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The Trump administration on Sunday announced a new ban on non-citizens traveling to the United States from Brazil, which has the second-highest number of recorded coronavirus infections in the world. “The potential for undetected transmission of the virus by infected individuals seeking to enter the United States from the Federative Republic of Brazil threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security,” Trump wrote in his proclamation. United States citizens and green card holders are exempt from the new restrictions, which will go into effect on Thursday night and bar entry of anyone who has been in Brazil within 14 days of their attempted entry.
Earlier on Sunday, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien told CBS’ Face the Nation that White House officials “hope that’ll be temporary,” adding that the administration would “take a look at the other countries on a country by country basis.” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement that the action “will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country.”