by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:37 AM ET, Thu February 11, 2021
UPDATE:
The Biden Administration is now denying the report that it is currently considering US travel restrictions.
"No decisions have been made around additional public health measures that would change domestic travel," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a briefing according to Reuters.
Stay tuned for any more potential updates on potential travel restrictions.
United States President Joe Biden and his administration are considering domestic travel restrictions due to new coronavirus mutations being discovered.
According to The Miami Herald, an unnamed federal official revealed the White House is considering potential travel restrictions within the U.S. after several reported outbreaks of highly contagious forms of COVID-19 first identified overseas.
While the potential travel restrictions are not targeted at any specific state, recent surges of new coronavirus strains in Florida and California have forced officials to consider new travel restrictions health measures in conjunction with state and local governments.
"There are active conversations about what could help mitigate spread here, but we have to follow the data and what's going to work," a White House official told The Miami Herald. "We did this with South Africa, we did this with Brazil, because we got clear guidance."
"No decisions have been made, but we certainly are having conversations across government," the source continued. "This is a war and we're at battle with the virus. War is messy and unpredictable, and all options are on the table."
The federal officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said no policy announcements were imminent, but potential issues with new strains spreading as people begin traveling for Spring break trips could result in a widespread problem.
In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced all international travelers entering the U.S. would be required to present a negative COVID-19 test. Weeks later, reports surfaced that President Biden was considering legislation mandating COVID-19 tests for all travelers preparing to board a domestic flight.
As a result, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and dozens of other companies and trade organizations have expressed concern about the repercussions of testing on domestic flights.
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