As Delta variant of COVID-19 dominates the United States tally, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the country will maintain international travel restrictions for those wishing to come to the United States.

She said, “We will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point”, citing that the spread of Delta variant has spiked in the United States and abroad, according to reports from AFP.

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Psaki emphasised that the spread of Delta variant seems to continue to rise. However, the press secretary also repeatedly mentioned that the disease is mostly impacting those who have not have been vaccinated. 

Britain, Iran and China were, more than a year ago, added to the list of countries that face United States’ COVID-19 travel restrictions. Brazil and India, which emerged as one of the worst impacted countries, were also put on the list.

Earlier this year in June, when COVID cases seemed to decline with boosted COVID-19 vaccinations, the European Union started to open up its borders. However, most countries required proof of being vaccinated by the traveller. 

Countries like Italy, Greece and Spain, which are highly dependant on tourism, opened up their borders.

EU leaders have asked the United States to show reciprocity and President Joe Biden on July 15 said he would have an answer on the issue “within the next several days” after appeals by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to reports from AFP.

Earlier this week, France took its first step towards establishing a vaccine passport. This government-issued document would grant the holder to enjoy increased facilities and venues that would be restricted to those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to the official website of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 25, the country had recorded 34,380,019 cases. Out of these, 608,403 have resulted in fatalities.