US will restrict travel from India on Covid-19 concerns
The move comes as concerns mount over a record surge in coronavirus cases in India.
The Biden administration will restrict travel from India beginning on Wednesday AEST the White House said at the weekend, as concerns mount over a record surge in coronavirus cases there.
“On the advice of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the administration will restrict travel from India,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “The policy will be implemented in light of extraordinarily high COVID-19 caseloads and multiple variants circulating in India.”
The White House said the ban on travel from India wouldn’t apply to US citizens, permanent residents or their spouses.
Other individuals who might qualify for exemptions include humanitarian workers, certain journalists and academics and students commencing studies in the northern autumn, according to a determination by the State Department for travellers deemed to be in US national interests. The exceptions mirror those for other countries affected by pandemic-related travel restrictions.
A spokesman for the Indian embassy had no immediate comment. The announcement comes as India set a global record for new infections, prompting several countries to impose similar travel restrictions. The UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia were among the growing list of countries to ban most travellers from India in recent weeks.
India reported another world record of 401,993 new daily infections on Saturday, bringing the country’s total number of cases to more than 18 million. The death toll stood at 208,330 as of Friday, but public health experts believe total fatalities to be undercounted.
The US and other governments have ramped up humanitarian assistance to India amid the crisis, which has overwhelmed the country’s hospitals and led to many people dying on the footpath waiting to be seen. India has also experienced a massive shortage in oxygen and related supplies, and the government is struggling to vaccinate people amid the surge.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris, the first person of Indian descent to serve in the role, said the wave in India was “a great tragedy … We as a country have made a commitment to the people of India to support them but it is tragic.”
The State Department said it would send one of its most senior diplomats to India. Daniel Smith, who served as acting secretary of state in January before Antony Blinken was confirmed, will serve as interim charge d’affaires in India. The move “underscores US commitment to working with India to advance our shared priorities, including the wellbeing of the Indian and American people during the pandemic crisis,” department spokesman Ned Price said.
The Biden administration initially drew criticism for being slow to respond to the situation, but has since announced more than $US100m in emergency relief.
Two US military assistance flights carrying supplies landed in India on Friday. The initial shipments included hundreds of oxygen cylinders, regulators and pulse oximeters, roughly 184,000 rapid diagnostic tests and about 84,000 N95 masks.
The overall US aid package announced by the White House last week includes 15 million N95 masks, one million rapid diagnostic tests, thousands of oxygen-related supplies and therapeutics and materials to manufacture more vaccines.
United Airlines and Air India are the only two airlines offering non-stop flights between the US and India. United’s four daily round-trip flights have been fairly full recently. An airline spokesman said it would comply with the new restrictions. “The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and we will comply with all government regulations and travel orders,” United said.
“United is proud of the essential air service we provide to connect our two countries and we’ll continue to support India during this time of need.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the US has also banned most travellers from the UK, the EU, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, China and Iran.
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