Despite requests from the European Union, the US will maintain travel restrictions

07/26/2021 2:57 PM

• Clarín.com

• World

Updated 07/26/2021 2:57 PM

The United States will maintain

existing restrictions on international travel

, despite requests for reciprocity from the European Union.

"We are going to maintain the existing restrictions," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday, justifying this decision mainly because of the

rapid spread of the Delta variant

.

In early July, President Joe Biden said his administration was "in the process" of considering

how long the country could lift the ban

on European travel to the United States, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the issue. during his visit to the White House.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the one who raised the issue of travel restrictions with Joe Biden in a meeting at the White House.

Photo: AFP

According to an official consulted by the AP agency who was not authorized to comment publicly, although the administration understands the importance of international travel, cases are increasing in the United States,

particularly among those who are not vaccinated

, and will probably continue to increase in the United States. next weeks. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

advised Americans not to travel to the United Kingdom

on Monday, due to the increase in cases in that country.

Most of continental Europe has relaxed restrictions on Americans who are fully vaccinated, although the UK continues to require quarantines for most visitors arriving from the US.

Airlines say, however, that the lack of round-trip travel is limiting the number of flights they can offer and the seats they can sell.

But the rise and prevalence of COVID-19 variants in Europe, especially the Delta mutation that is also spreading across the United States, has caused the Biden administration to move

cautiously when it comes to increasing transatlantic travel

.

With information from the AP and AFP agencies

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