The coronavirus pandemic prompted the United States, as well as the rest of the globe, to close borders to foreigners, particularly those arriving from virus hotspots, in a bid to slow the spread of the disease. The measures have excluded American citizens and legal permanent residents wishing to return to their country.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a temporary ban on American citizens and legal permanent residents suspected of being exposed to the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease from returning to the United States from abroad, The New York Times reported on Monday.
US federal agencies have been requested by the Trump administration to offer feedback on the draft regulation to the White House by a Tuesday deadline, according to the newspaper. It has not been made clear whether the proposal will be approved by the administration or when it would be announced.
The documents, partially obtained by the outlet, stated that American citizens and legal permanent residents could not be blocked as an entire class of people, adding that a ban must “include appropriate protections to ensure that no Constitutional rights are infringed.”
The modified rule is expected to be applied at all US airports and land borders, particularly at the US-Mexico border, which has witnessed frequent movement by US citizens and legal permanent residents, according to The Times.
The documents cited the death of the health minister of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Dr. Jesus Grajeda, two weeks after contracting the coronavirus disease in late July, as a concern for the pandemic in the neighboring country.
The order comes as the United States witnesses an ongoing resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
As of Monday, there are a minimum of 5.08 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US COVID-19 death toll stands at over 163,400. The United States has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the world.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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