US to keep current COVID-19 travel restrictions amid delta variant concerns
The decision comes just a week after Canada announced a plan to open its US border.
The US will not lift any current COVID-19 travel restrictions "at this point," according to a White House official.
The US will keep COVID-19 travel limitations in place due to rising concerns about the delta variant, which now accounts for the majority of coronavirus cases in the country. The US will "maintain existing travel restrictions at this point," a White House official told Reuters on Monday.
Under current restrictions, most non-citizens who have been in the UK, Ireland, many European countries, Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Iran within the last 14 days cannot enter the US, Reuters reported.
The news comes a week after Canadian health officials announced that the border between the US and Canada will be open to fully vaccinated people for nonessential travel starting Aug. 9. The border between the countries has been closed since the early days of the pandemic.
The White House didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.