8 Jul 2021

Biden won't lift international travel restrictions immediately - White House

5:32 pm on 8 July 2021

The Biden administration will not immediately lift any international travel restrictions, even as it faces growing pressure from US business groups and lawmakers, a White House official has told Reuters.

US President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol 28 April 2021 in Washington, DC.

US President Joe Biden Photo: Pool / Getty via AFP

In June, the administration launched interagency working groups with the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico to look at how to lift restrictions and eventually resume travel.

"While these groups have met a number of times, there are further discussions to be had before we can announce any next steps on travel reopening with any country," the White House official told Reuters.

"We have made tremendous progress domestically in our vaccination efforts, as have many of these other countries, but we want to ensure that we move deliberately and are in a position to sustainably reopen international travel when it is safe to do so."

-Reuters

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