Opinion: Travel bans should be based on evidence, not politics or fear

The Trump White House on Monday released a presidential proclamation terminating travel bans on visitors from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and the European Schengen area starting on Jan. 26, when a negative Covid-19 test will be required to enter the country. It took less than an hour before the incoming Biden administration’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, tweeted , “On the advice of our medical team, the administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26.”
It isn’t clear what advice the medical team gave, but scientific evidence suggests that extending such restrictions will not make Americans safer . Instead, travel bans will result in adverse consequences for millions of family members who have been separated for over 10 months, as well as avoidable economic losses. Read the rest…