Published: 2021-05-01 09:46
Last Updated: 2024-04-25 19:47
Friday, US President Joe Biden announced restrictions on travelers from India due to the growing outbreak of Covid-19 in the country.
The White House said that "as per the advice of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the administration will impose restrictions on flights from India."
He added that this decision, which bans most entry from non-citizens, will take effect on May 4, without further details.
The US Presidency clarified that these restrictions will not apply to students who will travel to the United States to join their classes next fall, noting that India ranks second in the list of countries with the largest number of students in the United States.
Other countries have imposed restrictions on travelers from India. In France, arrivals are subject to a mandatory quarantine for ten days after their arrival, while Belgium decided on Tuesday to prevent entry from India.
It is believed that the Indian mutant of the coronavirus, which has been detected in at least 17 countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Germany, is the most contagious and may lead to reducing the effectiveness of vaccines, but things are still unclear.