US restricts travel from India due to rise in Covid-19 cases

US restrict travels from India

On the Advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Administration will restrict travel from India due to the rampant spread of COVID 19. The Policy will take effect on Tuesday, May 4.

“The Restrictions are imposed in the light of extraordinarily high COVID-19 case loads and multiple variants circulating in India”, the officials said. The country is battling a highly contagious covid variant, known as B.1.617.

There are few non-stop flights between the US and India. United Airlines is the only major US carrier operating non-stop service between two countries with four daily departures to India. Air India has a similar number scheduled next month.

The Travel restrictions will not apply to citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States, their spouses or minor children or siblings, or the parents of citizens or lawful permanent residents who are under 21

A similar ban was issued in January on most non-US citizens entering the country who have been recently in South Africa. Entry ban was re-imposed on nearly all non-US travelers who have been in the UK, Brazil, Ireland and 26 countries that allow travel across open borders in Europe.

The policy means most non-US citizens who have been in one of these countries ( now including India) within the last 14 days are not eligible to Travel to the United States.