The White House is considering lifting travel restrictions for most non-U.S. citizens who recently were in Brazil, Britain, Ireland, and 26 other European countries–five U.S. and airline officials told Reuters.
The Trump administration imposed the bans earlier this year to help contain the coronavirus.
Reuters reported that discussions have been ongoing for the last several weeks about lifting the restrictions.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have expressed some reservations about lifting the restrictions. Still, the agency is not expected to block the move.
Administration officials say the restrictions would boost the struggling airline industry, which has seen international travel fall by 70%.
Recently, the CDC issued new travel and testing recommendations for international air travelers recommending they “get tested with a viral test 1-3 days before their flight to reduce spread during travel. Travelers should get tested 3-5 days after travel and stay home for 7 days.”
Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines Holdings, and others, said it has “been advocating for the federal government to set a national standard on testing in order to lift travel restrictions.”
The group also called the CDC guidance a step in the right direction, adding that they hoped it would be “followed by a recognition that testing can be used to safely reopen borders without quarantines.”
