Brazil is the new coronavirus hotspot.
A new United States ban on travelers from Brazil went into effect Tuesday, two days earlier than the White House had initially announced. The ban came in the form of a proclamation issued Sunday by President Donald Trump.
The ban applies to foreigners entering the U.S. who have been in Brazil at some point during the prior 14 days. Health officials say it may take two to 14 days before symptoms appear in someone who contracts COVID-19. The White House said the travel ban “will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country.”
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said, “We hope that’ll be temporary, but because of the situation in Brazil, we’re going to take every step necessary to protect the American people.” He said that further travel restrictions for other South American countries would be determined on a “country-by-country basis.”
In recent weeks, Brazil has emerged as the new coronavirus hot spot, trailing only the U.S. in the number of confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. President Trump’s Administration has sent ventilators to Brazil.
Brazil’s president Bolsonarro has insisted the coronavirus is not serious and has not imposed any national restrictions, brushing off the virus as nothing more than a “little flu” and says a wrecked economy will kill more people than the illness. He called Brazilians worried about the coronavirus neurotic.
The new restrictions do not apply to the flow of commerce between the two nations.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For President Trump, the Coronavirus Task Force, CDC and others who are endeavoring to more infection from abroad.
- For State Department and other officials who will be finding means of bringing Americans in Brazil back to the U.S. and their possible quarantine.
Sources: Voice of America, USA Today
