “We have had a relationship for decades with India, with the Indian people, that has been going on for decades, particularly around public health issues.”
The White House also announced this week that it would export Dose of 60 m of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which has not yet been approved for use in the US, other countries. While the administration has not yet confirmed which countries will receive the doses, US President Joe Biden has said he hoped India would be one of them.
Additional reports from Amy Kazmin in New Delhi
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