The White House announced Wednesday that travelers from China must test negative for COVID-19 before arriving in the United States. The policy comes two years after candidate Joe Biden suggested that then-President Trump’s travel restrictions from China were xenophobic. .
Federal officials said testing requirements began Jan. 5 and are necessary due to the lack of public data on China’s effectiveness in surveillance of COVID-19. Regardless of nationality, you must present a negative test result taken at least 2 days before your flight. Japan and India have imposed similar restrictions as China eased its “corona-zero” lockdown policy in recent weeks.
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In January 2020, President Trump announced plans to limit travel from China in response to the initial spread of the COVID-19 virus. Hours after the announcement, Biden said during his campaign in Iowa, “Now is not the time for Donald Trump’s hysterical xenophobic and fear-mongering record.” Biden used this same language in a tweet the next day.
“We need to lead with science, not Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia and fear-mongering,” Biden tweeted.
China removes COVID-19 quarantine rules for inbound travelers
Trump restricted travel from Europe in March 2020, and Biden responded by declaring that “the wall won’t stop the coronavirus.” But in the weeks since, the Biden campaign has changed its public stance on travel restrictions.
Biden’s team insisted his comments about Trump’s xenophobia were not about travel policy, weeks after the European restrictions.
A spokesperson for the campaign said, “This was not a reference to coronavirus travel restrictions.” Washington Post At the time. “Travel restrictions backed by science, advocated by public health officials, and backed by a perfect strategy can be justified. Travel restrictions can buy time, but here, time bought to prepare. was wasted when Trump used it to downplay it, rather than prepare the country for illness.”
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Biden’s campaign in April 2020 backed Trump’s restrictions on China.
“Since science supported this ban, [Biden] Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s Vice Presidential campaign manager, said at the time.
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We’ve reached out to the White House for comment, but have yet to hear back.